RE: Follow-up Media Call

We are all focused on getting diversity and we have to get there. But we also have a lot of big jobs to fill in the next few months and I think we have to try to slow down our process. We have a handful of people right now and given the leaks that are occurring in the last week, I actually think we have to shut down the process now to the 1-2 essential posts that need filling soon and build the diverse team we need from there. These stories will only matter/hurt us if we keep pushing hard and get too much chatter out there. I think we have to settle on what roles need to be filled immediately and limit our activity to that. If we can create a "silent period" for a couple of weeks and possibly slow down the press appetite we can buy ourselves some space to fill in the team we want and need. This would starving the beast instead of feeding it. I think as we continue to search, we have to one person assigned to each post, talking to only the people we need to talk and expand that search process when we run into a dead end. It seems clear that multiple people talking to multiple people is not a strategy for containment and containment has to be a top priority for the next six weeks I think. We face risks with either approach but I think we have seen what happens when we're all reaching out and I don't' think that's getting us where we want. Joel Robby claims he's 1/16th Apache, so we should be all set. Kidding aside, do we have any diversity we can point to at this stage? On Jan 13, 2015, at 9:28 PM, Robby Mook <robbymook2015@gmail.com<mailto:robbymook2015@gmail.com>> wrote: Lotta white guys. On Tue, Jan 13, 2015 at 9:19 PM, Cheryl Mills <cheryl.mills@gmail.com<mailto:cheryl.mills@gmail.com>> wrote: Nick If we are going to share names or themes, we should strive for some diversity (beyond gender) in the line up or focus. cdm On Jan 13, 2015, at 8:36 PM, Nick Merrill <nmerrill@hrcoffice.com<mailto:nmerrill@hrcoffice.com>> wrote: Here's the draft of the memo for feedback, both attached and below. Earned Media/Next Steps January 2015 Objective: As media attention increasingly turns to 2016 and Secretary Clinton continues to move towards a decision, we want to be proactive in shaping a public narrative that does three things: 1) Explains on our own terms who she's meeting and talking with, both in terms of potential campaign hires and policy advisors. She's casting a wide net, looking for the best talent, and listening to people with bold ideas from across the party. Notably, she is specifically reaching out to progressive policy experts and to people in the Obama orbit, demonstrating that she is doing things differently this time. She will be positioned to run a thoughtful, successful, forward-looking and technological advanced campaign, should she decide to run. 2) Provides cover and context for recruiting the best people and appealing to those who are looking for signals about whether this is something that they want to be a part of. 3) Begins to build energy and enthusiasm among Democrats for a forward-looking potential candidacy that will offer a bold vision for the future. Placing a Story As discussed on our call, we are all in agreement that the time is right place a story with a friendly journalist in the coming days that positions us a little more transparently while achieving the above goals. Who: For something like this, especially in the absence of us teasing things out to others, we feel that it's important to go with what is safe and what has worked in the past, and to a publication that will reach industry people for recruitment purposes. We have has a very good relationship with Maggie Haberman of Politico over the last year. We have had her tee up stories for us before and have never been disappointed. While we should have a larger conversation in the near future about a broader strategy for reengaging the beat press that covers HRC, for this we think we can achieve our objective and do the most shaping by going to Maggie. What: Mechanically, the story will have three basic components. First, a list of names that we agree upon beforehand that we will give to a reporter on background, both policy people and campaign people. Second, some information provided on background that explains what is happening and why and third, a quote on-the-record that affirms all of this in an official capacity, making clear that this is a sanctioned story. 1) Names: a. Policy* i. Joe Stiglitz ii. Paul Volcker * More names available if and when it's helpful. And we should revisit if and how to give people a heads up beforehand. b. Campaign i. John, Joel, and Robby are already out there ii. Teddy Goff? iii. Wendy Clark? 