Re: Evolving the core message

From:dschwerin@hillaryclinton.com To: jsullivan@hillaryclinton.com CC: john.podesta@gmail.com, jpalmieri@hillaryclinton.com, rklain@aol.com, karen.l.dunn@gmail.com Date: 2016-01-27 15:20 Subject: Re: Evolving the core message

yes i agree -- although thicker should mean sharper, not longer. On Wed, Jan 27, 2016 at 12:19 PM, Jake Sullivan < jsullivan@hillaryclinton.com> wrote: > I would posit, based on his observations, that if our case for how change > happens is the meat of the sandwich, we need thicker bread. The top piece > of outrage about the current state of affairs has to be thicker, and the > bottom piece about her bold agenda for what we’re going to do about it has > to be thicker. > > > > How’s that for an overwrought analogy? > > > > *From:* Dan Schwerin [mailto:dschwerin@hillaryclinton.com] > *Sent:* Wednesday, January 27, 2016 12:15 PM > *To:* John Podesta <john.podesta@gmail.com> > *Cc:* Jennifer Palmieri <jpalmieri@hillaryclinton.com>; Jake Sullivan < > jsullivan@hillaryclinton.com>; Ron Klain <rklain@aol.com>; Karen Dunn < > karen.l.dunn@gmail.com> > *Subject:* Re: Evolving the core message > > > > This is both helpful and a little frustrating. I'm curious whether his > point about Obama holds true with the African American voters we're going > to be appealing to in the next few weeks. But the broader point seems well > taken. I'm playing with an idea for Monday night's speech that might help > modestly: > > > > I think she should speak directly to the thousands of grassroots voters, > especially young people, who are bringing new energy and urgency to this > race and forcing all of us to grapple with deep injustices and imbalances > in our country (the deck is stacked, etc). She should say that she hears > them, shares their concerns, and is glad they're reshaping our national > debate. We all agree on the problem that needs to be solved. Now the > question is how to actually do something about it. And then launch into our > contrasting theories of change and her belief that ideas can't just sound > good on paper, they have to really make a difference in people's lives. > > > > The idea here is 1) make it clear that the protest vote has been heard, > giving permission to Democrats in later states to move on; 2) provide a > pivot point to more authentically embrace a shared diagnosis; 3) > disaggregate Bernie's voters from Bernie himself, so the former feel like > they can keep shaping the party even after the latter rides off into the > sunset. > > > > None of this changes the basic problem that compared to Bernie we're never > going to be the "change candidate" and so we're either confident in our own > identity or we're chasing him and offering ourselves as a pale imitation. I > think we're on to something good with our new message that change is about > pushing hard, getting knocked down, etc, because it puts her best > attributes in service of progressive ends. But that's still process and > incrementalism. > > > > On Wed, Jan 27, 2016 at 11:46 AM, John Podesta <john.podesta@gmail.com> > wrote: > > Sending just to the internal crew. His dissection of our message is worth > paying attention to. > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: *Stan Greenberg* <sgreenberg@gqrr.com> > Date: Wednesday, January 27, 2016 > Subject: Evolving the core message > To: John Podesta <john.podesta@gmail.com> > Cc: Stan Greenberg <sgreenberg@gqrr.com> > > John, > > > > Let me follow-up your suggestion that I read the transcript of what > Hillary is actually saying. Here, I’m focusing on the Iowa town hall > transcript, and happy to respond to the one you are sending. For now, I am > convinced you are badly positioned, though I now believe you can readily > transition to an evolved core message. > > > > I told you I thought she did great, but that was stylistically, > presidentially and on foreign threats. She had energy, sounded like > somebody you could trust as president and looked good. She was the one who > talked about the new diversity of the country and our new values. It may be > enough to win Iowa. > > > > But I think the overall message is tone death on what is happening in the > country and even more, in the Democratic primary electorate. As a result, > she has left the change voters to Sanders. She addresses change as > biography: so you are making the vote choice about her, rather than what is > happening in the country. At least in this town hall, Sanders was the only > one talking about change, the country and the future. > > > > There is a pretty easy way to transition your message, and it could drive > votes to you pretty quickly. I believe it is plausible. > > > > What is your core message? So, consider me a focus group of one and my > take away from the town hall. Knowing your core message is the starting > point to evolving it. > > > > > > *First, you are running on continuity with Obama.