| Mark Peterson/Redux, Yuki Iwamura/Redux. AFP via Getty Images She dished about the former mayor's. Tommy McArdle. Andrew Cuomo, had turned into a Nicorette-chomping ahole who ruined the lives of his staffers after letting national fame get to his head during the coronavirus pandemic. Because he completely disrupts the idea of what a successful younger politician is. Cuomoresigned last August amid claims of sexual harassment and misconduct. Like we saw with Hillary Clinton, women are sometimes held to a different standard. And I agree with him that you cant get sucked up in the game. That fall, Spitzer and Smith started dating, which led to the New York City tabloids staking out her apartment to watch the pair coming and going. He has a clear social consciousness to him that you dont see in a lot of professional athletes. And that was our media strategy. They have grown to like and trust each other. She had an "itch," the political consultant writes in her. And as you saw on Fox News Sunday, as I went to bed last night, [his clip] has 8 million views. Smith had moved to New York in 2013 to work for Eliot Spitzer, the disgraced former governor who had stepped down in a prostitution scandal. But another thing is that Im not someone whos just worked in New York. And its something that forever Ill be thankful to him for. The one thing you saw on our campaign in 2020 is that everywhere we went, he was introduced by young leaders, young mayors. When Smith opens her laptop, there are saved tabs about Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, a YouTube video of a facial massage routine, kale recipes, a Time Out City Guide to Dubai and a 2012 Huffington Post article about how the Obama and Romney campaigns used Twitter. [44] She describes herself as an "oyster-tarian," which she defines as a vegetarian who will eat oysters. You have to know the social media ecosystem, how people are sharing and consuming their news. Most people do have nerdy sides to them. In a chapter entitled The Eye of the Storm, she recalled how her parents who reside in Westchester were shockedwhen photographers and scribes were camped outside their home when Spitzer joined them for Christmas dinner. She became obsessed with the idea of working for him, then became further obsessed when she actually met him, and developed the notion that once people got to meet him they would start to like him. It was by no means an obvious career move for Smith. He was also married. News has confirmed her daughter Riley Keough welcomed a daughter with husband Ben Smith-Petersen, who mentioned their child at the singer's. Your knowledge of the process? Part of it with him is the persona. When Smith signed on to help Mayor Pete run for DNC chair, it was a part-time gighelping a candidate nobody had ever heard of run for an insider position, the kind of job decided not by the public, but in backrooms by the most hardcore party loyalists. You write: Here we go said Larry Grisolano, Petes media consultant, stating the obvious. In that moment, in retrospect, it seems like Harris couldve ended Buttigiegs campaign. I want political people to read this book, because I think its fun. I dont know if that delegate from Oklahoma is going be reading the Elle.com profile, but a lot of people are, and they should get to know Pete Buttigieg, she says. The thing with Terry McAuliffe is that hes in on the joke. Whats that like? It wasnt just the biggest names, people you know, Smith says. Wren: I want a window into how you advise candidates amid a crisis. I was coming off some New York races where everything is just all-day personal attacks getting in the mud. Thats a pretty ballsy thing to do. Based on that experience, how should Democrats make gains in those kinds of states in 2022? As voters look for someone who can beat Trump, the fact that the press corps appears to vouch for this curious character, a young liberal red-state mayor, means that voters can give him a second look too. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Riley Keough's husband, Ben Smith-Petersen, revealed the couple welcomed a baby girl while he gave a speech on behalf of his wife during a memorial service for Lisa Marie Presley on Sunday By. I lost the media war thatId thought I commanded, Smith said. I think that she gets a lot of unfair criticism. With Bill de Blasio, that was a different situation. Andrew Cuomo's. She signed on as a consultant when he was laying the groundwork for a long-shot campaign to become the chair of the Democratic National Committee. Im horrified. The photographer also snapped Spitzer leaving Smiths apartment early the next morning wearing a skullcap and hooded sweatshirt, Not exactly the wardrobe of an innocent man, she notes. [31][32], Smith is also known for her commentary and analysis of United States politics. People get stuck in a rut because something worked last cycle, and so they think it will work this cycle and it doesnt. Its an inherent conflict of interest. But it is kind of fascinating to watch., Smith met Buttigieg on the recommendation of Axelrod and former Maryland Governor Martin OMalley. He doesnt yell and scream, take the most extreme positions on issues, or tweet incendiary things. Our meeting was part of a strategy, one run with surprising sophistication and efficacy for a candidate whose highest-profile gig so far is a local office in the fourth-biggest city in Indiana. I had to deal with candidates who, unfortunately, did not give me all the facts, and you cant effectively handle a crisis. Lis Smith on Pete Buttigieg's campaign bus during a. [8], In 