When it launched on Jan. 23, 2007, POLITICO promised its readers an “unblinking focus” on covering politics. “We will embrace the way journalism is changing,” an early mission statement read. The subjects of that coverage — the lawmakers and staffers who populated Capitol Hill and the White House — weren’t quite as ready to embrace that change. The view of the upstart publication from inside the halls of power ranged from amazed to appalled to enraged. ROKK Partners Kristen Hawn and Rodell Mollineau share their thoughts in this article.
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One year in, there’s a growing sense that the Biden presidency has lost its way. Democratic strategist and ROKK Co-founding Partner Rodell Mollineau comments in this article.
The midterm elections are still more than 9 months away, but Republicans already planning for a majority on Congress. Co-founding Partner Rodell Mollineau comments in this article.
Republican strategist Noelle Nikpour and Democratic strategist and ROKK Partner Kristen Hawn debate public and media perception of Biden’s first year as president. Listen to the conversation here.
Vice President Kamala Harris is undergoing a fresh start in 2022. Since the new year began, Harris has been front and center, alongside President Biden in delivering speeches on the Jan. 6 anniversary of the Capitol insurrection and on voting rights earlier this week in Atlanta. The vice president is also bringing in new aides, particularly on her communications team, as part of the refresh. Founding Partner Rodell Mollineau comments on this fresh approach here.
President Biden is debuting sharper attacks against Republicans, seeking to make the upcoming midterm elections into more of a choice between his party and the GOP.
The strategy has proven difficult for past presidents to successfully execute but is one that Biden’s allies say is vital in order for Democrats to hang on to their narrow majorities in Congress.
Founding Partner Rodell Mollineau comments on the strategy in this article from The Hill.
As we enter the third pandemic year, the one word that could sum up this phase of the 2022 midterm cycle is uncertainty. Digital ad restrictions, changes to voting laws, online privacy concerns, the direction of the pandemic and its impact on face-to-face campaigning and ad production are hurdles agencies are helping their clients overcome. Sean Miller from Campaigns & Elections asked Genevieve Wilkins, Senior Vice President of Creative at ROKK, to get out her crystal ball and share her predictions for 2022. Read the article here.
Partner Kristen Hawn explains to NPR the motivating factors for the Democrats to get President Biden’s full agenda through by the end of the year. Read more of her thoughts here.
Genevieve Wilkins, ROKK’s Senior Vice President of Creative, talked to Campaigns & Elections about crafting impactful creative for advocacy clients and trends in the commercial art world. Read the interview with Sean Miller here.
Bloomberg Washington Correspondent Joe Mathieu delivers insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. Bloomberg Government Congress reporter Emily Wilkins co-hosted the show with Joe. Guests: Andrew Smith, Director of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, Bloomberg Politics Contributor Rick Davis, Kristen Hawn, Democratic Strategist and Partner at ROKK Solutions, and Bloomberg Congress and Tax reporter Laura Davison. Listen to the episode here.