* Hillary said, we need > to “build on the progress that we’ve made.” President Obama achieved great > things and the great risk is “the Republicans rip away the progress and > turn us backwards.” “We need to build on it, and go further.” > > > > Obama abandoned this message in his own re-elections, but you are on it. > > > > This is tone death, at best. You begin with a contested idea, even among > Democrats and people who rate Obama highly. And it sears in the idea that > you are incremental change, while conceding change to Sanders and the > Republicans. That will make your race much harder. > > > > Which voters could you possibly be talking to? Fully 55 percent of the > Rising American Electorate and three quarters of white working class women > says we are on the wrong track in both WVWV and Roosevelt surveys. This is > a mad starting point. > > > > In focus groups we just conducted for Roosevelt last week with African > American millennials, participants could not have been more despairing: > “It’s disappointing. I just think our country could do a lot better … It’s > going to take a real long time to fix the mess. For real.” They describe > their experience with the economy: “sad and crappy”; “I’m very disgusted”; > “I’m gong to say uneasy. And just disappointed.” > > > > > > > > *Second, you are running on being ready for the job in very insecure > times.* The primaries and caucuses are a way to vet the candidates, and > you can see Hillary is ready. That is what Hillary said in the town hall > and what the president focused on. > > > > I can’t tell you how many leaders I supported who want to run on > experience and building on the progress, including David Miliband, and > watched them defeated by the change candidate who get all the energy. > Voters in both the primary and general election will be figuring out how to > vote for change – and you have given Sanders a big opening. > > > > > > *Third, governing is messy and not very pretty.* And Hillary knows the > idealism and promises of other candidates won’t happen. Hillary knows how > to make progress. “I just keep going forward … and I’m still standing.” > You sound like a grown-up lecturing these young people on don’t expect too > much from all this idealism. > > > > > > *And fourth, Hillary has spent a lifetime fighting for change and “going > after inequality.”* That is who she is. “I’ve taken on the status quo > time and time again.” You can trust me to bring change because she battled > for it, starting with kids and health care. She’s fought “racial > inequality, sexist inequality, homophobic inequality.” Also, economic > inequality, but mainly to remind people that Bill Clinton is the only > president to produce greater equality. > > > > *I found that answer attractive but it does not change your core > framework, though critically, it provides a ready platform to evolve it.* > > > > But for now, your core message is about the past. It is about Clinton’s > character and qualities as a leader. The message is not economic, and it > is not about the country. > > > > * * * * * > > > > But as we discussed, Hillary can be the candidate who can bring the > change, and your discussion of biography in town halls allows you to make > the transition. But you have to start by saying, “Look, all of us > Democratic candidates share this critique and anger with what is happening > in the country. The difference is I have a powerful personal history of > fighting inequality and bringing change. And here is are the bold changes I > will work to bring.” > > > > That transition takes you to what is happening in the country, it makes > her bio relevant, and enables her to talk about the bold changes she wants > to bring. [This is explicitly, not just finishing what Obama did or > defending his progress.” > > > > My starting point is the remarkable and intense level of support for the > level the playing the field message. In our most recent test for Roosevelt, > we showed that bringing in trade issues in particular strengthens the > message further. > > > > > > > > The reason Sanders is getting so much traction and energy is that he is > articulating this message. Yes, his personal conviction is important, but > what makes it work is what he is saying about the country and the ability > to bring change. He is talking unapologetically about the excess at the > top and the need to grow the middle class and America. > > > > I also now believe that Sanders is being helped by his use of the trade > issue. > > > > Your running on “building on the progress” allows him a contrast that > hurts you in the primary and general. > > > > But from the beginning, Hillary and her campaign, you affirmed in our > meetings, really accepted this core economic message, even if Hillary took > the edge off in delivery. Progressive Democrats were pretty united. That > is key to my recommendation here. > > > > Hillary should say how united are Democrats on this core critique of the > country and what needs to happen to change the rules so the country grows > the middle class again. The core difference is that Hillary has a history > of fighting inequality and bringing change. Sanders does not. That is why > she is excited to talk about this bold agenda that will bring change. > > > > Hope this makes sense and helps. > > > > Happy to talk further. > > > > Stan > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >