Fwd: Feedback Letter

From:john.podesta@gmail.com To: re47@hillaryclinton.com, mmarshall@hillaryclinton.com, arenteria@hillaryclinton.com, dcheng@hillaryclinton.com Date: 2015-10-12 21:09 Subject: Fwd: Feedback Letter

Our Chicago super-volunteer. He's a pretty smart guy and some of the suggestions here on lower $ fundraising are worth considering. Very negative on LGBTQ hire. I reported on my last Chicago visit that there is also a lot of ethnic agitation there. Probably a place Biden will try to play so we should pay some attention. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Dear Chairman Podesta, First of all, I just want to thank you and the team for all you are doing everyday for our party and our Champion, Hillary :) It's assuring to see all the social media activity from the campaign staff from top to bottom, bottom to top, working so hard and sharing such a strong message of support and enthusiasm. The grassroots’ volunteers have been working really hard with Adam Parkhomenko. His responsiveness and attention to what we can only imagine -- an endless number of questions and inquiries/requests which has been just stellar. I wanted to express my gratitude upfront. The conference calls and letting us know what's in the works is appreciated and I know more tools to empower the grassroots are forthcoming. I'd like to begin with my concerns on the LGBTQ hire that was recently announced. This is my personal opinion and feeling; though these feelings/concerns are shared by a number of activist friends, who are also supporters of Hillary. As you know, this summer was a big deal for marriage equality and the LGBTQ community; and it seemed like so much opportunity was lost when no director or team of LGBTQ outreach/coordinators were hired. We were left waiting and wondering until the end of September when the hiring of Mr. Lowell was announced. No doubt he is wonderful person and looks to have some solid work experience, but at the same time his hire is confusing and underwhelming. Where was Hillary on this hire? It feels and looks like she had no part in this hire and that is extremely upsetting! · This is a hire we would expect for a Senate or Governor’s race, not for an important & #Herstoric candidate like Secretary of State Clinton. Coming on the heels of the most important ruling for LGBTQ civil rights in the history of our country, while the LGBTQ community is splintering into progressive equality movements of race, immigration, transgender, women's issues, and other forms of discrimination facing everyone else, except for the exclusive white and affluent gay male community that dominates the LGBTQ D.C based organizations. The optics of this hire are highly problematic within a rapidly changing political environment in the LGBTQ community. · The feedback from my friends, many of whom are highly involved in the discussions and debates that are currently happening along the lines of gender, race, immigration, homeless youth, HIV, Trans-persons, etc. view this hire with cynicism, reacting with “eye roll” and accompanied by significant disappointment over the lack of any boldness in this choice. · The feedback about this hire from my friends who are donors is deep disappointment because he appears to lacks requisite gravitas expected when soliciting political support and money from a highly sophisticated community. · Optics – of this hire evokes the exclusionary white male dominated Human Rights Campaign. Even at the HRC gala this past weekend in D.C people, were expressing their disappointment to outright anger with respect to the audience, which had very little diversity present. · Where are the 'movement' hires? Surely there were folks with credibility and breadth of experience who applied for this very important hire? I know from a grassroots perspective, many of us have experience working with Jeff Campagna. Even my contacts in Labor and Equality California seemed behind Mr. Campagna, so I'm confused as to why someone like Jeff would be overlooked. Was this an oversight? I'd think if Hillary was serious about the LGBTQ community she would have had a role in this very important hire, and it feels and looks like she had no part in this hire and that it was left to perhaps the talent director and that doesn't feel or look good. · Wouldn’t a campaign task force for the LGBTQ community with a strong director at the helm be more appropriate to aggressively court and tie in the various components to build and consolidate community support for Hillary? I see no evidence of this reality. It must happen. 3: Second concern: The figure of $1,700 is the AVERAGE campaign donation from Illinois, reported for last quarter. That is a PROBLEM! As a grassroots organizer and a max donor and someone who helps raise money and has also attended a number of the high dollar events, it's my observation that these events are missed opportunities and leave a considerable amount of money on the table. These events should be opened up to: · 10 $1,000 spaces (this would allow for greater diversity at these events); · 5 spots for local volunteers/ college leaders/organizers - the infusion of youth and the energy they bring really makes the event better and inspires Hillary's hardest and most important workers to carry on; · Small Business Host Events $500/small business owners - this is affordable by a number of small business owners/many bring women employers; 4. Low Dollar fundraising needs support - each state/finance team should have a staff person dedicated to supporting these events and help get the lower dollar surrogate events going for the $50 - $250 a head; · Create an incentive for Hill-Raisers/Blazers to recruit and help low dollar fundraisers that commit to raising $2,700 for these events (do $5,400, $10,800 levels as well); · Reinforce that incentive for those low dollar fundraisers that raise $2,700 by inviting them once they reach their goal to a high dollar event to meet Hillary/photo op :); · The emails asking for donations need to get on a cycle that works with everyday Americans, like $5 Fridays. · The amount of emails and follow ups asking for more money makes it feel like