Mark Halperin

How are the Democrats?

And when I read my colleagues' coverage, not all of them, but a lot of them, when I read their coverage of this question,

What they're really focused on is not campaigns.

What they're really focused on is politics.

What they're focused on is Trump's off message or how are the Democrats going to deal with immigration or what is the effect on the elections of Minneapolis?

And there's no doubt that that stuff affects the outcome, no doubt.

But inside a campaign –

That is part of what they're doing, but it's not the biggest part.

And it's not in their view, political professionals, campaign professionals.

It's not determinative.

What's more determinative is the mechanics of campaigns.

And part of why this is such a fascinating story to me and always has been is because it changes every year, every election cycle.

the campaign's ability to be best in class, it changes.

And in the digital age, and now in the age of AI, being best in class at campaigns, which can make the difference between winning and losing,

a big challenge and campaigns are very strange beasts compared to other institutions right if you start a company uh you're in operation you're you're you keep going and uh if you open a broadway play you hope it goes for 20 years but it might end you know in two weeks because nobody buys tickets campaigns have

a particular lifespan through election day.

Now, if you're in a primary, you may not go past the primary, but you know the primary is your first hurdle, your first toll gate, and they have to raise a lot of money, and then they have to do their best to spend it all, right?

Sometimes campaigns don't spend it all, and they're criticized for that if they lose.

But you've got to raise enough.

So you're constantly having a very short schedule.