The Strategists

Canada’s sharpest political insiders break down power, strategy, and the people who actually run the country.

Public episode
SPECIAL EPISODE: Stephen and Corey present Carter and Hogan in "Two out of three ain’t bad”
October 1, 2022
Stephen and Corey get together to talk about everything from the BC NDP leadership to the box Putin has put himself in. All without Zain's supervision.PATREON EXCLUSIVE. It's...
Public episode
Episode 1004: Charm offensives
September 26, 2022
Stephen Carter's back and the gang talks about Jason Kenney (has he found a new personality now that he's losing his job?) and partisan public opinion polls (what do we need to...
Public episode
SPECIAL EPISODE: Zain and Hogan: The Strategist Episode One
September 23, 2022
Stephen Carter is on assignment at the Shops at the Creek so Corey and Zain take the opportunity to relaunch the show.PATREON EXCLUSIVE. Corey Hogan a̶n̶d̶ ̶S̶t̶e̶p̶h̶e̶n̶...
Public episode
Episode 1003: Mr. Brightside
September 20, 2022
The gang talk the PM's pipes, the question of political authenticity and Danielle Smith's pivot to mending the UCP caucus. Plus: Corey spends $450 on a badass shirt, but in his...
Public episode
Episode 1002: Empty calories
September 16, 2022
The gang talk about trends in political communications and ask: are they effective? Will they stay effective? And where is this all going?PATREON EXCLUSIVE. Corey Hogan and...
Public episode
Episode 1001: Leader of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition
September 12, 2022
Zain Velji is back in the chair, leading Stephen and Corey through a discussion about the consequences and strategic considerations around the Poilievre victory, the Green...
Public episode
SPECIAL EPISODE: Stephen and Corey present Carter and Hogan in "Bad Politics"
September 6, 2022
Corey and Stephen run from one issue to the next in an episode that desperately misses Zain.It's September and the gang return to their twice-weekly schedule but one of us...
Public episode
Episode 999.9999999999: Weak pairings
August 26, 2022
The gang run through the "Strategy Scale" and talk Danielle Smith's op-ed, some UCP leadership candidates attending a separatist forum, Pierre Poilievre's increasingly...
Public episode
Episode 999.999999999: The Cursing of Politics
August 19, 2022
The gang launch off of recent events in Canada and the United States to talk about profanity in politics. When does it work? When does it backfire? And why do we need to hear...
Public episode
Episode 999.99999999: All in the family
August 16, 2022
Zain Velji is back from the UK with exciting facts about the physical dimensions of their parliament buildings. Plus: Kenney vs. Smith on the Alberta Sovereignty Act, Doug...
Patreon episode
SPECIAL EPISODE: Stephen and Corey present Carter and Hogan present "Mar-a-Largo"
August 12, 2022
Zain Velji is on assignment in the United Kingdom so Stephen and Corey take the opportunity to talk about Alberta's essay contest fiasco and debate how likely Danielle Smith...
Public episode
SPECIAL EPISODE: Choosing Leaders
August 4, 2022
The gang unpack the pros and cons of the many ways we pick our leaders - from primaries to one-member-one-vote to delegated conventions to just leaving it up to the caucus. And...
Public episode
Episode 999.9999999: Reduce, reuse, retire
August 1, 2022
The gang contemplate life (as a politician), death (of parties) and the great beyond (by which we mean the over/under and lightning round). Stephen Carter also coins some...
Public episode
Episode 999.999999: The decade-delayed double down
July 29, 2022
The gang's all back together to talk about the UCP leadership debate and the strategy of seven-person leadership campaigns. Plus: Corey Hogan tries to imagine what Zain and...
Public episode
SPECIAL EPISODE: Carter and Velji Episode 1
July 27, 2022
Corey Hogan was sick so for the first time in 999.99999 episodes, he missed a podcast. Stephen Carter and Zain Velji make the most of his absence.PATREON EXCLUSIVE. Zain Velji...
Public episode
Episode 999.99999: Fifty dollars and two weeks
July 18, 2022
The gang checks in on Stephen Carter's pain medication levels, spends twenty minutes talking about the politics of hair and then gets down to business in this summertime...
Public episode
Episode 999.9999: Blue Blazers and Jean Jackets
July 15, 2022
Stephen Carter pundits through the pain of a bad bicycling accident to given commentary on Danielle Smith, the Patrick Brown endorsement of Jean Charest and the Calgary...
Public episode
Episode 999.999: Them's the breaks
July 8, 2022
The gang gets together to talk about the Patrick Brown campaign - what his moves are from here, the risks to the Conservative Party, what we know and what we don't know -...
Public episode
Episode 999.99: Patrick Brown and the other kind of DQ
July 6, 2022
Less than 10 minutes before recording, the gang hears word of Patrick Brown's disqualification - news so dramatic it makes them forget to spend 15 minutes talking about Pierre...
Public episode
Episode 999.9: Glory
June 30, 2022
The gang uses an unorthodox leadership campaign launch as a jumping-off point to talk about perpetual candidates and why so many people have such a hard time quitting...
Public episode
Episode 999: Everything about one thing
June 24, 2022
The gang talk Michelle Rempel Garner not running and digest in real-time the breaking news that there is a move to remove her from the federal Conservative caucus. Plus:...
Public episode
Episode 998: Spent forces
June 21, 2022
The "ask me thrice" campaign launch, the third-term Liberals and the United States of America have all seen better days. The gang discusses what's real, what's just optics and...
Public episode
Episode 997: Picking a lane
June 14, 2022
Inexplicably, the show leads with the launch of the Rajan Sawhney campaign for UCP leader before turning attention questionable decisions, short memories and the world...
Public episode
Episode 996: The Stone Hard Bill Rock
June 10, 2022
Meet Bill Rock. He is a real person, from Amisk, Alberta. And he'd like to be your next Premier. That's all Stephen and Corey know about him too, but they're about to craft his...