Political Trade Secrets: Winning Campaigns | Elections | Politics

Dustin Olson
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  • Politics
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Political Trade Secrets goes behind the scenes of campaigns, elections, and media strategy to reveal how American politics really works. Join host Dustin Olson as he pulls back the curtain on campaign strategy, political messaging, and voter persuasion—offering insights used by top consultants from both sides of the aisle. Whether you’re a political professional, media strategist, or engaged citizen, you’ll get actionable takeaways on how power, strategy, and communication shape modern politics.

  1. 1d ago

    🕊 Legacy of the Late Congressman Tim Murphy: Navigating Congress, Trauma, Faith, & A Life of Service

    🎙️ Political Trade Secrets: The Legacy of Congressman Tim Murphy: The Late Psychologist, Navy Reserve Officer, Author, & Mental Health Reformer Shares Wisdom on Navigating Congress, Trauma, & Faith in a Life of Public Service Join host Dustin Olson and guest Dr. Tim Murphy—licensed psychologist, former Pennsylvania Congressman, former Pennsylvania State Senator, former commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, mental health reform leader, and author of The Christ Cure, The Angry Child, and Overcoming Passive Aggression—as they pull back the curtain on Congress, public service, mental health reform, trauma, faith, and what it really takes to help people through politics. Recorded shortly before Dr. Murphy’s unexpected passing, this conversation now serves as a meaningful reflection on the causes and convictions that shaped his life’s work: healing families in crisis, supporting veterans and first responders, reforming the way America treats serious mental illness, and reminding leaders that public service should be about more than ego, status, or political theater. The episode explores: • What Dr. Murphy learned as a psychologist about power, leadership, narcissism, and the psychological toll of public life in Washington • Why he believed people should not run for office just to say something, but because they have something important to say • How Congress really works behind the scenes, from legislative “sausage-making” to the hard reality of passing major reforms without receiving the credit • The story behind Dr. Murphy’s landmark mental health reform work, including the bill that passed the House 422–2 before becoming part of the 21st Century Cures Act • Why he believed America must distinguish between broad “mental health” and serious mental illness, especially when dealing with schizophrenia, homelessness, addiction, and families in crisis • How serving in the Navy Reserve and working with traumatic brain injury and PTSD patients at Walter Reed reshaped how he viewed politics and service • Why faith, forgiveness, humility, purpose, and community are central to healing trauma, especially for veterans, first responders, and those who love them • How Dr. Murphy’s books, articles, and work through Gunny’s Ridge continue his mission of helping the broken, the hurting, and those carrying unseen wounds 🔹 Join Polling Club for exclusive insights on public opinion: PollingClub.com 👉 LIKE, FOLLOW & SUBSCRIBE for your front-row seat to how politics really works.

  2. Jul 22

    📚 Back-to-School Political Playbook: Empowering Parents, Navigating School Boards, & Protecting Your Child's Education

    🎙️ Political Trade Secrets | Back-to-School Political Playbook: Empowering Parents, Navigating School Boards, & Protecting Your Child's Education What should parents know about how to get involved before their kids head back to school? Join host Dustin Olson and guest Alexandra Bougher—Moms for Liberty Media Ambassador, Newsmax contributor, and mother of three—as they reveal how parents can navigate school boards, curriculum, local education politics, and the fight to shape their children’s education. As families across the country prepare for another school year, this episode offers a practical back-to-school political playbook for parents who want to understand what is happening in their schools, build relationships with teachers and administrators, review curriculum, show up at school board meetings, and make a difference where it matters most. The episode explores: • How COVID-era school policies turned many everyday parents into local education activists • Why parents should build relationships with teachers, principals, superintendents, and school board members before problems arise • How to review curriculum, request lesson plans, use opt-out forms, and understand what your child is being taught • Why school board meetings matter, which meetings parents should prioritize, and how to effectively advocate for your kids • How parents can organize with others, host candidate forums, and support school board candidates who prioritize education excellence • Why messaging matters when talking about parental involvement, school policy, and curriculum • Why it is critical that parents take it upon themselves to teach history, patriotism, and citizenship at home while helping raise the next generation of Americans 🔹 Join Polling Club for exclusive insights on public opinion: PollingClub.com 👉 LIKE, FOLLOW & SUBSCRIBE for your front-row seat to how politics really works.

  3. Jul 14

    America 250 Series - Johnny Appleseed: Legend of America’s Pioneering Spirit, Born of the Revolution

