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New York Times Bestseller
An irreverent look behind the scenes of American politics from one of the most sought-after operatives in the Democratic Party
Lis Smith isn’t your average political strategist and Any Given Tuesday isn’t your typical political memoir. At once a revealing look at human nature at the highest levels of power and an intimate portrayal of a sometimes rocky personal journey, it breaks all the rules. Smith doesn’t pretend to be perfect—she owns the controversial choices that landed her in the tabloids, as well as the unorthodox ones that have paid off and defined her successful career.
Any Given Tuesday follows Smith from her earliest experiences as a college-aged intern to her days as a trusted adviser and confidante to some of the most high-profile politicians in the country—including her star turn as senior adviser on Pete Buttigieg’s 2020 presidential campaign. Animated by Smith’s love for the hand-to-hand combat of politics and sustained by her deeply-held belief that it’s still possible to effect positive change, it’s an odyssey full of highs and lows and larger-than-life characters. Throughout, Smith shows what it’s really like behind the curtain: what happens when the lights go down and the cameras turn off, how it feels to be in the eye of the political media storm, and how the people responsible for heady, life and death decisions are as flawed as the rest of us.
While the journey hasn’t always been smooth, Lis Smith has seen and learned a lot—and she shares it all in this eye-opening, entertaining memoir.
What does it take to survive-and win-at the highest levels of American politics?
- Campaign War Rooms: A front-row seat to the strategy, chaos, and crisis communications inside historic campaigns for Pete Buttigieg, Andrew Cuomo, and more.
- Women in Politics: An unflinching look at the unique challenges and double standards faced by women operatives in a field dominated by men.
- The Tabloid Trenches: Smith confronts the controversial choices and high-profile relationships that landed her on the front page, sharing hard-won lessons on surviving the media storm.
- Political Media Spin: Go behind the curtain and see how the sausage gets made, from shaping a narrative and killing a bad story to navigating the modern 24/7 news cycle.
About the author
Lis Smith is a veteran of twenty political campaigns. She has extensive experience in public affairs and media relations at the local, state and national levels. She most recently worked as a senior advisor in communications to presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg. Prior to working on Buttigieg’s campaign, she’d worked for everyone from former President Barack Obama to Senator Claire McCaskill and Governors Andrew Cuomo, Terry McAuliffe, Ted Strickland, Jon Corzine and Martin O’Malley. She’s served as an on-air commentator for major TV networks and has had opinion pieces published in the New York Times and Vanity Fair. She lives in New York.
Summary
New York Times Bestseller
An irreverent look behind the scenes of American politics from one of the most sought-after operatives in the Democratic Party
Lis Smith isn’t your average political strategist and Any Given Tuesday isn’t your typical political memoir. At once a revealing look at human nature at the highest levels of power and an intimate portrayal of a sometimes rocky personal journey, it breaks all the rules. Smith doesn’t pretend to be perfect—she owns the controversial choices that landed her in the tabloids, as well as the unorthodox ones that have paid off and defined her successful career.
Any Given Tuesday follows Smith from her earliest experiences as a college-aged intern to her days as a trusted adviser and confidante to some of the most high-profile politicians in the country—including her star turn as senior adviser on Pete Buttigieg’s 2020 presidential campaign. Animated by Smith’s love for the hand-to-hand combat of politics and sustained by her deeply-held belief that it’s still possible to effect positive change, it’s an odyssey full of highs and lows and larger-than-life characters. Throughout, Smith shows what it’s really like behind the curtain: what happens when the lights go down and the cameras turn off, how it feels to be in the eye of the political media storm, and how the people responsible for heady, life and death decisions are as flawed as the rest of us.
While the journey hasn’t always been smooth, Lis Smith has seen and learned a lot—and she shares it all in this eye-opening, entertaining memoir.
What does it take to survive—and win—at the highest levels of American politics?
- Campaign War Rooms: A front-row seat to the strategy, chaos, and crisis communications inside historic campaigns for Pete Buttigieg, Andrew Cuomo, and more.
- Women in Politics: An unflinching look at the unique challenges and double standards faced by women operatives in a field dominated by men.
- The Tabloid Trenches: Smith confronts the controversial choices and high-profile relationships that landed her on the front page, sharing hard-won lessons on surviving the media storm.
- Political Media Spin: Go behind the curtain and see how the sausage gets made, from shaping a narrative and killing a bad story to navigating the modern 24/7 news cycle.
