LaPolitics Report

In the second part of this series on consultants, the minds behind Robinson+Kennedy, political consultant Preston Robinson and media consultant George Kennedy, dive deep into the creative process. How do campaign ads come together? How do multi-member firms agree on things like messaging? They have the answers...

This week's audio haul leads off with a special episode (appearing out of chronological order for your political needs) featuring State Rep. Neil Riser, the former chair of the Senate and Revenue Fiscal Affairs Committee. Riser was asked to come on the LaPolitics Report podcast to discuss Gov. Jeff Landry's tax agenda for the upcoming November special session. And that he did, offering a historical take on why the Executive and Legislative branches are facing the challenges they are, from former Govs. Bobby Jindal and John Bel Edwards to the current term of state government. From a political perspective, Riser said the heaviest lift will be convincing lawmakers, special interests and the public that a multi-bill package and enormous constitutional amendment should be considered as a whole, rather than in parts. "In my opinion, from my seat, if you vote against one of those components, then you're voting against lowering the personal income tax and the corporate," Riser said in episode No. 72. Before dipping into tax matters, however, Riser spent a bit of time talking about late President Teddy Roosevelt, his roughest hunts and why he sometimes prefers sleeping outside on the ground. He also reflected on his family's 90-year-old funeral business and his upbringing in the logging industry.

Appearing in episode No. 70, Mary-Patricia Wray of Top Drawer Strategies kicks off a two-part series on consultants.

Will the recent storm on the East Coast impact our insurance market? Will there be a special session on insurance? Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple weighs in on all of it, and a lot more. Plus, we kick off this episode with one of Huey Long's most unforgettable speeches.

How do married couples in politics make it all work? Rep. Troy Hebert and his wife, Kristie Hebert, the first woman chair of the Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association Board. Plus, we kick off this episode with words of marital wisdom from Louisiana's own odd power couple: James Carville and Mary Matalin.

In this week's archived episode of the LaPolitics Report podcast, we take a deep dive into the beating heart of any successful political infrastructure: fundraising, the mother’s milk of elections. Recorded in May of 2017, this episode features Sally Nungesser of Nungesser Consulting. She has raised money for a long list of politicians, including but not limited to former President George W. Bush, U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, Congressman Clay Higgins and former New York Governor George Pataki.

A fourth-time delegate to the Republican National Convention this week, state Rep. Mike Bayham is the guest for episode 67 of the LaPolitics Report podcast. While he's backing former President Donald Trump this go around, Bayham on three other occasions sought to back candidates who weren't the front-runners. "Oh, we got a lot of pressure," Bayham said, reflecting on various efforts for him and others to switch sides in previous conventions. This week, however, he and the rest of Louisiana's delegation will support Trump across the board. "Absolutely," he said when asked. Bayham also covered the basics for this week, from how delegates were selected to exactly how much money it costs to be part of a party convention. "It's completely out of pocket," he said. "They charge you for everything. It's extremely expensive." While Trump's nomination won't be a surprise, delegates are expected to vote on a new GOP platform, which includes tweaking long-held stances on a federal abortion ban and other issues. Bayham said he anticipated the changes while watching "Trump trying to shift a little bit off" of traditional GOP messaging on these topics. Plus, in our regular history segment, we hear the 1976 "Challenge" speech delivered by Ronald Reagan at that year's Republican National Convention. Bayham also turned an eye to local politics of yesteryear and shared his own memories of two late elected officials that defined his St. Bernard Parish, state Sen. Lynn Dean and Parish President Junior Rodriguez.

Will Congressman Garret Graves, who is not seeking re-election this fall, run for the Public Service Commission? That question gets answered on the new episode of the LaPolitics Report podcast. Graves also discussed his first race for elected office against the late Gov. Edwin Washington Edwards, and revealed the meetings that led to his decision to not run against Gov. Jeff Landry last year.

Recorded in September 2016, this LaPolitics Report podcast features a sometimes comical conversation with USA Today Network of Louisiana reporter Greg Hilburn about politics and family. There have been many changes to journalism since Hilburn first started as a scribe, covering sports at times, and we discuss all of that as well. You definitely won't want to miss what he has to say about going through the adoption process for his twin daughters. Is social media changing journalism for the better? What was it like covering the 2015 gubernatorial election cycle? What did he learn about reporting from his father, a storied figure on his own? Hilburn answered all of these questions, plus much more! We also went back in time with an audio clip from the political comeback of late Gov. Edwin Edwards. You're sure to get a good laugh out of this one!

Recorded in November 2016, this interview with former Associated Press Capitol Bureau Chief Melinda Deslatte features a serious conversation about the evolution of political journalism in Louisiana and what the future might hold for her trade. Now with the Public Affairs Research Council, Deslatte dished up some keen insights on the legislative process, which wasn't surprising — due partly to term limits and largely to her skillset, Deslatte has quickly become one of the building's best sources of institutional knowledge. Plus, this episode takes a look back at former Gov. Kathleen Blanco and we hear some inspiring words from the woman herself.