2) On Background as someone familiar with HRC's thinking: After the midterms, HRC turned in earnest to thinking through a decision, as she always said she would. She's taking on the two big questions she posed at the end of her book: "What's your vision for America?" and "Can you lead us there?" During the midterm campaign, you heard her lay out a lot of the challenges we face, particularly stagnant incomes and the middle class squeeze that is preventing a lot of Americans from feeling the recovery. So now she's focusing on potential solutions. She's casting a wide net, with a particular emphasis on new voices and new ideas. Talking to Joe Stiglitz about inequality. Talking to Paul Volker about financial reform. When you include outreach by her team, there have been discussions with more than 100 policy experts across the country. As for the second question -- can you lead us there? -- she's also talking to people about what a successful, forward-looking and technological advanced campaign would look like, one that would allow her to have a conversation with the American public about these ideas and do so in innovative ways. And just like on the policy side, she's especially interested in new voices and new talent. It's no accident she's talking to so many people from the Obama orbit. Joel Benenson, for example. If she runs, this is going to be a different kind of campaign, from top to bottom. 3) On the record: She is thinking through a decision and doing so with a big-tent approach that allows her to hear from lots of people across the Democratic party. She wants to hear new voices and new ideas. She's using this time to look at bold new ideas for helping the middle class and what it would take to build an inclusive, thoughtful and technically advanced campaign, so that if she decides to run, she'll be ready. When: Next week probably makes the most sense, but after we have an agreed-upon plan in place we should reconvene early next week by email or phone and make a decision. Robby, I agree with you about the next discussion needing to be about specific implementation. Towards that end, Nick will reply all with the memo he drafted - which has languished with me, not him. I can do anytime tonight, but a 10pm call two years before Iowa seems a bit much - especially since there won't be anyone left to call us tomorrow, they all hit in one fell swoop this afternoon. So my suggestion is that everyone absorbs Nick's draft overnight, and Marissa Astor sets up a call tomorrow for tomorrow on the early side with the benefit of reading all these stories. Again though, I'm free at 10pm if the group thinks we shouldn't wait. Huma & Robby, entirely up to you. Since I procrastinated though, I'll just add here what I was going to incorporate: Yes HRC learned from 2008, as she has learned from every experience of her life. But we shouldn't let people forget that 2007 was eight years ago. She has had many experiences since and they have been part of the learning/growing process. So the question of what she will do in 2016 isn't without a basis to answer as if she's been in a coma since she last ran. Look at what she did for President Obama in the general. Look at how she handled his wanting her to join the cabinet. Look at how she did the job of Secretary of State. Look at what she has done since, particularly on the philanthropic front. She has made hundreds of policy, management and personnel decisions over that span, and by and large they've turned out pretty well. If you want to know what someone is going to do, a good place to start is what they've done. In 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. Great--I just want something to react to because we have a rough strategy--I think we're in a good spot to talk next steps now. On Tue, Jan 13, 2015 at 8:15 PM, Huma Abedin <huma@hrcoffice.com<mailto:huma@hrcoffice.com>> wrote: I know PIR will weigh in shortly Also, to be clear, are we reacting to a proposed plan of action or just discussing? I would strongly prefer to react to something because we discussed strategy on our last call and at this point I would like to discuss implementation. There was agreement that we should shape likely leaks in the best light for HRC and supplement with bits of policy that show her focused on helping the MC. I'd like to just move forward in that strategy. Is there a draft of the memo we can see? On Jan 13, 2015, at 7:58 PM, Mandy Grunwald <gruncom@aol.com<mailto:gruncom@aol.com>> wrote: Sure Mandy Grunwald Grunwald Communications 202 973-9400<tel:202%20973-9400> On Jan 13, 2015, at 7:48 PM, Huma Abedin <huma@hrcoffice.com<mailto:huma@hrcoffice.com>> wrote: Can people do 9pm or 10pm tonight? tonight or tomorrow during the day would be better. We have NH focus groups to watch tomorrow night. John Anzalone Anzalone Liszt Grove Research 334-387-3121<tel:334-387-3121> PLEASE NOTE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS: john@ALGpolling.com<mailto:john@ALGpolling.com> www.ALGpolling.com<http://www.ALGpolling.com> twitter: @AnzaloneLiszt On Jan 13, 2015, at 6:40 PM, Mandy Grunwald <gruncom@aol.com<mailto:gruncom@aol.com>> wrote: Should we do a call tonight? Calls will be heavy tomorrow, I imagine. Mandy Grunwald Grunwald Communications 202 973-9400<tel:202%20973-9400> On Jan 13, 2015, at 7:38 PM, Huma Abedin <huma@hrcoffice.com<mailto:huma@hrcoffice.com>> wrote: Can we re-group on our internal plan for dealing with the media particularly given the stories today? I know Philippe and Nick have a draft memo in the works but all of us getting on the same page would be helpful. Robby, could we get on a call tomorrow evening perhaps? <Story_Memo.docx>