    🎙️Political Trade Secrets’ America 250 Series | Johnny Appleseed: Born of the Revolution, Legend of America’s Pioneering Spirit What is the real story behind Johnny Appleseed, and how did John Chapman become one of America’s most enduring legends? In this special America 250 episode of Political Trade Secrets, host Dustin Olson pulls back the curtain on the real John Chapman with Howard Means, best-selling author of Johnny Appleseed: The Man, the Myth, the American Story, and Ken Hammontree, living historian, Johnny Appleseed reenactor, performer of numerous historical figures, and author of There Was a Time. Chapman was born of the Revolution in Massachusetts, the son of a Revolutionary War Minuteman. As the new nation moved west, he moved with it, living on the edge of the frontier between wilderness and civilization. His life grew alongside the country itself, from Revolutionary-era birth to frontier nurseryman to American legend. But Johnny Appleseed was far more than the gentle children’s-book figure scattering apple seeds. Chapman was a landowner, businessman, missionary, pacifist, and American original who built a thriving apple tree business, helped settlers establish orchards, befriended Native Americans, gave generously to the less fortunate and animals in need, and carried his Swedenborgian faith through the Ohio wilderness. Means separates the real John Chapman from the myth. Then Hammontree brings Johnny Appleseed to life in character for a living-history conversation about apple nurseries, Native American relationships, frontier hardship, faith, business, and life on the edge of civilization. The episode explores: • Why Johnny Appleseed was real, even though polling shows many Americans think he was mythical • How John Chapman’s life mirrored America’s westward expansion • Why apples mattered to pioneer life, land ownership, survival, vinegar, and hard cider • How Chapman built a business empire on the cutting edge of the frontier • Why his relationships with Native Americans set him apart from many other pioneers • How his Swedenborgian faith, nonviolence, and “news right fresh from heaven” shaped his mission • What frontier life was really like in the Ohio wilderness • Why his story still matters as America celebrates 250 years of independence 🔹 Join Polling Club for exclusive insights on public opinion: PollingClub.com 👉 LIKE, FOLLOW & SUBSCRIBE for your front-row seat to how politics really works.

  4. Jul 7

    🐎 America 250 Series: Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride and the Night That Launched the Revolution

    🎙️ Political Trade Secrets’ America 250 Series | Midnight Ride: How Paul Revere Saved the American Revolution As America marks 250 years, do we truly understand the dangerous night that launched a revolution and helped make independence possible? In this special America 250 episode of Political Trade Secrets, host Dustin Olson sits down with best-selling author Kostya Kennedy, author of The Ride: Paul Revere and the Night That Saved America, to explore the real story behind one of the most famous events in American history. This conversation goes beyond the Longfellow myth to pull back the curtain on Revere’s world, the Patriot intelligence network, the taverns and messengers that carried information, the other heroes who spread the alarm, and the chain of events that led to Lexington and Concord. Kennedy explains why Revere was more than a folk hero. He was a silversmith, express rider, trusted messenger, and operator inside an early American communications network that helped turn a British march into the opening chapter of the American Revolution. This episode explores: • The real Paul Revere beyond Longfellow’s legend: silversmith, express rider, and trusted Patriot messenger • The Patriot intelligence network behind the ride, from Joseph Warren and the Green Dragon Tavern to the committees of correspondence • The wider warning system, including Dawes, Prescott, the lantern signal, borrowed horses, and riders spreading the alarm town to town • Why John Hancock and Samuel Adams were in danger, and how the ride helped set the stage for Lexington and Concord • The mystery of Margaret Kemble Gage and whether a warning from inside British command reached the Patriots • Why April 18–19, 1775 changed the trajectory of the Revolution before independence was even declared • What Revere’s ride teaches us today about courage, vigilance, communication, and ordinary Americans meeting the moment • BONUS: Stay to the end for Kennedy on his book Pete Rose: An American Dilemma, recent developments in Rose’s Hall of Fame eligibility, and how Rose could get another look in the next few years You can buy Kostya Kennedy’s new book The Ride: Paul Revere and the Night That Saved America wherever books are sold. 🔹 Join Polling Club for exclusive insights on public opinion: PollingClub.com 👉 LIKE, FOLLOW & SUBSCRIBE for your front-row seat to how politics really works.

  5. Jul 1

    🇺🇸 America 250 Series: Lives, Fortunes, & Sacred Honor

    🎙️ Political Trade Secrets’ America 250 Series | David Barton on the Declaration of Independence, the Founders, and the Faith Behind 1776 As America approaches its 250th anniversary, do we still understand what made the Declaration of Independence possible? In this special America 250 episode of Political Trade Secrets, host Dustin Olson is joined by David Barton, best-selling author, founder of WallBuilders, host of The WallBuilders Show, and author of Lives, Fortunes, & Sacred Honor: The Signers of the Declaration, to pull back the curtain on the faith, ideas, sermons, and sacrifices that shaped America’s founding. This conversation explores the Declaration of Independence, the Christian heritage of the American Revolution, the pastors and patriots often associated with the Black Robe Regiment, and the forgotten Founders whose courage helped secure the liberty Americans still enjoy today. This episode explores: • How sermons, pastors, and Biblical ideas helped shape the grievances and principles behind the Declaration of Independence • What the Black Robe Regiment reveals about the role of clergy in the American Revolution • How the Declaration was debated, revised, adopted, and signed • Why Barton says Thomas Jefferson has been deeply misunderstood, from the Jefferson Bible to separation of church and state • The forgotten stories of Founders like Benjamin Rush and John Witherspoon • What the signers risked when they pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor • Why America 250 should be about more than fireworks, nostalgia, or slogans • What Americans today should remember about faith, liberty, rights, and self-government You can buy David Barton's new book Lives, Fortunes, & Sacred Honor: The Signers of the Declaration on Amazon. 🔹 Join Polling Club for exclusive insights on public opinion: PollingClub.com 👉 LIKE, FOLLOW & SUBSCRIBE for your front-row seat to how politics really works.

  6. Jun 25

    🌍 The Human Cost: Broken Borders Forcing Political Realignment Worldwide

    🎙️ Political Trade Secrets: The Human Cost: Broken Borders Forcing Political Realignment Worldwide Join host Dustin Olson and guest Nicole Kiprilov—Republican strategist, media commentator, and Executive Director of The American Border Story—as they reveal why human stories are now the most powerful force reshaping politics on immigration. From Angel Families and fentanyl victims to ranchers whose land has been destroyed, this episode breaks down how the real human cost of open-border policies is driving major political realignments—from the United States to Britain’s collapse under Starmer. Nicole explains why pure fear messaging is no longer enough, and what candidates must do differently heading into the 2026 midterms. The episode explores: • Why stories beat statistics to communicate the human cost of the border crisis • How Angel Families are making sure victims are not forgotten • How the fentanyl crisis connects to open-border policies, cartel supply chains, and online grooming • How sanctuary states, local prosecutors, and state-level policies undermine federal immigration enforcement • What candidates should learn from President Trump’s 2024 immigration message heading into the 2026 midterms • Why Nicole says the Right needs stronger political and media infrastructure to compete with the left • How candidates can talk about border security, ICE, and immigration enforcement with both competence and compassion • Why immigration enforcement is becoming a defining political issue not just in America, but around the world 🔹 Join Polling Club for exclusive insights on public opinion: PollingClub.com 👉 LIKE, FOLLOW & SUBSCRIBE for your front-row seat to how politics really works.

  7. Jun 17

    🗳 Winning Local Elections | Campaign Playbook for Municipal Races, Ballot Questions, & Local Government

    🎙️ Political Trade Secrets: Winning Local Elections | Campaign Playbook for Municipal Races, Ballot Questions, & Local Government Join host Dustin Olson and guest Bill Ray—political and public relations consultant and owner of WR Communications—as they pull back the curtain on how local elections are really won. From ballot questions and city council races to the collapse of local journalism and the rise of social media as the new town square, this episode breaks down what candidates, campaigns, and community leaders need to understand about winning and communicating at the local level. The episode explores: • Why local elections are won by focusing on the basics: public safety, roads, quality of life, and the day-to-day issues voters actually feel • How ballot questions are really fought—and why translating legal language into clear, persuasive messaging can make or break a campaign • What candidates need to understand about the actual job of local government before running for office • How the decline of local journalism has changed the way voters learn about local issues, candidates, and campaigns • Why social media, direct mail, short videos, and rapid response matter more than ever in local races • What Spencer Pratt and the Los Angeles mayor’s race reveal about the power of core local issues • Why housing affordability, density, water, wildfire, and infrastructure are becoming some of the biggest local political fights in Colorado and beyond 🔹 Join Polling Club for exclusive insights on public opinion: PollingClub.com 👉 LIKE, FOLLOW & SUBSCRIBE for your front-row seat to how politics really works.

  8. Jun 11

    🇬🇧 Politics Across the Pond: Brexit, Reform’s Rise, Starmer’s Fall, and What Britain’s Political Realignment Reveals for America in '26 & '28

    🎙️ Political Trade Secrets: Politics Across the Pond: Brexit, Reform’s Rise, Starmer’s Fall, and What Britain’s Political Realignment Reveals for America in '26 & '28 Join host Dustin Olson and guest James Johnson, British pollster, former Senior Opinion Research Adviser to Prime Minister Theresa May at 10 Downing, and co-founder of J.L. Partners, for a behind-the-scenes look at the political realignment reshaping Britain and what it can teach American campaigns heading into 2026 and 2028. In this episode of Political Trade Secrets, we go from Downing Street to Washington, D.C. to examine how Brexit, immigration, voter frustration, and elite failure are breaking apart Britain’s old political order. Johnson brings the perspective of someone who has seen public opinion from inside Number 10, inside focus groups, and now inside American politics. The episode explores: • Why Brexit became a flashpoint for immigration, sovereignty, and frustration with political elites • How the Conservative Party lost trust after presiding over record migration • How Nigel Farage and Reform UK became serious forces in British politics • Why Restore Britain could split the right and shape the next phase of UK politics • How the Makerfield by-election could lead to the fall of Prime Minister Keir Starmer • What American campaigns can learn from Britain’s realignment before 2026 and 2028 • Why turnout depends on urgency, contrast, and a clear reason to show up 🔹 Join Polling Club for exclusive insights on public opinion: PollingClub.com 👉 LIKE, FOLLOW & SUBSCRIBE for your front-row seat to how politics really works.

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Political Trade Secrets goes behind the scenes of campaigns, elections, and media strategy to reveal how American politics really works. Join host Dustin Olson as he pulls back the curtain on campaign strategy, political messaging, and voter persuasion—offering insights used by top consultants from both sides of the aisle. Whether you’re a political professional, media strategist, or engaged citizen, you’ll get actionable takeaways on how power, strategy, and communication shape modern politics.

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