This week on Masters in Business I sit down with Michael Murphy, co-founder of the Right to Rise Super Pac, partner at Revolution Agency, and former poltiical consultant to the Jeb Bush 2016 Presidential campaign. The timing could not have been better, recorded just before the first Presidential debate.
A self-described conservative (a “Squish,” not a “PaleoCon”), Murphy discusses the media, the state of campaign finance, and how super pacs have upended the traditional Election laws. His Right to Rise pac raised $100 million dollars for Jeb! But has been since wound down.
We talk about this election — how Jeb won the “donor campaign,” but knew it was a year where grievance candidates had the inside track. Heading into the primary, Jeb’s team wanted to win the primary in a way that could leave them room to win the general election. Their fear was that Ted Cruz, not Donald Trump, would be that grievance candidate.
Murphy suggests the GOP primary was a “drunken bender” and created at best a long shot to win the general because of it. The Jeb! strategy was to win the primary so they could win the general election. He tells about what made this primary season so unique, and what it might mean for the Republican party in the future. Murphy explains what makes the Trump campaign truly unique, including dalliances with conspiracy theories.
All of the books Murphy recommended can be found here.
You can hear the full interview, including our podcast extras, at xxxx, xxxxx, xxxxx . Miller also shared his list of favorite books on music, which can be found after the jump. All of our earlier podcasts can be found at iTunes, Soundcloud and Bloomberg.
Next week, we speak with Chris Ventresca is Global Co-Head of Mergers & Acquisitions at J.P. Morgan. and Elizabeth Myers is Head of the Global Equity Capital Markets.
Books discussed by Michael Murphy:
Thinking in Time: The Uses of History for Decision-Makers
Strange Victory: Hitler’s Conquest of France
The Essential Drucker: The Best of Sixty Years of Peter Drucker’s Essential Writings on Management
The Five Most Important Questions You Will Ever Ask About Your Organization
Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger
The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing.
Margin of Safety: Risk-Averse Value Investing Strategies for the Thoughtful Investor
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