Meet David Drucker. Rock star reporter with CQ-Roll Call.
He was nice enough to spend a few minutes with FamousDC for one of our Famous 5 interviews.
Famous 5: David Drucker
1. You’ve lived in DC six years, what is your favorite thing about our fair city?
The city is rich with history, and nearly everywhere I go I can usually overhear someone talking politics, which is among the things that drew me here. It’s very similar to growing up in L.A., where every Sunday at brunch the guy at the next table over was discussing his next script or entertainment project. That — and this is where I met my wife. Can’t top that.
2. Do your best Charlie Cook. Any predictions for White House & Congress next year?
White House: President Barack Obama is running against himself and the unemployment rate. Figuring that the Republicans nominate someone electable, overcoming those two factors will be Obama’s biggest challenges.
Senate: The Senate will be a dogfight. Statewide races are capable of separating from the national narrative, which in this case will be governed by the presidential race. Poor Republican candidates in enough races could give the Democrats a fighting chance to hold the majority. But with the political and economic atmosphere where it is now, and the number of targeted races the Republicans have to choose from, the edge goes to the GOP at this point.
House of Representatives: Democrats won’t take back the House if Obama loses. It’s that simple.
3. Your morning emails are usually littered with pop culture references. Where does this inspiration come from?
Before becoming a political reporter I spent 10 years in sales and marketing of home furnishings products. Part of my job was to develop marketing campaigns and product branding. The industry was and is cut throat-competitive and I was always looking for a way to make our products stand out in a crowd. When I was putting my email list together and preparing to send out the first story, I, without realizing it, fell back on my old habit of trying to figure out how to make my “product” stand out in the crowd — the crowd in this case being the gazillion emails that flood into DC inboxes every morning.
4.You and your wife Jenny are known foodies. What are the best kept secrets of DC restaurants?
Atlas Room (not the secret it used to be, but it remains our favorite neighborhood spot for the combination of amazing food and cocktails.) If you go, tell Mark that Drucker sent you.
Oohs & Aahs. On U Street NW. Still the best place in town for soul food. The only way I know to get it better is to hop a plane and head south.
P&C Market. On the west side of Lincoln Park on Capitol Hill. Truly a hidden gem; it shouldn’t be. Although not a restaurant, P&C brings in some of the best culinary ingredients around the country and around the world. What that means is an enjoyable shopping experience and great food.
5. You’ve been with Roll Call six years, what was the most interesting day at work?
I’ve been with Roll Call for as long as I’ve lived in DC. Hands down my most interesting day at work was covering the Supreme Court challenge to the Tom DeLay-led 2003 redistricting of Texas House seats. I was seated behind a column and could only see a few of the justices, so I had to rely on a proctor to tell me who was speaking (she did so by holding up numbers, and I had to memorize which number corresponded to which justice.) Then I had to write a story that telegraphed how the Supreme Court was going to rule. Probably the most nervous I’ve ever been about getting a story right. Roll Call kept me around, so I think it turned out alright.