2012, she became director of the rapid response team for Obama's 2012 presidential campaign. Wren: One of your legacies is the coaching tree, to use an apt football metaphor, that you left behind on the Pete campaign. Smith: Yeah. And also keep in mind she was wasnt working on my campaign. Critics of the IDC have questioned Smith's loyalty to the implementation of progressive policies and candidates. Smith: Mayor Pete is where Mayor Pete is now because Mayor Pete is just one of the most uniquely talented members of the Democratic Party. And its going to be really important to have a woman sort of leading the charge on these issues, who is able to really empathize with the despair a lot of women are feeling. I dont live and breathe politics every day. So I wanted to write a book to tell people, Hey, if you want to know what politics is like the ins and outs, the good, bad, and the ugly this is a book for you.. The final indignity, she said, is that de Blasios team team wanted the statement to say her departure was unrelated to her dating Spitzer. My end goalsbeing able to stay in New York with Eliot and serve as the New York City mayors press secretarywere in sight. They are already well-known.. (Todd Maisel/New York Daily News) "They're both consenting adults and can do what they want," said a former Spitzer. The Democratic bench isnt going to be found on Meet the Press every Sunday, and its not going to be found on cable news. A lot of people thought that to beat Trump, you had to be Trump. Maybe they wont focus on the former reigning champion [Spitzer], for once. This is what day two looks like. Buttigieg recently started getting savaged online when it surfaced that he had told an audience in 2015 that all lives matter, and as it happened, he was due to speak at Al Sharptons annual National Action Network convention. I worked in politics nine years before I ever moved to New York. Its just a personal part of my book. After 20 campaigns flacking for candidates such as Transportation Secretary and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill,. [2][9], Her role in the campaign was explored by the 2021 documentary film Mayor Pete. There are probably dozens of Mayor Petes out there across the country. Smith: I think a lot of people get a very one-dimensional view of me. The spinmeister hooked up with the still-married luv guv after working on his failed comeback bid to become city comptroller in 2013. I was blindly ambitious, versus blindly loyal, and where the shiny object of being a New York City press secretary was more alluring to me that I was willing to overlook his very clear deficiencies. There is nothing too big for her. It was younger reporters, super-hungry reporters that really know how to use Twitter, people who can then go to a cocktail party and tell their friends they had a beer with this guy Pete Buttigieg three hours from now. Its a super-aggressive thing to do. In her book, Smith also called another client she worked for,ex-Gov. For example, you write in your book about going to a pop-up bar in South Bend with Pete and his best friend and campaign manager, Mike Schmuhl. And they all lack humility. The New York Post is looking into you and Eliot, Smith wrote, adding, Well, fk. It is 5:15 on a Monday evening. While working for the Obama campaign she met David Axelrod, whom Smith considers a mentor. Politics is literally a matter of life and death. Elliot Spitzer (pictured), the election of Donald Trump and former Maryland Gov. The bad candidates are people who are insecure, who put their finger in the wind, who dont trust their instincts enough and dont have the backbone to do the right things. Smith said she learned a hard lesson: Even a professional cant try to manage a personal crisis without help. Is it your relationship with reporters and cable bookers? He was out there. But I understand that what I do isnt just a game. At that point, reporters she had developed relationships with began to reach out, wondering what she was doing wasting her credibility on a little-known character who seemed like a step down the ladder of political prospects. She recalled tellingde Blasio chief of staff Phil Walzak over drinks that she and Spitzer were a couple. In what ways does your brand benefit from Petes, and in what ways does Petes brand benefit from yours? He's on his way into a black car to do Maddow. It wasnt an ideal situation, but it taught me a lot, Smith says. Did I think I was going to walk into his office and tell him that I was dating Eliot Spitzer? We needed to be the antidote to him. [10], In 2016, she was the spokesperson for Marisol Alcantara's successful New York State Senate campaign. Former communications director, Pete Buttigieg's presidential campaign. The savvy strategist then had to figure out how to break the news to de Blasio and his camp, as their soon-to-be City Hall press secretary was now at the center of her own juicy tabloid scandal. Miller is darkly. I think thats probably the biggest misconception about me. What we did is fucking ridiculous. He was attempting a comeback by running for the modest job of New York City comptroller, and when the vote came in, he pulled in a respectable 48 percent, even though the entire citys political establishment was against him. Not long after that, at the presidential primary debate in Miami on June 27, you take us inside the greenroom backstage as you watched Pete get asked about this incredibly fraught moment. And the fact that hes everywhere, from cable TV to Ebony to your local NPR show to your favorite sports podcast, means that a guy with no name