my contribution isn't enough, that's the impression the experience leaves one feeling badly; 5: Ethnic Outreach: Would it be possible to get a brief audience on November 2nd with some of the Chicago ethnic leaders: re: Maureen Pikarski who you met in Chicago. I see Hillary has a window in her busy schedule from 3-6 p.m. Also, it seems we have had little traction on the Bosnian American outreach and that is a HIGHLY strategic in Iowa and Missouri and enthusiastic supporters of Hillary. Our Missouri HRC super volunteer has asked the Midwest Fundraising team to schedule a side meeting with Hillary and the leadership of the St. Louis Bosnian community during her next trip to Missouri. The feedback I'm hearing is that folks have mixed feelings about the campaign’s response so far and I recommend hiring asap and engage aggressively through the Ethnic Outreach department - more of a TASK FORCE with liaisons to court and engage the diverse constituencies with the sensitivity and respect they deserve. It would be most unfortunate to see another young D.C organizational hire that isn't up to the task for each of the assigned 10 desks. 6: Hillary's 2007 delegates - have they been contacted yet? I shared an updated list with David Huyhn at the DNC Summer Meeting and I hope outreach is happening. I think it would be a wonderful gesture to do some special outreach there. *(update David Huyhn says that is underway! :) )* Consider the following issues: 7: Messaging: Hillary's four fights seem to get lost and aren't front and center (we need easy print outs for folks to hand out that are shrunk down so you can print and cut a page into 4 that has four fights on it). Hillary lacks a slogan like Trump: Let's Make America Great Again or Bernie: Not for Sale etc. etc. perhaps Hillary: A fighter in your corner (you get the idea) Bernie has cornered the market on income equality but Hillary can really pounce on Civil Rights and Social Justice as part an parcel of good economic policy. *(As of today, a four fight print out was provided for the debate watch night! THANK YOU!)* 8: Disability outreach and mobilization - again that should be a special task force - especially targeting caucus states and swing states. Getting them engaged in volunteer activities and identifying ways to get them to the polls! Dr. Janice Lehrer Stein in San Francisco has spoken to you and Robbie I believe on this matter. 9: Many people would like to contribute to this campaign in other ways that do not include money. CREATE incentives! Like 1,000 sign-ups gets someone an autographed book by Hillary! 5,000 sign ups by one person gets them to a high dollar event, 10,000 sign ups gets the person a professional autographed and framed photo with Hillary and 50,000 sign ups gets you a dinner with Hillary (have this set up like Hillraisers and Hillblazers with recruitment so that folks get credit for the efforts of their recruits) 10: Create another incentive for merchandise: Like Hillraiser Links - provide HillMerchandiser Links so that folks get an incentive/credit for every sale made via purchases on those links...this helps encourage folks to sell and promote the merchandise store! Again - a certain number of sales gets someone free merchandise, an even greater amount of sales gets you an invitation to a fundraiser event with Hillary or Bill or Chelsea, etc. 11: St. Louis is the largest Bosnian American community in the U.S. --around 80,000. Angie Acree, HRC Super Volunteer and the Clinton Campaign volunteer rep in Missouri has asked the Midwest Fundraising Team to arrange for a side meeting between Hillary and the Bosnian American leadership in Missouri during her next fundraising trip. It is the belief of Ajla Delkic, the executive director of the Advisory Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina (based in D.C.) that it would take little attention by Hillary to light this community on fire. Mr. Vajrovic is the leader and is locally connected to the Democratic Party. But no one has ever met with them from the Democratic Party at a senior level. Barack Obama lost Missouri to McCain by 3,903 votes in 2008. These votes are to be SOUGHT aggressively. 12: At the recent Ethnic Council Meeting with Amy Dacey, CEO of the DNC here in Chicago, the talk among the ethnic leaders of Chicago area was the lack of outreach to their constituencies....People were highlighting the absence of aggressive outreach since Bill Clinton's campaigns in 96 and Obama's in 2007 - November 2nd - Hillary is in Chicago ALL day for fundraisers - would be nice if an Ethnic Round Table could be arranged (small one) with Maureen Pikarski who could help make that happen 1-312-718-9351 and if it could be filmed by various news outlets that cater to these constituencies - would be huge in audience reached and for mobilizing the ethnic communities to help in IOWA and in IOWA! 13: Lastly swag: I know and appreciate how much frugality is being exercised in the primary (in stark contrast to 2007) but if perhaps something could be worked out so that grassroots point people in each state are not encumbered with the expense of providing the basics like bumper stickers (that provides free advertising!) lapel stickers at a minimum. This would be for commit to votes/commit to caucus but would really help at the tables/booths so many volunteers do (which many cost money to do) and provide incentives. It really is what is required in getting sign ups. The most successful efforts over the summer were ones that had folks who could afford to buy supplies like this for handing out in exchange for sign ups. Thank you for your time reading this. Line item one is a very personal observation that has been shared with me from a number of sources involved in the LGBTQ movement/leaders etc - particular midwest to west coast. The rest are number of observations and feedback I've heard from multiple folks along the way. Thank you for all you do to support Hillary’s historic campaign for the presidency. Those of us in the grassroots and a growing contingent of volunteers continue to work hard for our Champion, she is worth it! Best regards, John West 'Volunteer and Supporter'