Fly On The Wall

This week, we talked to Liz Sidoti, current Director of U.S. Communications for BP. Liz talks to us about her unique experience in the political world, both as a journalist for the Associated Press, and now working communications for BP. She has some great stories about her time on the campaign trail in '04 and '08, and what it was like coordinating emergency response communications after BP's location in Houston was hit hard by Hurricane Harvey.

Former Trump White House Communications Director Mike Dubke joins us on the pod this week to talk about how he got the job (spoiler: it’s not how you might expect) and share some of the biggest moments in his tenure at the White House. We'll take you inside the room of that Rose Garden press conference after the House passed their health care bill, and get the real story behind one of the "Spicey-est" stories of the summer! PS: If you want to understand that joke, make sure you listen all the way to the end — you won't regret it!

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL PODCAST DAY! The Fly on the Wall team wishes you a Happy International Podcast Day! We’ve put together a BONUS episode to give you a peek inside the room of creating Fly on the Wall. We'll walk you through a normal week of podcasting, key you in on some of our best interview tips and recap our favorite moments on the pod.

RNC Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel joins our team to take stock of the GOP post-2016 and talk shop about how she's shaping the party. We dive into her experience as Michigan GOP Chair during the election as well dissect her approach toward leading the national party. Plus, Chairwoman McDaniel responds to our student hot take on the status of political parties in our country today.

This week, the team sat down with GMMB's Anson Kaye, one of the primary ad agencies hired by both the Obama 2012 and Hillary 2016 campaigns. We discussed just how an ad firm works in the campaign ecosystem and got the behind the scenes stories on how some of the most iconic ads of 2016 were created.

Welcome back! In the launch episode of Season 2, Aaron, Christian, and Justin chat with former representative Patrick Murphy (D-FL) about his experience as a millennial member of Congress. Through conversations on campaigning and governing, we get a glimpse into the life of a Congressman--and all the challenges and rewards that come along with the job.

As summer winds to a close, Aaron, Christian & Justin reflect on the past month of political happenings. They recap the big stories, share their millennial perspective on the big issues, and have a few laughs along the way. They're then joined by Charlie Spies, a "Super Lawyer" in Washington with expertise in political law and experience on Republican presidential campaigns.

Some of our favorite GU Politics alum join us on the pod just in time for the holiday weekend. Helen Brosnan, Jack Welty, and Scott Syroka (via phone call) stop by to discuss the struggle of life after Georgetown, how they've remained engaged in politics, and their thoughts on the current political landscape.

Alex Skatell, founder of the Independent Journal Review, joins us on the pod to talk about the nexus of media and politics. As a pioneer in a new age of journalism, IJR strives to deliver news through the channels people actually use and in ways that people actually want to consume news.

The Fly on the Wall team reports from across the pond, providing the scoop on the British snap elections. In this episode, we learn the context of the election (HINT- it has a little something to do with Brexit) and a crash course in British politics, talking to candidates, campaign managers, and press to get the full picture.

Finally, Aaron's dreams come true: his idol, Governor Martin O'Malley, is the guest on this week's episode. O'Malley reflects on his career in politics and his faith background, identifies key strategies for the Democratic party moving forward after a disappointing election season, and presents his vision for the nation. Will he run for president again? Listen to find out!

Everyone's favorite professor and WaPo columnist EJ Dionne joins Aaron and Christian for a fascinating discussion on religion in American political life. We cover a wide array of topics--from EJ's childhood to the impact of evangelicals in the 2016 campaign to party strategy in reaching religious voters. It's a long episode, but we promise every minute is worth it.

We landed the authors of the hottest political read, "Shattered"--which details the ups and downs of Hillary Clinton's unsuccessful run at the presidency. Jon Allen and Amie Parnes join us to discuss what it was like to observe the campaign from the inside, how they cultivated their sources, and how the concept of the book evolved from early 2015 to November 8th, 2016.

As Congress appears stuck in the mud, we bring in an expert of how the Hill works--Michael Steel, former Press Secretary to Speaker Boehner. We talk about stalled agendas, a looming government shutdown, and the festival that is the White House Correspondents Dinner.

Aaron visits Ambassador Peter Wittig in the German embassy to talk about the German approach to international deal-making in the second episode of "Fly on the World: Climate Change Edition." We discuss cultural differences, ambitious goals, and the need for strong leadership to hold the global consensus together.

Doug Heye, former communications head for the RNC and Majority Leader Eric Cantor, shares some of his craziest stories about communicating in crisis mode. In the wake of United and Pepsi PR disasters, we discuss what makes crisis communications different than day-to-day communications in terms of strategy, tactics, and results.

Ambassador Selwin Hart of Barbados kicks off our newest series, "Fly on the World: Climate Change Edition"! In these episodes, we'll discuss the global effort to combat climate change and explore how historic agreements like the Paris Deal come to fruition. Join us as we step into the rooms where real diplomacy--the nitty gritty deal-making--takes place!

The 2016 election raised a lot of doubts about polling--and top Democratic pollster and Obama campaign adviser Cornell Belcher joins us to address those very concerns. He talks about how he got his start, the need for strategic polling, and where we went wrong in 2016.

Christian hits the campaign trail for #HoyasInGA, touring Georgia's Sixth Congressional District just weeks before the special election to fill Secretary Tom Price's seat. He chats with campaign managers, party officials, and even candidates--including Democratic candidate Jon Ossof.

Former senior staffer for Hillary for America Marlon Marshall joins us on the pod this week to talk about the importance of local politics in national electoral strategy. NOTE: there's also a lengthy discussion on Girl Scout cookies.