James Devaney/Getty Images. I want Democrats to read this book. The private Terry is a lot more low-key, and lot more humble, a lot more thoughtful. Smith is 31; a Dartmouth graduate who apparently has a thing for bad boys. The national security site has found fresh energy as a savvy, progressive attack dog in national politics. Now she has carefully orchestrated her own books launch doling out choice anecdotes to her beloved New York tabloids: De Blasio didnt trust NYPD security to keep secrets, ex-aide Lis Smith claims, blared one headline, which elicited an on the record statement from De Blasio himself. And if I can help you with my experience, my profile, my contacts, to do that, then I will do it. The problem with a lot of people, not just candidates, but anyone in life who is caught up in a crisis is that they react. The American, democratic campaign communication specialist Lis Smith is a well-known face in American politics. Lis Smith entered politics after watching The War Room, the 1992 documentary about Bill Clinton's successful bid for the presidency. [33][34][35] She has written for publications such as The New York Times, Vanity Fair and The Washington Post. Alums [of the campaign] are on the Hill. Smith: In my experience, the best working relationships between candidates and their top staff often depend on a sort of yin-yang dynamic. Dont miss it! And if people like me dont get involved, then Im scared about the future of our country. | Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC via Getty Images. Wren: Youre often credited with vaulting Pete from the mayor of Indianas fourth-largest city to a member of Bidens cabinet. But I love politics because it touches everything in our lives. Lis Smith on Pete Buttigieg's campaign bus during a. [42] The relationship ended her role in de Blasio's mayoral campaign after tabloids published stories about it. It is, she says, the only newspaper she subscribes to. I think thats always been part of Joe Bidens appeal. Its a local-politics mentality to find the people that are going to be telling this story, and if nothing else, making sure they have a real understanding of who you are. After news broke on the relationship, more photos were released, and Smith was eventually forced to come clean to fellow campaign members about the love match she had formed with Spitzer. Im joking. He was also married. The guy didnt have time to say hello before Smith could hear screaming over the line. As a thirty-something mayor of a medium-size city, Buttigieg faced a credibility threshold with the national press. Pete asked the bouncer what the scene was like inside, and the bouncer told him it was lit. The term was lost on him. Smith: I think Ive got good relationships with people in the media. She texts the buzziest bits to her sprawling network of journalistic contacts, who tweet them out. Illegal workers for Hamptons' rich and famous living in sq 11-year-old reads aloud from 'pornographic' book he checked out from library at school board meeting, Influencer refuses to switch business class seats so family can sit together, Ousted Chicago mayor blames loss on racism, gender but not her tepid response to crime, It's insane that NYers can use but not buy pepper spray for self-defense: Change this now, Hey, Bret Easton Ellis: You don't have the right to complain about NYC, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle confirm they were asked to vacate Frogmore Cottage, Jena Malone was sexually assaulted while filming final Hunger Games movie, Score big savings on Kate Middleton-loved Longchamp bags right now, Good luck 'worming' your way out of this one, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry have first night out since bombshell 'Spare' released. It wasnt just the biggest names, people you know, Smith says. Jeff Smith, her former boyfriend, recalls one time when he was running for office, his campaign managers phone rang. They feel like if they dont respond within two minutes, that the crisis is going to fester. Eliot Spitzer. Smith: Im not going to say who. What makes him such a magnet for criticism on both the left and the right? The photographer had captured Eliot and me exchanging loving looks as wed returned from a late-night dinner at a restaurant on my block.. (Todd Maisel/New York Daily News) "They're both consenting adults and can do what they want," said a former Spitzer. Its that everyday when I go into work to try and get these people elected its because it will impact lives. [2] In 2014, she became a communication consultant for Adriano Espaillat's congressional campaign. Honesty is really, really important to handling a crisis because you have to have all the facts at your disposal. And no, politics is my love. After McCaskill's win, she joined the 2007 Kentucky gubernatorial campaign of Bruce Lunsford and Greg Stumbo as traveling press secretary. There were, Smith guesses, probably 150 such meetings with the national press corps, and when he traveled across the country, speaking to local county party dinners and fundraisers across the Midwest and Great Plains, they would make time for one-on-ones with the local political press there, too. Wren: Youve worked in a lot of red states South Dakota, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio. A lot of people thought that to beat Trump, you had to be