Rich Schlackman, Democratic Direct Mail Pioneer

Pro Politics with Zac McCrary

Rich Schlackman is best known as a pioneer of all things direct mail - and he continues to hit the mail box and also spearheads important efforts as a GC and has expanded his reach to digital messaging. In this conversation, Rich talks his early activist roots at the '68 Democratic Convention and with names like Jane Fonda and Tom Hayden...why he gravitated to political direct mail in the mid 70s...how he took the "California Style" of mail national in the 80s and 90s...diving deep into his best practices and favorite races...plus some of the efforts for which he's been a General Consultant, like ousting Chesa Boudin as San Francisco DA last year. And of course a conversation with Rich is not complete without hearing how he became the leading wine expert among political consultants and getting his tips to make anyone a little smarter on the topic. This is a fun conversation with one of the most colorful and ground-breaking consultants in the industry.

IN THIS EPISODE

Rich grows up in a heavily union neighborhood in NYC and becomes active in the anti-Vietnam War movement...

Rich's experiences as a protestor at the '68 Democratic Convention...

Rich talks his time around activists Jane Fonda and Tom Hayden...

How Rich pivots to direct mail in the 1970s...

Rich innovates the "California style" of direct mail in the 70s and 80s...

Rich talks the rise of the national direct mail firms in the 80s and 90s...

Rich on a few of his favorite clients, including Congressman Vic Fazio, Governor Janet Napolitano, and nearly beating Newt Gingrich in 1990...

Rich talks his time working for Senator Joe Lieberman...

Rich's favorite Bay Area races, including figuring out how to handle ranked-choice voting...

Rich recounts GCing the recent successful effort to recall San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin...

Rich's insights from working with Gavin Newsom on the now-Governor's very first local race in San Francisco...

Rich talks some of the most frustrating "input" received from others on his mail...

Rich on the evolution of mail and targeting over the course of his career...

Ten minutes picking Rich's brain on his famed expertise on wine...

AND Saul Alinsky, Bill Andresen, Applecart, Ross Bates, Evan Bayh, the Berman Machine, Ruth Bernstein, billy clubs, Willie Brown, CHAID analysis, the Campaign for Economic Democracy, Fidel Castro, Jim Chapman, Chris Cooper, Barry Dill, Bob Dole, drop letters, Bob Edgar, Rahm Emanuel, Carter Eskew, gloss paper, Ruth Yannatta Goldway, Matt Gonzalez, Lisa Grove, Mandy Grunwalkd, Edd Hargett, Dan Hazelwood, Abie Hoffman, Wayne Johnson, Kansas politics, Celinda Lake, Ned Lamont, Mel Levine, Hal Malchow, Milton Marks, John McCain, David Metts, Bob Mulholland, Jerry Nadler, Joe Napolitan, No Labels, Mark Penn, phony tabloids, the Port Huron Statement, The Rare Wine Company, Norm Rice, H.L. Richardson, Ben Rosenthal, Michael Rowan, Dr. Bill Roy, Jerry Rubin, Tony Schwartz, Saul Shorr, George Soros, Andy Spahn, Bob Squier, Marty Stone, The Valley Messenger, Pete Visclosky, Voter Contact Services, Lowell Weicker, Scott Weiner, David Worley, the Yippie Revolution....& more!