Photo courtesy of Tom Williams
1. You just left the Washington Post for Morning Consult. Tell us why.
The media industry is going through a revolution. We’re all trying to figure out a sustainable business model that works, before the old one completely collapses. The folks at Morning Consult are doing things differently, in an exciting way that’s going to allow us to experiment with the intersection of politics and policy in new ways, and that held the biggest allure to me. Morning Consult is a new challenge for me, and I love the idea of building a new product that’s lean, nimble and appealing both to our insider audience and to the broader public. There’s nothing but growth potential here.
That said, it’s hard to leave The Post, and all the great people I worked with here, including – just to name the three people I worked most closely with – Steven Ginsberg, Niraj Chokshi and Rebecca Sinderbrand.
2. What can we expect from you in the coming months?
It’s no stretch to say many in Congress have lost touch with their constituents. With Morning Consult’s ability to poll so many voters so frequently, I think we can bridge that gap a little bit. We’ll be able to spot new trends before they really percolate in the political consciousness, and hopefully we’ll be able to inform members of Congress about what their constituents are really thinking – and the other way around.
3. You spent 3 months in New Zealand. What did you miss most about Washington, D.C.?
The food. Our time in New Zealand was truly life-changing – it gave me a bad case of the travel bug – but outside of Auckland, Kiwi cuisine is … not the best. Their palate is like three degrees sweeter than ours, so everything was just a little too sugary for me. That said, I’d be happy to go back and try any new restaurants that have opened if someone wants to pay for my flight.
4. Do you think Washington is the worst sports city in America with the recent playoff collapses by the Wizards and the Capitals?
No way. Losing doesn’t make you a bad sports city. I’m from Seattle, and I remember going to Mariners games when there were only 5,000 fans in the Kingdome, and we’re still a good sports town. Fans who believe there’s always next year are good fans.
5. Joe Biden’s office calls Morning Consult at lunch today and wants to kick it with you tonight. Where are y’all going?
Well I’m sure he’ll be willing to pick me up in the Corvette. Then I assume he’ll want to pay for ice cream with a huge wad of cash.