TO:
FR:
RE:
DT:

Robby Mook
Communications
Outline of Pre Launch Press
March 13, 2015

This memo is to outline a series of pro-active press activities HRC can take through her personal office during
the remainder of March and early April before any official campaign launch.
This plan is based on two critical assumptions:
1) There is a press corps who has been assigned to cover HRC related news and they will write about her
regardless of whether we choose to make news or not.
2) It doesn’t take much for HRC to make news as we saw with a simple tweet on Iran that got significant
coverage.
There are three key strategic objectives during this period:
1) Put Republicans on defense and/or force them to take bad positions by engaging in limited ways on
policy areas.
2) Give reporters who must cover daily HRC news something to cover other than the unhelpful stories
about the foundation, emails, etc.
3) Show Democratic activists some “fight back” from HRC to create energy and enthusiasm ahead of the
launch
The proposed steps come in 5 different tactical groupings:
1) Offense on the issues – HRC should be on offense against “The Republican Congress.” We don’t have a
single Republican candidate to oppose, so we should challenge the least popular entity in politics – the
Republican Congress – whenever appropriate. There will be times, as with the Iran tweet that it is in our
interest to draw in the 2016ers and get them in the record. But, generally, we should not engage directly
with them.
2) Offense on the process – we know reporters are going to write it, so let’s shape the process stories about
how the campaign is coming together in staff and strategy, and take start to take advantage of the
pressure they face to produce new material when it isn’t always available.
3) Social media – We want to ramp up HRC’s social media activity with simple commentary on articles of
note, news of the day, and humor.
4) Offense on Republicans Candidates – this is driven by the DNC and American Bridge. We are
coordinating the activity with the DNC as best we can.
5) Engage Everyday Americans – this will range from off-the-record meetings with real people to social
media interaction where HRC engages real people who are featured in the media. This will also include
an effort to get supports to write OpEd/Letters/etc. outlining their work with HRC and/or their support
for her agenda.
Timeline of Potential Activities


3/11 – Tweet about Iran Letter



3/13 – Statement Urging Gowdy to Release Emails



3/13 – Tweet on Human Trafficking and Choice



3/13 – NH Staff Leak



3/16 – Oped On GOP Iran Letter

 

3/17 – Action on the Republican Budget. This could be a joint online action with other Democratic leaders,
a conference call with activists, a stop by at some location effected by Republican budget cuts or something
of the like. At minimum, it would be a statement and a tweet.



3/18 – We will start pushing and pitching the background story that press coverage on HRC has shifted
away from covering the situation with emails.



3/19 – There is potential to make remarks at an event about Summer Camps relate to wildlife protection cuts
in the Republican budget. Budget



Week of 3/23 – Off-the-record meetings for campaign senior staff with DC reporters.



3/23 – Action on 5th Anniversary of ACA. Since HRC is going to be in DC that night anyone for the Robin
Tonner dinner, we would like to develop some activity to highlight ACA success. This might be a surprise
visit to a Planned Parenthood Clinic or to whatever event Pelsoi/Reed are doing, etc. There will also bet a
tweet and statement.



3/24 – Pitch stories about staff hires, building of other infrastructure, and color that highlights a new team, a
new start, and a new attitude, all geared toward an efficient, modern campaign.

NOTE: In addition to these items, we expect news related to the public disclosure of records from the archives
and, potentially, on HRC’s TPP/TPA position.