The Strategists

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

Public episode
Episode 995: Missing the point(s)
June 6, 2022
The CPC leadership membership cutoff is now behind us. Charest and Poilievre are both declaring they have the memberships to win. Meanwhile, in Alberta, Travis Toews launches...
Public episode
Episode 994: We've seen this episode before
May 30, 2022
The gang gets together to talk mostly about chicken suits and leaked memos. Some discussion of leadership race rules and how they might affect the upcoming Alberta UCP race/be...
Public episode
Episode 993: Unpopular is unpopular
May 24, 2022
The gang is back in Calgary after the Edmonton live show but if you thought they got the UCP leadership review out of their system, you would be mistaken. They talk: Jason...
Public episode
Episode 992: Live in Edmonton: Giving it 150.4%
May 20, 2022
The gang headed up to Edmonton for a chat with 400 of their closest friends at the Maharaja Banquet Hall. There was music. There was fancy dress. There was analysis of the UCP...
Public episode
Episode 991: Ch-ch-ch-changes
May 20, 2022
Zain and Corey give their instant reaction to the UCP leadership results on the Thursday night they're announced. Significant improvements are made to the podcast in the...
Public episode
Episode 990: Fifty issues, ten personalities
May 17, 2022
The gang decides it's time to dig into the Ontario election and Stephen Carter decides its time to pick fights with Ontario political podcasts. Topics include: message...
Public episode
Episode 989: Real Talk (Zain's Version)
May 13, 2022
The gang was on Real Talk with Ryan Jespersen this morning and rather than taking his usual 30 seconds to write a show, Zain just stole Ryan's rundown. Did the takes improve?...
Public episode
Episode 988: Win by winning
May 9, 2022
The gang gets together to talk about the issues of the week, including dipping their toes into the Ontario election which Zain promises "we'll do an episode about, probably."...
Public episode
Episode 987: How much?
May 6, 2022
Stephen Carter was in Nashville, Tennessee last night picking up the "Best International Campaign" award from Campaigns and Elections. But he still found time to watch the...
Public episode
Episode 986: Alberta A to Z
May 2, 2022
Zain Velji returns to set things right with this 90 minute grab-bag based on a number of recent Alberta issues: a judge ruling certain advice to cabinet from Chief Medical...
Public episode
SPECIAL EPISODE: Stephen and Corey present Carter and Hogan
April 29, 2022
It's Thursday and Zain Velji is nowhere to be seen. But have no fear, Stephen Carter and Corey Hogan are consummate professionals - and the show must go on.Zain Velji is on...
Public episode
Episode 985: Turnaround job
April 25, 2022
Tonight, the gang look at the public-facing elements of the Jean Charest campaign - the rallies, media relations, candidate handling, message, social media and campaign...
Public episode
Episode 984: Fixer upper
April 22, 2022
Stephen Carter is live on location in Surrey, B.C. tonight but his takes are as local as ever. The gang goes through a few quick headlines, dwells a bit on Pierre Poilievre's...
Public episode
Episode 983: Battle for the soul of the podcast
April 19, 2022
For this Easter Monday edition of the podcast we dive deep into political process stories - why they can work, how they can be a distraction - and specifically their utility in...
Public episode
Episode 982: The size of Pierre's thing
April 14, 2022
The gang's first ever Thursday live-streaming of recording occurred with relatively few hitches - the end result is this fine episode where Zain asks, among other things: Is it...
Public episode
SPECIAL EPISODE: Strategists Overtime
April 13, 2022
After the live show, we kept going because we're extra like that and we'd like to share the audio with you. Do we have thoughts on Boris Johnson? Yes. Elon Musk? Yes. Chrystia...
Public episode
Episode 981: Live in Calgary: The starting pistol for the closing arguments
April 11, 2022
Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter talk about the Alberta UCP's leadership review (and more) in this live show recorded in Calgary, Alberta. Will Jason Kenney's "unity vs division"...
Public episode
Episode 980: Budget Day
April 8, 2022
In their first Thursday night on Patreon, the gang talk about the 2021 Federal Budget released earlier by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. Lots of talk about how it might...
Patreon episode
Episode 980: Budget Day (PROMO)
April 8, 2022
Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter talk about the federal budget. But not here - because Thursday episodes of The Strategists are now Patreon exclusive. Will you go to...
Public episode
SPECIAL EPISODE: Starting pistol/Yiu's out
April 4, 2022
PATREON EXCLUSIVE. Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter talk about the termination of Alberta Health Services CEO Verna Yiu's contract and what it might mean for the future of health...
Public episode
Episode 979: Photo oops
April 4, 2022
Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter talk about managing photo ops and gaffes, using Premier Jason Kenney's recent trip to the gas pumps as a launching off point. Do photo ops still...
Public episode
Episode 978: Sorry about the first 15 minutes
April 1, 2022
Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter talk about the Liberal climate plan and the upcoming federal budget. Does the plan go too far or not far enough? How dramatic will the budget be?...
Public episode
Episode 977: Spring cleaning
March 29, 2022
Grab a mop and a bucket - it's spring cleaning time. Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter run through a grab-bag of political issues - offering whether no cleaning needs to be done,...
Public episode
Episode 976: Selling out
March 25, 2022
Corey Hogan and Stephen Carter unpack the changes to the UCP leadership review and the subsequent fallout (0:05:50) before turning their attention to the Liberal-NDP confidence...