Hi, everyone. Jack is back and with us from the lobby for our Monday Morning Minute, the podcast version of our popular weekly newsletter. It’s a chance for Jack, managing partner at O’Donnell & Associates and author of our Monday Morning Memo, to take a deeper dive into the topics written about this week.
Summary of this Episode
Guests
- Jack O’Donnell: Managing Partner at O’Donnell and Associates
- Joanne Pasceri: Director of Communications at O’Donnell and Associates
Major Topics Covered
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- Kamala Harris’ Debate Performance & Fundraising Surge – While the debate didn’t shift polling significantly, Harris was widely seen as the standout performer, helping her campaign raise an unprecedented $50 million.
- Presidential Race Remains Tight – With constant political developments, from endorsements to security threats, the race is expected to stay highly competitive until Election Day.
- Government Shutdown Showdown – Congress faces an October 1st funding deadline, with House Republicans proposing controversial policy riders. A shutdown is unlikely, but a temporary funding extension until after the election is expected.
- Upstate New York Tech Hub Growth – Major semiconductor industry investments in Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse could be transformative for the region’s economy and job market.
- Key Political Stories to Watch – Trump’s upcoming visit to Long Island, scrutiny of NYC Mayor Adams’ office, and the influence of senior voters on the election are all critical topics shaping the political landscape.
Full Transcript of the Episode
Note: This is a generated transcript. Please excuse any typos.
Joanna Pasceri 00:01
Hi everyone. Jack is back and with us from the lobby for our first ever Monday morning minute, the podcast version of our popular weekly newsletter. It’s a chance for Jack, Managing Partner, Ed O’Donnell and Associates, and author of our Monday morning memo, to take a deeper dive into the topics written about this week, our top story on September 16 is the impact from last week’s presidential debate on the tight race for the White House. So let’s bring in Jack.
Jack, welcome to the podcast.
Jack O’Donnell 00:32
This is exciting. Our Monday morning. Minute.
Joanna Pasceri 00:35
Glad to have you. So which candidate got the biggest bump from the debate, and where does the race stand as we march toward Election Day?
Jack O’Donnell 00:43
I thought the debate was really significant. I mean, we haven’t yet seen big polling bump either way, but I think, I think most people really thought, and I certainly thought that Kamala Harris, the Vice President, did, did the best. I also think she had the most at stake. She’s still in a period where she’s introducing herself to the country. I think it was really important for her to come out and demonstrate command of the facts, some stature, and frankly, the ability to be President of the United States, and I think she did that, and I think that’s that’s the most important thing. But the other bump we have seen is that her campaign announced that they’ve raised almost $50 million since, which is just, you know, oodles of money.
Joanna Pasceri 01:38
Is that unprecedented? Or is that what you would likely see after a successful debate.
Jack O’Donnell 01:43
It’s unprecedented. The numbers that the Harris campaign has been raising, I mean, it is just off the charts, not just more than former President Trump at this point, but just really astronomical sums.
Joanna Pasceri 01:57
So what do you think about this race? Is it going to stay neck and neck to the finish.
How do you think it’ll all play out?
Jack O’Donnell 02:04
Man, I wish I knew. I feel like every week in this campaign is almost like a month or six weeks used to be. There is so much happening, whether that’s, you know, a Taylor Swift endorsement, a dick cheney endorsement, or, unfortunately, another act of political violence, or at least attempted attack, attempted assassination on the former president. It is wild. How much is happening and is is crammed into to each day. But I really think this race probably stays neck and neck until the end.
Joanna Pasceri 02:46
Let’s turn now to Congress. It is up against it right now as it faces an October 1 deadline to fund the government.
Could we see a showdown over a possible government shutdown?
Jack O’Donnell 02:57
We’re definitely in showdown mode already the continuing resolution that the House Republicans proposed included some policy riders that are not popular with Democrats, but frankly, that we’re never going to happen. And so I think we’re definitely already in the point where folks are playing chicken at the end of the day, I don’t expect there’ll be a shutdown.
I think there are too many marginal members in the House from from both parties, but especially Republican majority members from places like the Hudson Valley and Long Island, where a government shutdown would be politically suicide.
Joanna Pasceri 03:36
There’s a lot at stake as we head into Election Day.
Do you see this just being punted till after Election Day?
Jack O’Donnell 03:44
I do. I mean, I think both parties have basically acknowledged that it’s not going to get done till after the election. What the Republican CR proposed was to kick it into March and not not have to deal with it at the end of the year. Democrats aren’t going to accept that. And so I think we’re looking at a lame duck Congress here in late November or mid-December that will deal with both government funding, but there’s also important things out there, like a Farm Bill, plenty of other things that haven’t been decided that probably just get simple extensions
Joanna Pasceri 04:19
The memo also featuring podcasts this week with business leaders from Buffalo to Syracuse involved in the upstate NewYork Tech Hub. It’s on the fast track and the semiconductor industry very exciting.
Jack, what’s your impression of all that’s going on?
Jack O’Donnell 04:33
I can’t emphasize enough how important that the upstate New York Tech Hub is, what that’s going to mean for you know, this through a corridor, the Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse communities, really. I mean, I believe that these are goingto be transformative. So it’s really exciting.
Joanna Pasceri 04:52
Looking ahead to next week’s memo, what are some political happenings you’re keeping your eye on this week?
Jack O’Donnell 04:57
Well, certainly we’re following the presidential camp. Candidates as they move through the country. Former President Trump is going to be in Long, Long Island this week. I’m not exactly sure why, but we’ll be paying close attention to that and and what it means for not just the White House, but for control of Congress. And at the same time, we’re watching what’s happening in New York City and the mayor’s office, which seems to be under very serious federal scrutiny, that one of the the Mayor’s Council resigned unexpectedly Saturday night, and so we’re watching that closely too.
Joanna Pasceri 05:31
A lot of things happening there.
So favorite read this week in our news links. Do you have one?
Jack O’Donnell 05:37
Yeah, you know one of I think the first one we had there was about senior voters. The Press seems to love to talk about young voters and what’s driving them, and will they turn out, but it’s really older voters who vote. They deliver the presidency four years ago to Joe Biden. And so I think it’s really worth kind of focusing on them. So I think that’s that’s a really important read.
Joanna Pasceri 06:02
Check it out, and don’t be left out if you’re not getting our Monday morning memo in your inbox each week. It is easy to subscribe. Just head to our website at odonnellsolutions.com thanks for joining us, Jack, for that deep dive into this week’s Monday morning memo. We’ll be back from the lobby with Jack O’Donnell.
