Subject: Re: Shortened version of the ASDC speech to post on Medium
From: Tracie Pough <[email-masked]>
To: "Miranda, Luis" <[email-masked]>
Cc: "Simonds, Tessa" <[email-masked]>, Hilary Rosen <[email-masked]>, "Domino, Cate" <[email-masked]>, "Dacey, Amy" <[email-masked]>, "Banfill, Ryan" <[email-masked]>, Anita Dunn <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 21 May 2016 13:25:12 -0700

Agree

- TP

On May 21, 2016, at 4:16 PM, Miranda, Luis <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:

I'm good with it. I think it's helpful to get this up today. Unless anyone else disagrees, it's good for this to be out there right now and sets up a nice contrast.

________________________________
From: Simonds, Tessa
Sent: Saturday, May 21, 2016 3:55 PM
To: Tracie Pough; Hilary Rosen
Cc: Domino, Cate; Dacey, Amy; Miranda, Luis; Banfill, Ryan; Anita Dunn
Subject: Re: Shortened version of the ASDC speech to post on Medium

All —

Here’s the Medium post, as promised. Once it is approved, we’ll get this posted.

Tessa

TITLE: An Open Letter to my Fellow Democrats
BYLINE: Debbie Wasserman Schultz

I was just in Philadelphia to meet with our state party leadership and the Democratic National Convention staff. We are just 65 days away from  nominating the 45th President of the United States, and I want to share what I told our Democratic leaders with all of you. As Democrats from all across this great country make their plans to travel to the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, I’m looking forward to seeing them energized, united, and focused on making sure that we continue to build upon the progress we’ve made under President Obama.

[IMAGE<https://slack-files.com/T02J9QW71-F115TAS1J-4911b8ba68> – Philly Skyline]

WE CAN’T OVERSTATE THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS ELECTION

Eight years after his historic election, I have admired the campaigns of both Senator Sanders and Secretary Clinton as they and their supporters have argued the issues and brought real solutions to the table. In the Democratic Party, disagreement  is healthy. New voters and independents sharing our progressive ideals make our party stronger. We have seats to win in every state up and down the ballot, and the presidential race and the voters it brings to the ballot box will influence the outcome in many of them.

[GIF<http://s3.amazonaws.com/uploads.democrats.org/Social/handshake.gif> – Sanders/Clinton Handshake]

We all know how high the stakes are - it’s hard to forget with Donald Trump's daily reminders of his knee-jerk recklessness, lack of judgment, and unstable temperament. We are up against a man who has vowed to slash taxes for those at the top while refusing to release his own tax returns. He refuses to address his well–documented history of misogyny. He has insulted our allies in the UK and legitimized a despotic dictator in North Korea.

We can’t gloss over the genuine concern that, as President Obama has said, too many Americans are still worried about their own pocketbooks and our place in the world. While Trump is promoting anxiety and fear as ways to ease people’s concern, our candidates are promoting thoughtful, respectful, and effective solutions. I am confident that we will channel the passion and energy from our primary into unity behind a common purpose—to continue the progress we’ve made under President Obama and to keep the White House out of Donald Trump’s hands.

[EMBED TWEET<https://twitter.com/TheDemocrats/status/727669824067911680> – America is better than Donald Trump]

THE DNC HAS THE TOOLS TO HELP DEMOCRATS WIN

I became Chair of the DNC in 2011, right after the Tea Party handed us some tough losses, including majorities in Congress. But the down-ballot losses we’ve experienced matter just as much. We want to make sure we’re strongly supporting state parties so they can stop the destruction and obstruction Republicans are so fond of at the state and local level.

At the DNC, we’ve been focused on making sure we’re doing everything we can in every state so that as a party, we aren’t just good at winning presidential races. We are providing more funding, more infrastructure, more rocket fuel to keep the engines of our state parties firing on all cylinders and holding Republicans in office and in elections accountable. We do this by:

  *   Funding direct mail campaigns to reach voters and get them to the polls on Election Day
  *   Providing critical staff salaries under our state party partnerships
  *   Training state party staff in key communications, digital, and organizing skills
  *   Sharing our deep research and communications resources
  *   Building our state-of-the-art voter file

That’s why I’m proud every time I walk through the doors of Democratic Headquarters - seeing our staff hard at work pushing back against Republicans at every level, using every tool in our toolbox, makes me confident that the future of our party is bright.

Today I will make this pledge to you: I will always stand up for party activists because they bring us energy and ideas. I will always stand up for the leaders of this party because they volunteer their precious time to guide our progressive future.

But here’s what I’m asking of you, in return: When the work is hard, and passions run hot, and the road looks long, never forget the Americans we are fighting for.

This week, while reporters were writing story after story about party discord, marked the first time in our nation’s history that more than 90% of Americans have access to affordable healthcare. Because we elected a Democrat in 2008 and 2012, 20 million Americans have health insurance who didn’t before. And this month, we celebrated 74 consecutive months of private-sector job growth, generating over 14 million news jobs for American workers. When we come together as Democrats, we can accomplish great things for honest, hard-working people from every walk of life.That’s what’s important. That’s what we cannot let out of our sight.

I’m excited for the future of our party, and I’m proud of every Democrat working for a brighter future.  On to victory!

[EMBED TWEET<https://twitter.com/TheDemocrats/status/727896439372824576> – Hillary or Bernie for President]

From: Tracie Pough <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Date: Saturday, May 21, 2016 at 2:55 PM
To: Hilary Rosen <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Cc: Tessa Simonds <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, "Domino, Cate" <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, "Dacey, Amy" <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Luis Miranda <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Ryan Banfill <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Anita Dunn <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Subject: Re: Shortened version of the ASDC speech to post on Medium

I think we need to post and if we wait until Monday then we miss the opportunity to get it out there before our platform announcement.   Cate and Tessa can you send final

- TP

On May 21, 2016, at 2:44 PM, Hilary Rosen <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:

Our thought on this. Is that if it was just a regular post there isnt much benefit. The value here is that it IS a speech reprint.  In other words " this is what i am saying to our most important state dnc leaders and this is what we believe".
Its almost a way to let people inside the room.
But i dont feel strongly about it either way. Posting isnt a home run and staying silent also has risks.

Sorry for the keyboard typos

Hilary Rosen
SKDKnickerbocker
1150 18th St. NW
Washington,DC 20036
202.320.2711 m
202.464.6969 o

On May 21, 2016, at 2:24 PM, Tracie Pough <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:

Adding Hilary Rosen who had similar concerns but thought it might marginally help.

- TP

On May 21, 2016, at 2:02 PM, Simonds, Tessa <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:

Cate and I recommend this be rewritten for an internet audience. It’s long for a Medium post.

Cate will edit it (thanks for the forward, Tracie!) using the post we drafted on Friday, minus the 2008 copy.  So far, seems like the key points are:

— We must unify as Democrats to support our nominee and defeat Donald Trump
— Restate the party process + commitment

Cate and I have our doubts about releasing this at all — the Internet is tough place right now for DWS content. If we feel strongly about moving forward though we’ll get working.

Aside, our Medium posts do not perform well on the weekends, so we recommend releasing this early week to maximize the number of people who see and read this.

Tessa

From: "Domino, Cate" <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Date: Saturday, May 21, 2016 at 1:20 PM
To: "Dacey, Amy" <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Cc: Tracie Pough <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Luis Miranda <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Ryan Banfill <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Tessa Simonds <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Subject: Re: Shortened version of the ASDC speech to post on Medium

Adding Tessa. Could you resend that attachment? It didn't come through for us.

On May 21, 2016, at 12:34 PM, Dacey, Amy <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:

I think of goal is to restate the party process and commitment and getting the facts out there it does help

Sent from my iPhone

On May 21, 2016, at 12:31 PM, Tracie Pough <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:

I like the version Hilary cleaned up but in not sure what it gets us, maybe it helps marginally. Thoughts????

- TP

On May 21, 2016, at 12:11 PM, Hilary Rosen <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:

Its still a little long but I like the idea of all the detail of how the DNC and the DNCC is getting ready.  Cutting out the Kennedy stuff would make it shorter.

Hilary Rosen
Managing Director
SKDKnickerbocker
1150 18th st NW
Washington, DC 20036
202.464.6969 (o)  202.320.2711 (m)
@HilaryR

<Medium post for DWS speech.docx>