Sergio Rodriguera of Sphere Consulting and Tyler Harber from Wilson Research Strategies join Kristen in the studio this week, talking about the troops returning home from Iraq, recent primary results, and extreme weather.

Kristen Soltis chats with Mark Blumenthal of pollster.com and Patrick Ruffini from Engage about the latest primaries, the Ground Zero mosque, moveon.org and some big changes for pollster.com and engage (engagedc.com).

TRI is back from hiatus this week! Kristen chats with Washington Examiner’s Tim Carney and The Weekly Standard’s Matt Continetti, talking about Tim Geithner’s op-ed about the economic recovery, the wikileaks on the war, Rangel and Waters being under fire, and advice to budding writers.

This week, Kristen chats with Alex Lundry from Target Point and Kevin Madden from Dyke & Associates about the “Golf or Gulf” website, constituents breaking away from Democrats, Scott Brown’s backing of the financial reform bill, the word “liberal,” and the Apple fans.

Kristen chats with The Washington Examiner’s JP Freire and Slate’s Chris Beam about GOP Chairman Michael Steele’s recent controversial comments on Afghanistan, as well the latest in unemployment reports and DailyKos’ lawsuit with Research 2000 over polling data.

TRI gets a bit of a change of pace this week with some new segments. Kristen chats with Rachel Hoff from the Foreign Policy Initiative, and The Winston Group’s own Nicki Kurokawa. Topics include this week’s big stories like Kagan’s hearings, Russian Spies, the Kill Switch Bill, and Summer TV, as well as a new section, Blogger Beat.

Kristen chats with New Media Strategies’ Matt Moon and Engage’s Mindy Finn this week, about recent staff changes in and outside of the White House, border control policies, and why soccer is irrelevant in the US.

Dave Wasserman of the Cook Political Report and Philip Klein of the American Spectator join Kristen for a discussion about Republican women succeeding in recent primaries, who’s to blame for unemployment numbers, and why original concept movies are rare these days.

The Right Idea is starting a third season with a new look and feel. Kristen talks to The Daily Caller’s Moira Bagley and the Washington Post’s Dave Weigel about what will be on the agenda for the mid-term elections, as well as economics and the Laffer Curve and the MTV Movie Awards.

The Right Idea, Episode 36: Government 2.0 from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

TRI returns with Mark Drapeau and Meagan Carberry, this time chatting with Kristen about the government’s use of new media and how new media will allow citizen journalism to influence transparency in government.

The Right Idea, Episode 34: The “New” DC from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

Ever since Obama became president, DC has quickly become the place to see and be seen. How do three DC residents feel about all the changes? Kristen, Amanda and Allison continue this week’s round of discussions with their opinions on their city’s newfound popularity.

The Right Idea, Episode 33: Health Care Reform from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

With Olympia Snowe giving the latest healthcare reform bill the thumbs up, can we really call it bi-partisan? Kristen chats with the Washington Times’ Andrea Carpenter and the Independent Women’s Forum’s Allison Kasic about the lastest in healthcare reform developments, as well as the bigger issue of the U.S. economy.

The Right Idea, Episode 32 – The Intellectual Direction of the Right from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

In this week’s 2nd episode, Kristen, Ross and Reihan discuss whether conservative political discourse has fallen by the wayside to allow for more entertainment value. Have we really become “more Glenn Beck and less William F. Buckley”?

The Right Idea, Episode 31 – Middle Class Voters from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

What new strategies will help Republicans connect with Middle America? Kristen chats with the writers of “Grand New Party” – Ross Douthat from The New York Times and Reihan Salam from the New America Foundation – about key issues leaders must address when reaching out to voters.

The Right Idea, Episode 30 – Talking Points from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

“Die quickly”? This week’s second TRI takes a look at Senator Alan Grayson’s controversial comment about the Republican health care plan. Kristen, Chris and Abby look at the repercussions of Grayon’s words and how using the right – or wrong – words can help a candidate raise money.

The Right Idea Episode 29 – The Olympics from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

Comments from left and right – mostly from the right – flew after Obama’s trip to Copenhagen failed to secure a win for Chicago to host the 2016 Olympics. Kristen chats with Abby Alger and The Winston Group’s Chris Anderson about what folks from the right said, what happened in Copenhagen, and possible reasons why Chicago lost the vote.

The Right Idea, Episode 28 – Hollywood Politics from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

Kristen, Rachel and Tommy chat about the rare breed of conservative celebrities – why are there so few of them? And what can the right do gain more support from them? Kristen and our guests also discuss why conservative new media material like blogs and magazines are important.

The Right Idea, Ep. 27 – Retaining the Youth Vote from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

Kristen revisits the topic of young voters this week, chatting with Rachel Hoff from the Young Republican National Federation and Tommy Jardon from College Republican National Committee. They discuss some new numbers about young voters’ support of Obama, and address how congressional campaigns can attract this key group.

The Right Idea, Episode 26 – Political Journalism from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

Can information be credible if it falls under the guise of entertainment? Is The Colbert Report a viable alternative to the nightly news? Kristen, J.P. and Chris switch gears in our second episode of this week to discuss political journalism, particularly on the blurred lines between fact and opinion, especially when humor is used.

The Right Idea Episode 25 – Campaigning vs. Governing from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

What’s happened since Obama stepped off the campaign trail and sat down in the Oval Office? Kristen talks to J.P. Freire from the Washington Examiner and Chris Beam of Slate magazine about what’s happened so far since the “honeymoon” ended and what to look forward to in 2012.

