Summary
Over the last 25 years, American politics has swung back and forth like a pendulum—every “permanent majority” has proven temporary. From Bush’s “thumpin’” in 2006 to Trump’s return in 2024, one truth stands out: no single win defines the next one.

This episode is a reminder to focus on what we can control.

Key Points

• 2000: Florida recount and a divided nation.
• 2004: Talk of a “permanent Republican majority.”
• 2006–2008: Democrats surge back under Bush and Obama.
• 2010–2024: Power ping-pongs between parties nearly every cycle.
• Lesson: Politics never stays still, and neither should your campaign strategy.

Takeaway
The best strategy isn’t predicting the future, it’s preparing for it.

• You control how many fundraising calls you make.
• You control how well you prepare and practice.
• You control how deeply you connect.

Quote of the Week

“Work with what you have control of and you’ll have your hands full.”
— Admiral James Stockdale

Source:
Stockdale, Courage Under Fire: Testing Epictetus’s Doctrines in a Laboratory of Human Behavior (Hoover Essays Book 6), pp. 7–8.

Listen or download the one-page summary: [PDF Link]

Winning Edge gives you the tools you need to lead and influence in the political and policy arenas. Every other week, Winning Edge releases short (approximately 5-minute) spots—or “snacks”—focused on one of four areas: fundraising, media, policy, or persuasion.
For more, visit our website: www.thecommonwealthpartners.com.