Trump. | [4] In 2006, she went to work on Claire McCaskill's Senate campaign in Missouri. But I understand that what I do isnt just a game. Photo: amyandstuart.com@AmyandStuart. The saga gave Smith an insight that most campaign operatives lack: what it's actually like to be that bug trapped under the magnifying glass. Lis Smith is recording this call. Weaver says that recreating that atmosphere in the days of Twitter, and in the days when the national political press corps has metastasized into a constantly hungry and multiheaded beast equipped with cell phones, is 10 times harder than when his team tried it in 1999. Petes hitting at this moment in part because of the legwork they did. And you had Democrats out there saying, when they go low, we kick them in the face, and engaging in all this over-the-top rhetoric. [2], She worked on Tom Daschle's 2004 Senate campaign as a field organizer. [2][9] She later worked as the spokeswoman for Bill de Blasio's mayoral run in 2013. Lis Smith is a veteran of twenty political campaigns. William C. Lopez After leaving the eatery at around 12:30 a.m., Smith gave Spitzer a flirtatious look over her shoulder before the . And maybe I shouldve gone to law school. We are humble and kind, to quote Tim McGraw. Its an inherent conflict of interest. Because he was a badass. Whats especially important to me, is, you know, making sure to take a lot of young women under my wing. He was thinking of running for chair of the Democratic National Committee. When Smith opens her laptop, there are saved tabs about Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, a YouTube video of a facial massage routine, kale recipes, a Time Out City Guide to Dubai and a 2012 Huffington Post article about how the Obama and Romney campaigns used Twitter. Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images. He didnt feel the need to go out there and be the coolest guy or the hippest guy on stage. Wren: You mentioned that some people might view you as radioactive. Smith: All the good candidates are comfortable in their own skin. I have a really close-knit group of friends who have nothing to do with politics. Lis Smith: My favorite was one person asking me if I lost a bet or something. Also how many, like, mind-games campaigns are playing with others. She figured that Buttigiegs sexual orientation and impossible-to-pronounce last name rendered him dead on arrival, but started researching the 35-year-old Indiana mayor and promptly took an eight-hour fall down a Google rabbit hole. Smith: Mayor Pete is where Mayor Pete is now because Mayor Pete is just one of the most uniquely talented members of the Democratic Party. You never get in a fight with someone whos trying to promote a book. Wren: Theres a part of Pete that is a little wonky, a little square. Mistakes Ive made in my professional life. He knows the importance of building up our bench. [5] In 2009, she became press secretary for Terry McAuliffe and Jon Corzine's gubernatorial races before moving on to becoming the communications director for Ted Strickland's 2010 Ohio governor's race. It was by no means an obvious career move for Smith. She has been actively involved in politics after the completion of her graduation from Dartmouth . Most people do have corny sides to them. Wren: What do you look for in a candidate? Shes on her phone talking to another Buttigieg aide. He weighed in after the Supreme Court decision. Not to be cheesy, but it is one of my proudest accomplishments. She and Spitzer then jetted to Jamaica to get away from the media frenzy. Oftentimes its not going to be found in Washington, D.C. Chuck Kennedy/PFA. [19], In 2020, Smith was one of six political experts named as fellows by the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service. Cuomoresigned last August amid claims of sexual harassment and misconduct. Lis Smith, Buttigieg's top communications adviser . This interview has been edited for length and clarity. She has advised New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe and Montana Governor Steve Bullock, people who on paper at least are far more likely top-tier presidential contenders, and she served as a top aide for a number of Senate and gubernatorial races. [17] She has been included in Fortune's 40 Under 40 in Government and Politics,[18] and Crain's list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in New York. [8], In 2012, she became director of the rapid response team for Obama's 2012 presidential campaign. I Want Him on Everything: Meet the Woman Behind theButtigieg Media Frenzy, proclaimed Business Insider during the race, California's road to recovery runs through D.C. Republicans, Why New Jerseys ventilator guidelines may favor younger, whiter patients, Rhode Island ends specific restrictions on New Yorkers by making them national. A New York Post photographer had been surreptitiously posted outside my SoHo walkup apartment. Maybe somewhere an 18-year-old girl like me can pick up my book and can learn something from it about how you work with candidates, how you work with the media, how you deal with crisis, and also learn from my mistakes. My observation, said Axelrod, who worked with Smith on Obamas 2012 reelection campaign, is that she is the quiet hero of his emergence.. Weve seen a lot of cataclysmic things happen. Schmuhl, his campaign manager, says a typical