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The Strategists: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Stephen Carter, Zain Velji
Professional unprofessional strategists Stephen Carter, Corey Hogan and Zain Velji dissect the news of the day, pass judgment on strategy choices and lift back the curtain on how decisions are made. Described as "the least deliberate podcast of all time", "shockingly insightful" and "sports talk radio for politics". Not sponsored by Flair Airlines. Get Thursday episodes and bonus content on Patreon at strategistspatreon.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest Episodes
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- 4 days ago44 min
Episode 4052: Megachurch Miracle in Calgary-Shaw
Shannon Phillips and Conspiracy Zain dive into the Alberta NDP’s surprise Calgary-Shaw victory, what it says about the UCP’s vulnerability in Calgary, and whether the result changes the political calculus heading into the referendum. Is there really no such thing as a safe Conservative seat in Calgary anymore? Does this win give Naheed Nenshi a new opening, or just tempt the NDP to learn the wrong lessons? And is Conspiracy Zain onto something about what the UCP might do next, or has the tinfoil hat fully cut off the circulation?Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line.Join us live in Edmonton and Calgary:https://strategistsliveshow.ca/calgary (Edmonton Tickets)https://strategistsliveshow.ca/edmonton (Calgary Tickets)Read Forward Weekly:https://forwardweekly.caJoin our Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to our exclusive Discord.https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspodYou can also watch our episodes on YouTube.https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 1 weeks ago20 min
Episode 4051: Does $4 Million Buy a Referendum?
Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips break down Alberta’s new $4 million referendum advertising campaign, what the government’s creative says about its polling, and whether a massive spending advantage can actually overcome a muddled message. Does the government’s softer language on immigration reveal a strategic vulnerability? Can the opposition turn a David-versus-Goliath funding gap into an advantage? And has the live-show ticketing system become too confusing even for the people who created it?Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line.The Strategists Live:Edmonton — October 13, 2026strategistsliveshow.ca/calgaryCalgary — October 27, 2026strategistsliveshow.ca/edmontonJoin our Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to our exclusive Discord.https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspodYou can also watch our episodes on YouTube.https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 1 weeks ago50 min
Episode 4050: Pull the Fire Alarm
Shannon Phillips and Leah Ward dive into Elections Alberta’s referendum headaches, the growing pressure around the province’s special-ballot process, and whether the agency is actually resourced to pull off one of the biggest votes in Canadian history. Is Elections Alberta undermining confidence in the referendum by mishandling basic details? At what point does an election agency have to pull the fire alarm and say it cannot guarantee the process without more resources? And has Shannon finally found the one thing more frustrating than Alberta politics: her printer?Annalise Klingbeil, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line.Join our Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to our exclusive Discord.https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspodYou can also watch our episodes on YouTube.https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 2 weeks ago1h 4m
Episode 4049: Power Rankings
Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips rank the people, politicians, and campaigners on Alberta’s stay-in-Canada side. Who is actually moving votes? Are the BC Conservatives about to split themselves into two parties? And has Carter replaced AFL tipping with referendum power rankings?Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line. Join our Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to our exclusive Discord. https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspodYou can also watch our episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspodLIVE SHOWS: October 13 in Edmonton at the Horowitz Events Centre, and October 27 in Calgary at the Bella Concert Hall. One before the referendum. One after. Tickets coming soon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 4 weeks ago1h 2m
Episode 4048: We Were Attacked
Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips break down Mark Carney’s response after Canada walks away from a trade deal with the United States, and what comes next when the relationship shifts from negotiation to trade war. Was this the exact moment Carney was hired for? How does Canada fight back? And can a great view really make up for the worst VRBO laundry room in Squamish?Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line.Join our Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to our exclusive Discord.https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspodYou can also watch our episodes on YouTube.https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Aug 21, 202649 min
Episode 4047: Normal Politics
Shannon Phillips and Zain Velji talk about what the Alberta NDP should actually be doing this summer, from candidate recruitment and Calgary-Shaw to the referendum and rural opposition to AI data centres. Should the NDP run directly against separatism in Calgary-Shaw? Can listening to angry rural voters turn a local issue into an electoral opportunity? And how does Stephen Carter have time for an hour-long phone call but not enough time to record the podcast?Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line.Join our Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to our exclusive Discord.https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspodYou can also watch our episodes on YouTube.https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Aug 11, 202652 min
Episode 4046: Ride Until Die
Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips talk about what happens when the strategist becomes the spokesperson, whether the political backroom still exists, and why Carter is discovering that dealing with the public may be the hardest part of running a campaign. Then they dig into the strange out-of-province donations flowing to the Alberta Republican Party and the loopholes that could allow even more money to move through Alberta politics without anyone knowing where it came from. How much money would it actually take to seriously disrupt the referendum? Is voter suppression a bigger risk than anyone wants to admit? And is Jason Kenney becoming a Conservative elder statesman, or quietly auditioning for Pierre Poilievre’s job?Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line.Join our Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to our exclusive Discord.https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspodYou can also watch our episodes on YouTube.https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Aug 7, 202643 min
Episode 4045: From the DMs
Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips break down the increasingly crowded campaign to keep Alberta in Canada and ask whether anyone has the money or the nerve to run the air war the referendum may require. Then they strategize what the federal government, the NDP, organized labour and the various pro-Canada campaigns should actually be doing with just weeks left to reach voters. Can Canadian flags become a national unity organizing tool? Will No to the Nine hold together once voters start reading the individual questions? And has Carter finally escaped the same 2,000 people, or just ordered 4,000 signs for them?Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line.Join our Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to our exclusive Discord.https://www.patreon.com/c/strategistspodYou can also watch our episodes on YouTube.https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
About The Strategists
Professional unprofessional strategists Stephen Carter, Corey Hogan and Zain Velji dissect the news of the day, pass judgment on strategy choices and lift back the curtain on how decisions are made. Described as "the least deliberate podcast of all time", "shockingly insightful" and "sports talk radio for politics". Not sponsored by Flair Airlines. Get Thursday episodes and bonus content on Patreon at strategistspatreon.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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