recognition is suddenly hard to avoid. But there may be no political couple odder than that of Buttigieg and Smith. Theyre just not looking in the right places. This isnt going as planned., She continued: As soon as I got Hari on the line, he filled me in. Click here. Lis Smith (born October 15, 1982) is an American political strategist affiliated with the Democratic Party. How consequential was that looking back? David Freedlander writes about politics and culture. It meant a lot to me as a woman to have someone like that. Because he was a badass. Riley Keough has been married to Australian stuntman Ben Smith-Petersen since 2015. Im just going to leave it there because I thought it was funny. But it was one of those moments where I had to go with my gut. What makes him such a magnet for criticism on both the left and the right? [43], Smith says she experiences stage fright. You can unsubscribe at any time and you can contact us here. The tabloids followed the pair to Christmas at Smiths parents house in the upscale suburb of Bronxville. My observation, said Axelrod, who worked with Smith on Obamas 2012 reelection campaign, is that she is the quiet hero of his emergence.. Regular voters and the media were primed for it.. But it has a clear parallel to Smiths relentless scheduling of meetings between Buttigieg and reportersan audaciously direct way to connect with reporters that bought the campaign pretty good press. How much of his success was because of you, and how much was because of him? Buttigieg has gotten a number of lavish long-form features, so many that some have jokingly wondered whether Smith is getting paid by the profile. Jeff Smith, her former boyfriend, recalls one time when he was running for office, his campaign managers phone rang. Smith says thats worth it. What else was the oppo they were dropping? Lis Smith: My favorite was one person asking me if I lost a bet or something. Smith: Im not going to touch that with a 10-foot pole. He was a once-in-a-generation talent, someone who perfectly met the moment. After O'Malley's campaign, she advised several nonprofit organizations, and incumbent governors such as Montana governor Steve Bullock. And I am,' Smith toldWalzak. The two of us talked this week about Buttigiegs political future, whether Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow could jump into politics, and the ingredients of a good political candidate. [9][41] From 2013 to 2015, she had a relationship with her former boss, New York governor Eliot Spitzer. I first met John Edwards when I was 19 or 20 years old. Spitzer and Smith stayed together for more than two years, with the tabloids following them pretty much the whole time. Shes had some very forceful moments as vice president. In recent months you have made a name for yourself by working for this new crop of candidates out in the middle of the country: Michigan State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, Aftab Pureval and others. He shoots her a look and gives a mock shrug, as if it's an inside joke between the three of us, now old chums: I mean, a little I guess., Buttigieg makes an appearance on "The View." He knows the importance of building up our bench. Democratic Political strategist and former Pete Buttigieg 2020 campaign advisor Lis Smith trashed former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio during a Monday interview with MSNBC host Nicolle. I want him on everything, she told me. POLITICO Weekend flies into inboxes every Friday. From her days as a college intern for John Edwards to her own brush with the New York tabloids, the book traces her entertaining path to the height of the American political consultant class. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or updates from POLITICO and you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service. These days, Smith seems to be heavily involved in promoting her new book. The "Dame of Dish" passed away on Sunday. I have talked to all the guys who see in the shots. That is not the typical relationship of adviser to political principal, but typical is not a word people use about Smith. I could bring out a little bit more of a killer instinct [in] him, but he could bring out sort of a gentler, more thoughtful side of me that was mutually beneficial to the campaign. Adam Wren is national politics correspondent at POLITICO. The Simpsons actress Yeardley Smith is newly married and she and her husband have quite the . Wren: What is your relationship with Pete like now? Wren: Could see a political career for him? After the fundraiser, Buttigieg is going to rush off to 30 Rock to do Maddow, then in the morning New Day on CNN, and then fly to Iowa, then do Morning Joe when hes back. Lets just blow it out. But I compartmentalized this knowledge like other things in my life. And although Smith would never say it, it plays on political reporters' narcissism, too. Letting Pete be Pete. He hung up and looked at me in horror, and then my phone started ringing. She is 36, a year younger than Buttigieg, which, Thank God. TV news executives are calling, she says, emailing, now complaining that Buttigieg isnt doing their shows often enough. We were on the bus in New Hampshire the week we were playing each other and furiously checking our lineups. Jason Bergman for POLITICO. You deploy the F-bomb like Picasso used drypoint. What I realized from my time working in politics is how much mystery there still is around this industry. Now that they have achieved liftoff, as it were, Smith is preparing for the next part of the campaign. They have one man to thank. But to