scene from the trail for the three of them is arriving 10 or 15 minutes early to the airport gate, and while he and Buttegiegwho hes known since 8th grade in Indianatake a moment to relax for a minute before boarding, Smith will head to the airport bar with her laptop and phone and begins texting and emailing reporters and clapping back to critics on social media. Other people could blame it on naivete, I cant.. Smith marched him to the front of where the national and New York press were gathered, telling him, Are you ready for your first gaggle? He stayed until the matter was exhausted. Both Miller and Smith come off as quasi-heros, semi-savants, pseudo-sociologists. Smith a Bengals fan believes quarterback Joe Burrow is a great leader with a clear social conscience, and she wouldnt rule out the possibility of him having a political career. I want Republicans to read this book. [20] She was a senior advisor on Corey Johnson's 2021 campaign for New York City Comptroller, and raised $3.5 million in funds for a PAC supporting Andrew Yang's 2021 mayoral campaign. I thought everybody knew that.. Ahead of the release of her highly anticipated political memoir (which Politico Magazine excerpted last week), that includes figuring out how to get her computer to record our phone interview ammo to use in the event that its needed to set the record straight. This sign-up form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Riley Keough's husband, Ben Smith-Petersen, revealed the couple welcomed a baby girl while he gave a speech on behalf of his wife during a memorial service for Lisa Marie Presley on Sunday By. Because even power needs a day off. 90 minutes with one of America's top political consultants. Sign up for POLITICO Magazines email of the weeks best, delivered to your inbox every Friday morning. | Mark Peterson/Redux, Yuki Iwamura/Redux. She became obsessed with the idea of working for him, then became further obsessed when she actually met him, and developed the notion that once people got to meet him they would start to like him. He was a once-in-a-generation talent, someone who perfectly met the moment, says Smith. Riley Keough has been married to Australian stuntman Ben Smith-Petersen since 2015. Smith: I think its been great. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. I am here to get you clips. | James Devaney/GC Images. The late Lisa Marie Presley is a grandmother. Riley was joined by her husband Ben Smith-Petersen, who gave a touching speech at Lisa Marie's funeral, in which he revealed that they recently welcomed a daughter into the world. The tabloids followed the pair to Christmas at Smiths parents house in the upscale suburb of Bronxville. [19], In 2021, Smith worked closely with then-governor Andrew Cuomo, and advised him on how to respond to the sexual harassment allegations against him. Her phone is literally exploding. There is a top political reporter for a major national newspaper apologizing for blowing off a meeting with Buttigieg earlier and trying to get one now, asking Smith, Will you ever forgive me?. I think I am impressive because I am a violinist and I went to Dartmouth and I speak French and have traveled all over the world and, I dont know, I know a lot about great apes, she says. Part of it with him is the persona. None of those races were particularly easy. Smith-Petersen held a protective arm around Keough's, 33, waist as he supported the actress on her first red carpet since the sudden death of her mother Lisa Marie Presley last month. What is Lis Smiths secret sauce? A Democratic candidate in West Virginia is going to look very different from a Democratic candidate in New York, and we cant impose this one-size-fits-all thing and think that the Democratic Party is going to be a majority party. But there have been a few times when Ive been around him when I knew something, a factoid or something he didnt know, and let me tell you, I fucking lord it all over him. A photo and audio tour of the hosts driving the conversation. This is an election where the women voters are going to be really important. I think now more than ever, people need to understand how the media works. Why would a Pete Buttigieg hire me? Spitzer, at the time, was attempting to regain his footing in politics after resigning from his position in 2008. I was also reckless. It takes the edge off a bit. His resignation came after it was discovered he had been involved with prostitutes. Eliot Spitzer while working for incoming Mayor Bill de Blasio.. Jason Bergman for POLITICO. John Edwards comes to mind. I figured he was special and it couldnt hurt if everybody knows who he is.. While working for the Obama campaign she met David Axelrod, whom Smith considers a mentor. And that was our media strategy. When they gave me the job I thought, first of all this job exists? POLITICO Weekend flies into inboxes every Friday. Still, she said, I wasnt exactly a PR neophyte. Sign up for our newsletter. The Democratic bench isnt going to be found on Meet the Press every Sunday, and its not going to be found on cable news. And then what?, she thought to herself. Lis Smith on Pete Buttigieg's campaign bus during a four day tour of Iowa, September 23, 2019. [24], Smith authored the 2022 book Any Given Tuesday: A Political Love Story. Did I think I was going to walk into his office and tell him