448 Mid-term Madness, Oprah or George Clooney Running For President? with Political Pollster & Advisor Lee Hartley Carter
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Political strategist and pollster Lee Hartley Carter recently joined us at the Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different podcast to share her sharp insights on the current American political landscape. As the founder of Carter Intelligence Group and author of “Persuasion: Convincing Others When Facts Don’t Seem to Matter,” Lee Hartley Carter brings a rare combination of research expertise and communications mastery to some of the most pressing questions facing voters and candidates today.
From the rise of democratic socialism to the upcoming midterms, Lee Hartley Carter unpacks why anti-establishment energy is reshaping both parties and what it means for the future of American politics.
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The Anti-Establishment Wave Is Rewriting the Rules
Lee Hartley Carter argues that the single most defining force in American politics right now is a deep distrust of institutions. Voters no longer trust big companies, big government, or career politicians to deliver on their promises. This sentiment fueled Donald Trump’s rise on the right, and it is now driving a new generation of progressive candidates on the left.
She points to Zohran Mamdani’s stunning victory in New York City as a prime example. A candidate in his early thirties with no executive experience captured the city’s attention by speaking directly to people’s frustrations about rent and affordability. According to her, candidates who name real problems and offer simple, emotionally resonant solutions are winning, while those who run on credentials and qualifications are losing.
Lee Hartley Carter on Why Feelings Trump Facts in Modern Political Communication
One of the most powerful observations Lee Hartley Carter makes is that feelings consistently override facts in political decision-making. Christopher Lochhead challenges the old saying that facts do not care about your feelings, flipping it to argue that feelings do not care about your facts. Lee Hartley Carter wholeheartedly agrees with this framing.
This dynamic explains why candidates who connect emotionally with voters consistently outperform those who lead with policy credentials and experience. Telling voters they are wrong or uninformed only pushes them further away. She emphasizes that the candidates winning today are the ones validating what people already feel, then offering a focused, believable path forward rather than a long list of policy positions.
Lee Hartley Carter on What to Expect From the Midterms and Beyond
Lee Hartley Carter predicts that the upcoming midterms will not be the clear blue wave that conventional wisdom might suggest. Despite an unpopular war, high gas prices, and a president with approval ratings hovering around 38 percent, Democrats hold only a razor-thin lead in generic ballot polling. She believes the race remains wide open for both parties.
Her advice for Republicans is to stop reacting to socialist messaging and start setting their own clear narrative, much like Trump did in 2016 with Make America Great Again. For Democrats, she sees affordability as the singular issue that could carry them to victory, provided the moderate and progressive wings of the party stop undermining each other. Lee Hartley Carter believes the candidates who define the conversation rather than respond to it will ultimately win.
To hear more from Lee Hartley Carter and her thoughts on the current political scenarios, download and listen to this episode.
Bio
Lee Hartley Carteris a communications strategist and public opinion expert. She’s the founder and CEO of Carter Intelligence Group and author of “Persuasion: Convincing Others When Facts Don’t Seem to Matter”
As a television news personality and researcher, she doesn’t rely on traditional polling for her unique insights into U.S. politics; rather, she analyzes voters’ emotional responses to help understand and empathize with them on a more visceral level. The reaction matters, but the “why” behind it matters more. It was this approach that allowed her to accurately predict the results of the 2016 presidential election and primaries.
Links
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