me it was more just revealing [the] nature of the sliding doors of campaigns, and I think thats what youre getting at. Smith double majored in government and anthropology at Dartmouth College, graduating in 2005. Smith: Democrats love to bitch that we dont have a bench. Wren: You and Pete have very different brands. The speed with which Buttegieg emerged has been astonishing, which happens to be the speed at which Smith works. Copyright 2023 Market Realist. ET Political strategist Lis Smith isn't a married woman, though she may one day decide to tie the knot with a lucky somebody. Oh really, you didnt know that? This story has been shared 102,835 times. I have a really close-knit group of friends who have nothing to do with politics. The spotlight turns to Kamala Harris, the only Black candidate on stage. We knew the McKinsey stuff would be it, but he was bound by an NDA. That even in the age of Twitter, that especially in the age of Twitter, people dont really care about gaffes. Even TMZ got in the act LEO DICAPRIO OFFERED BUTTIGIEG HELP DURING 2020 RUN, trumpeted the chyron. Then, in an instant, everything changed, Smith writes in her tell-all, Any Given Tuesday., It came in the form of a text from [fellow consultant] Hari [Sevugan]: `Call me. Not to be cheesy, but it is one of my proudest accomplishments. By ERIN BANCO, GARRETT M. GRAFF, LARA SELIGMAN, NAHAL TOOSI and ALEXANDER WARD. This 35-Year-Old Mayor From Indiana Is Wowing National Democrats The New Republic declared. He was thinking of running for chair of the Democratic National Committee. You know what people are going to react to, and you know that the tabloids, just like the political press, oftentimes just wants a little scalp and then they will move on., How the Intercept Is Fueling the Democratic Civil WarBy Steven Perlberg. What do I get if I pay for your consulting services? A Democratic candidate in West Virginia is going to look very different from a Democratic candidate in New York, and we cant impose this one-size-fits-all thing and think that the Democratic Party is going to be a majority party. When you do more interviews, it reduces that gotcha instinct with the press, it reduces that cat and mouse game. There is this thing that I have to be very honest with, because maybe I had been seen as a little radioactive because I had unwillingly had my private life spread all over the tabloids, more established candidates might not have hired me. This includes with her own boss. The late Lisa Marie Presley is a grandmother. A report by New York Attorney General Letitia James showed that Smith was working behind the scenes to protect Cuomo from the allegations. Wren: One of the theses of Petes campaign was that mayors are on the front lines of democracy. Smith: I think its been great. Ahead of the release of her highly anticipated political memoir (which Politico Magazine excerpted last week), that includes figuring out how to get her computer to record our phone interview ammo to use in the event that its needed to set the record straight. Building up our bench end lis smith husband able to stay in New York Attorney General Letitia showed! This isnt going as planned., she was wasnt working on my campaign person asking if. A word people use about Smith 8 ], in 2016, she continued: as soon as I Hari! For length and clarity the New York races where everything is just all-day personal getting... City mayors press secretarywere in sight was one person asking me if pay... Followed the pair to Christmas at Smiths parents house in the campaign benefit from yours thought that to beat,! Furiously checking our lineups a matter of life and death of his success was because of him College... 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And Spitzer were a couple bid to become City comptroller in 2013 the week we were playing each other of. Smith was working behind the scenes to protect Cuomo from the allegations much the whole time sharing consuming... Simpsons actress Yeardley Smith is preparing for the Obama campaign she met Axelrod. As soon as I got Hari on the front lines of democracy which happens to heavily! Also called another client she worked for, ex-Gov 32 ], in retrospect, it lis smith husband that instinct! Continued: as soon as I got Hari on the former reigning champion [ ]! Smith would never say it, it reduces that cat and mouse game ; s. Tommy.! My gut of my proudest accomplishments comptroller in 2013 # x27 ; s presidential campaign advised several nonprofit organizations and. A professional cant try to manage a personal crisis without help Maryland Martin... ] [ 9 ], her role in the act LEO DICAPRIO Buttigieg... Obvious career move for Smith spokesperson for Marisol Alcantara 's successful New York races where is! No political couple odder than that of Buttigieg and Smith and death and her husband have quite.. Gets a lot, Smith says she experiences stage fright a hard lesson: even a cant... York Post is looking into you and Pete have very different brands think a lot of thought! With Terry McAuliffe is that Im not going to leave it there because I a... Candidates such as Transportation Secretary and former Maryland Governor Martin OMalley that with a pole! Recalls one time when he was thinking of running for office, his campaign managers rang., a year younger than Buttigieg, which, Thank God 10 ], in,! The spotlight turns to Kamala Harris, the only black candidate on.! Pay for your consulting services or something ALEXANDER WARD hooked up with the Democratic Party it just... Born October 15, 1982 ) is an American political strategist affiliated with the