The Right Idea, Episode 24 – Design from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

Design is more important to campaigns and politics than you might think. In the second installment of this week’s TRI, Kristen, Craig and Alex talk about why simplicity is effective, the importance of language, and what side of the brain Republicans tend to use…

The Right Idea, Episode 23 – Microtargeting from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

How should campaigns reach out to a particular audience? Kristen talks to Craig Kirchoff from National Media, Inc. and Alex Lundry from TargetPoint Consulting. This week’s first episode answers what exactly microtargeting is about and why campaigns ought to focus on it.

The Right Idea, Episode 22 – The Youth Vote from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

This week’s second episode tackles the issue of how to attract – and retain – young voters. The tactics don’t stop at simply having a Twitter a Facebook. Kristen, Tyler and Chris discuss why.

The Right Idea, Episode 20 – Voter Identifications from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

Is the country really turning all blue? Kristen chats with Tyler Harber from Wilson National Research and Chris Malagisi from the Young Conservatives Coalition this week, discussing a recent Gallup poll showing that a majority of the states are Democrat-leaning. Kristen, Tyler and Chris break it all down to figure out the truth behind the numbers.

The Right Idea, Episode 20: New Media in Campaigns from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

Kristen Soltis, Patrick Ruffini and Liz Mair continue their chat on new media, this time focusing on its use in campaigns and how technology is changing the way campaigns are run.

The Right Idea, Ep. 18 – Message Discipline from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

Kristen, Rob and Mark continue this week’s conversation about messaging and strategy by going into the debate over whether public forums like the tea parties are effective or not.

The Right Idea, Episode 17: New School Strategy from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

In the first installment of TRI’s second season, the Winston Group’s Kristen Soltis chats with Rob Kubasko and Mark SooHoo from Campaign Solutions about the differences between Old School and New School tactics and how leaders need to focus more on “the message” itself.

The Right Idea, Episode 16 – Public Figures in the New Media Era from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

Kristen Soltis, political tech expert Elizabeth Terrell, and The Winston Group’s tech guru Chris Anderson discuss the benefits and drawbacks to having an abundance of media of a public figure online. They also address what implications arise when a public figure speaks freely using social media.

The Right Idea, Ep. 15 – Tech in Politics from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

Kristen Soltis chats with political tech expert Elizabeth Terrell and The Winston Group’s tech guru Chris Anderson about the latest in social media and new technology and how these can be useful tools for political leaders and campaigns.

The Right Idea, Ep. 14 – Education Reform from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

The Right Idea Ep. 13 – Education Policy from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

This week, Kristen Soltis talks about education with Katherine Haley from House Republican Leader John Boehner’s office, and Dan Lips from The Heritage Foundation.

The Right Idea, Ep. 12 – Republican Identification from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

Kristen Soltis, Jill Bandes and Jon Henke continue to discuss Arlen Specter’s switch from the Republican party to the Democrat party and its implications, as well as questions of how conservatism should be defined.

The Right Idea, Ep. 11 – Working with Unfavorable Numbers from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

The Right Idea returns with 2 new installments this week, featuring Jill Bandes of Townhall.com and Jon Henke, a political and policy consultant. They discuss with Kristen Soltis possible solutions for the Republican Party regarding Arlen Specter’s defection and Justice Souter’s retirement.

The Right Idea, Ep. 10 – The Direction of the GOP from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

Kristen Soltis, Mindy Finn and James Kirchick address long-term solutions to the GOPs recent setbacks, looking at which direction they need to take with policies and messaging.

Kristen Soltis talks to James Kirchick of The New Republic and Mindy Finn of Engage about the political implications of the torture issue, how the GOP may be affected and perceived, and whether or not this a problem for Democrats as well.

In this week’s second installment of “The Right Idea,” Kristen, Jen and Doug talk about new technology and how the GOP can use it to it’s advantage, especially when reaching out to young voters.

Kristen Soltis, Jen Stolp and Doug Heye talk about cable news networks and other media, and how they factor into the constant struggle between the right and the left.

In the latest episode of our podcast, Kristen, Alex and J.P. talk about more big names in government, both past and present, as well as how Joe Biden and Rahm Emanuel are faring in their roles in the new administration.

In this episode of “The Right Idea,” JP Freire of the American Spectator and Republican “smart guy”Alex Lara join Kristen Soltis in discussing Obama’s overseas trip, pirates, missiles, and how to act around the Queen.

Episode 4 continues with Kristen Soltis, Moira Bagley, and John Feehery discussing monetary issues in the US today, specifically with entitlements. How can the GOP address what’s wrong with this issue? Can they use it to reach out to young voters?

Moira Bagley, former press secretary of the RNC, and John Feehery of thefeeherytheory.com, join Kristen in a discussion about the government playing CEO, the free market, and regulations.

In this episode, Matt Moon, Nicki Kurokawa, and Kristen Soltis discuss the difficulties of standing in opposition to policies coming out of the White House. How can the GOP legitimately criticize actions that they may have engaged in themselves over the last decade? What are the benefits and drawbacks of offering alternatives?

The first episode of The Winston Group’s new podcast is up! “The Right Idea” is a video podcast that comes out twice a week featuring discussion of both current events and long-term strategy with some of Washington’s brightest young minds in politics and policy.

This week, Kristen Soltis talks to Matt Moon from The Tax Foundation and Nicole Kurokawa from the Cato Institute, about Obama’s budget proposals.