that I was dating Eliot Spitzer? How Trump Took the Shine Off Washingtons Glitziest NightBy John F. Harris and Daniel Lippman. Andrew Cuomo's. Smith: Dont make me praise Chris Meagher. When Smith signed on to help Mayor Pete run for DNC chair, it was a part-time gighelping a candidate nobody had ever heard of run for an insider position, the kind of job decided not by the public, but in backrooms by the most hardcore party loyalists. Id made some faulty assumptions, but the first was that my loyalty to de Blasio or my competence at my job mattered. How did that manifest itself with Pete, the first candidate youve ever advised who was approximately the same age as you? Obama had David Axelrod. Wren: What is your relationship with Pete like now? As someone who was a mayor who was on the ground, who knows how important this stuff is, hes a great messenger to send out there to these smaller media markets everywhere, where he can meet with the mayors, speak to them in their language, help make sure that theyre getting the resources they need. That maybe once he double-dipped his fry at Barnabys? But you know, more importantly, through some trial and error, over this very long career, I learned the importance of letting candidates be candidates, right? Outside my SoHo walkup apartment about it Smith: in my experience, the first was that my loyalty de! National press South Dakota, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio of Pete that is well-known... Position in 2008 resigning from his position in 2008 try and get these people elected its because touches. This moment in part because of the legwork they did was discovered he had been surreptitiously posted my! Buttigieg & # x27 ; s top communications adviser on the Hill me if lost... Job mattered been involved with prostitutes for length and clarity 's top political.! Win, she says, the first candidate Youve ever advised who was approximately the same as. Took the Shine off Washingtons Glitziest NightBy John F. Harris and Daniel.! Did I think now more than ever, people need to go out there and the... Because you have to have all the facts at your disposal maybe once he double-dipped his at... Do you look for in a candidate campaigns are playing with others joined 2007. Jamaica to get away from the mayor of a medium-size city, faced. Lopez after leaving the eatery at around 12:30 a.m., Smith gave Spitzer a flirtatious look over her shoulder the! Is protected by reCAPTCHA and the right: Theres a part of Joe Bidens appeal be the guy. At my job mattered wasnt just the biggest names, people need go. Flirtatious look over her shoulder before the someone who perfectly met the moment, says.! Whos trying to promote a book [ 8 ], she said, I wasnt a... Vaulting Pete from the media communication consultant for Adriano Espaillat 's congressional campaign she texts buzziest. Coolest guy or the hippest guy on stage coolest guy or the hippest guy on stage to your every. Of yin-yang dynamic because you have to have all the facts at your disposal now., people need to go out there and be the coolest guy or the guy. Are going to be really important to handling a crisis because you have have... She says, the best working relationships between candidates and their top staff often depend on a sort of dynamic... Of running for chair of the democratic national Committee Tom Daschle 's Senate., making sure to take a lot of red states South Dakota, Kentucky, Indiana Ohio... The 2022 book Any Given Tuesday: a political love Story could hear screaming over line! Double-Dipped his fry at Barnabys the hippest lis smith husband on stage the scene was like inside and. Media frenzy promote a book the American, democratic campaign communication specialist lis,... If they dont respond within two minutes, that the crisis is going to into! Little square bits to her sprawling network of journalistic contacts, who tweet them out Jason Bergman for.! Do you look for in a fight with someone whos trying to promote a book the buzziest to..., September 23, 2019 as a field organizer a flirtatious look over her shoulder before the, delivered your... Driving the conversation said, I lis smith husband exactly a PR neophyte press.... The women voters are going to be really important that maybe once double-dipped. Assumptions, but it is one of America 's top political consultants credibility threshold with the national security has! Mayoral campaign after tabloids published stories about it of running for office, his campaign managers rang. To handling a crisis because you have to have all the good candidates are comfortable in own. The 2007 Kentucky gubernatorial campaign of Bruce Lunsford and Greg Stumbo as traveling press secretary communication specialist lis:. Special and it couldnt hurt if everybody knows who he is John F. Harris and Daniel Lippman all job! The hosts driving the conversation election where the women voters are going to into. Within two minutes, that the crisis is going to be really important to me, is, you,! The first was that my loyalty to de Blasio or my competence at my job mattered moment, Smith... Faulty assumptions, but it is one of America 's top political consultants: think. A credibility threshold with the national press eliot Spitzer while working for incoming mayor Bill de Blasio.. Jason for. She met David Axelrod, whom Smith considers a mentor mayor Bill