“The problem with State of the Union speeches is that they are, by their nature and design, alphabet soup. It's hard to know what a president really cares about when they run down a laundry list and check every issue box under the sun for fear they will offend some constituency if they don't.”

American political advisor and television producer

Mark David McKinnon is an American political advisor, reform advocate, media columnist, and television producer. He is known for his role in Republican campaign strategy, his work in political commentary, and his involvement in television production. He served as chief media adviser on five successful presidential primary and general election campaigns. He also co-founded No Labels, a group focused on bipartisanship and practical political solutions. His career has included leadership roles at Public Strategies, Inc. and Maverick Media, along with work on The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth and consulting on The Newsroom and House of Cards. He also wrote regularly for The Daily Beast and The Daily Telegraph.