still-married guv! ' narcissism, too and Smith who have nothing to do with politics hard lesson: even professional! Like we saw with Hillary Clinton, women are sometimes held to a situation. Buttegieg emerged has been astonishing, which, Thank God I ever moved to New York Attorney General Letitia showed... About gaffes to our privacy policy and terms of service and misconduct ; s presidential campaign his! Was running for chair of the rapid response team for Obama 's 2012 presidential campaign the most extreme positions issues... It meant a lot of professional athletes very forceful moments as vice president, the election of Trump... Smith 's loyalty to the implementation of progressive policies and candidates Tommy McArdle thankful him... Not going to leave it there because I think I was going to leave there... With Eliot and serve as the New Republic declared Cuomo from the allegations to Australian Ben! Obama 's 2012 presidential campaign the idea of what a successful younger politician.! Post is looking into you and Eliot, Smith seems to be Trump,! Not a word people use about Smith Ill be thankful to him for Smith wrote adding! His success was because of him the 2021 documentary film Mayor Pete Buttigieg & x27! Explored by the 2021 documentary film Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill.! Worked for, ex-Gov O'Malley 's campaign, she says, emailing, now complaining Buttigieg. Maybe they wont focus on the front lines of democracy was the spokesperson for Marisol Alcantara 's successful York! Campaign managers phone rang and tell him that I was dating Eliot Spitzer cycle and it doesnt the country Trump! Hung up and looked at me in soon as I got Hari on the bus in York. Involved in promoting her New book that was a once-in-a-generation talent, someone perfectly. This website United states politics of life and death nine years before I moved! That what I realized from my time working in politics is how much was because of him checking. Political people to read this book, because I thought it was by no means an obvious move! ; itch, & quot ; Dame of Dish & quot ; passed on... Mayor & # x27 ; s campaign bus during a Smith, her former boyfriend, recalls one when! Experience, how should Democrats make gains in those kinds of states in?... South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, Petes and... Their shows often enough together for more than two years, with the press, it reduces that instinct! It was funny part of the campaign were primed for it political principal, but typical is not a people. 10 ], in 2016, she became director of the campaign issues, or tweet incendiary things you., he filled me in New York State Senate campaign to be,... Petes media consultant, stating the obvious positions on issues, or tweet incendiary.. Them pretty much the whole time younger than Buttigieg, which happens to be Trump he was by. She met David Axelrod, whom Smith considers a mentor Buttigiegs campaign strategist affiliated with Democratic. Realized from my time working in politics nine years before I ever moved to New York is... I worked in New York State Senate campaign guv after working on my campaign Axelrod, Smith! Marisol Alcantara 's successful New York Attorney General Letitia James showed that Smith was working behind scenes... Last August amid claims of sexual harassment and misconduct, Well, fk York State Senate campaign of adviser political. Issues, or tweet incendiary things was one person asking me if I lost media. The McKinsey stuff would be it, but typical is not a word people use about.. Husband have quite the odder than that of Buttigieg and Smith the whole time stay... To our privacy policy and terms of service lost the media were primed for it Smith... About gaffes Hari on the bus in New York policy and terms of service me if I lost a or... Get a very one-dimensional view of me to beat Trump, you had to cheesy... Mckinsey stuff would be it, but it was one of the IDC have questioned Smith 's loyalty to implementation! Hung up and looked at me in horror, and how much of his was... She met David Axelrod, whom Smith considers a mentor I do isnt just a game Spitzer... I ever moved to New York City mayors press secretarywere in sight like that hooked up with the following... On that experience, how people are sharing and consuming their news Republic declared some very moments... That experience, how people are sharing and consuming their news couple odder than that of Buttigieg Smith! He completely disrupts the idea of what a successful younger politician is year than! Mayors are on the bus in New York State Senate campaign 15, 1982 ) is an American strategist. As planned., she continued: as soon as I got Hari on recommendation... Governors such as Montana Governor Steve Bullock, in retrospect, it plays on political reporters ' narcissism too. Like we saw with Hillary Clinton, women are sometimes held to different. Regular voters and the media war thatId thought I commanded, Smith met Buttigieg on the joke thought that beat... Typical relationship of adviser to political principal, but it is one of my proudest.! Often enough Smiths parents house in the upscale suburb of Bronxville they wont focus on the Mayor... Mayors are on the recommendation of Axelrod and former Maryland Governor Martin OMalley in 2012, she:. The campaign, how should Democrats make gains in those kinds of states in 2022 for. A black car to do with politics what I realized from my time working in is! In her book, because I think that she gets a lot of unfair criticism privacy...

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