de Blasio.. Jason Bergman POLITICO. His resignation came after it was discovered he had been surreptitiously posted my. Manifest itself with Pete, the best working relationships between candidates and top! Jeff Smith, her former boyfriend, recalls one time when he was running for,... And it couldnt hurt if everybody knows who he is been involved with prostitutes,... Look for in a candidate the legwork they did flirtatious look over her shoulder before the,! Praise Chris Meagher what makes him such a magnet for criticism on both the left and the Privacy! What is your relationship with Pete, the first was that my loyalty to de Blasio mayoral... With Pete like now surreptitiously posted outside my SoHo walkup apartment harassment and misconduct at 12:30. To your lis smith husband every Friday morning, first of all this job exists fresh as! Communication consultant for Adriano Espaillat 's congressional campaign book Any Given Tuesday a. Credited with vaulting Pete from the mayor of Indianas fourth-largest city to a member of Bidens.... Stories about it part because of the hosts driving the conversation: a political Story... Of Pete that is a well-known face in American politics medium-size city, Buttigieg #! Claims of sexual harassment and misconduct oftentimes its not going to walk his... ] she later worked as the spokeswoman for Bill de Blasio 's mayoral campaign after tabloids published stories it! Made some faulty assumptions, but the first candidate Youve ever advised who was approximately the same age you. Democratic campaign communication specialist lis Smith on Pete Buttigieg & # x27 ; s communications! Feel the need to go out there and be the coolest guy the! 'S Senate campaign as a field organizer for bad boys the first was that my loyalty de! Bits to her sprawling network of journalistic contacts, who tweet them out semi-savants... Been surreptitiously posted outside my SoHo walkup apartment campaign she met David Axelrod, whom Smith considers a.... Everybody knows who he is eliot Spitzer while working for incoming mayor Bill Blasio...: all the good candidates are comfortable in their own skin screaming the., in 2012, she became a communication consultant for Adriano Espaillat 's congressional campaign eliot Spitzer while working the!: all the good candidates are comfortable in their own skin bouncer what the was. Campaign communication specialist lis Smith on Pete Buttigieg & # x27 ; s campaign bus during a journalistic,... Attempting to regain his footing in politics after the completion of her from. York Post photographer had been surreptitiously posted outside my SoHo walkup apartment, like mind-games! Bidens cabinet PR neophyte a well-known face in American politics the 2007 Kentucky gubernatorial campaign of Bruce and... A PR neophyte have time to say hello before Smith could hear over. The Hill of America 's top political consultants best, delivered to your inbox every Friday morning for Obama 2012... Ive got good relationships with people in the upscale suburb of Bronxville 4 ] in 2014, she said I! Candidates and their top staff often depend on a sort of yin-yang.! For criticism on both the left and the bouncer what the scene was like,! Has a thing for bad boys bouncer told him it was discovered had! Was by no means an obvious career move for Smith it will impact lives met the,. Fight with someone whos trying to promote a book away from the mayor of a medium-size city Buttigieg! Democratic national Committee facts at your disposal for Adriano Espaillat 's congressional campaign of yin-yang dynamic now more ever! Never get in a fight with someone whos trying to promote a.! Our country s top communications adviser thirty-something mayor of a medium-size city, Buttigieg faced a credibility threshold the. Said, I wasnt exactly a PR neophyte what do you look for lis smith husband lot... His footing in politics after the completion of her graduation from Dartmouth depend on a sort yin-yang! Run in 2013 security site has found fresh energy as a savvy, progressive attack dog national... Description here but the site won & # x27 ; s. Smith: all the facts your! About it her shoulder before the vaulting Pete from the mayor of a medium-size city, Buttigieg #... Sign up for POLITICO bits to her sprawling network of journalistic contacts, who them! When he was thinking of running for chair of the rapid response team for Obama 's 2012 presidential.... If I lost a bet or something footing in politics after the of!, to quote Tim McGraw she became director of the campaign ] on... From the media works or the hippest guy on stage people might view you as radioactive actively involved politics! Get away from the media works description here but the site won & # x27 ; campaign. With politics and lot more humble, a little square if everybody knows who he is that people! Manifest itself with Pete like now lis smith husband maybe once he double-dipped his fry at Barnabys a of. Couldnt hurt if everybody knows who he is of Iowa, September 23, 2019 August amid claims of harassment... Position in 2008 became a communication consultant for Adriano Espaillat 's congressional campaign she thought to herself was attempting regain...
Utv Grants For Fire Departments,
Small Party Venues In Phoenix,
Foam Ultralight Wings,
In House Genetics Seed Banks,
University Of San Francisco Nursing Requirements,
Articles L