And now, from the University of Chicago Institute of Politics and CNN, the Act Files, with your

host, David Axelrod.

I was a political consultant for a long time, and one of the people I met early in my

years in politics was Mark McKinnon, who was doing the same kind of work.

We worked together on Democratic campaigns.

He was from Texas switched sides to work for George W. Bush, and was his chief media strategist

in the 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns.

And now, a host of the circus on Showtime, a great documentary series covering what has

become a circus, the 2016 presidential campaign sat down with Mark during the convention week

in Cleveland to talk about where we are now, but also his experiences over a lifetime

in politics.

I'm sitting with Mark McKinnon, my old buddy, and he's got his hat on, his scarf as well,

but the hat, we were just talking about it.

It's an open road, Stetson, is that what it is?

Yeah, this is a...

It is a straw hat.

It's a straw hat, the summer version of the classic felt Stetson.

Is your horse outside?

And nearby.

There's not a picture of me growing up, I don't have a hat on.

I just always love hats.

And it started with my dad who did some ranching early on in his career.

...