Subject: ​Correct The Record Monday December 8, 2014 Afternoon Roundup
From: Burns Strider <[email-masked]>
To: CTRFriendsFamily <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2014 15:06:32 -0500
List-Id: <CTRFriendsFamily.americanbridge.org>

*​**Correct The Record Monday December 8, 2014 Afternoon Roundup:*

*Tweets:*

*Correct The Record* @CorrectRecord: .@HillaryClinton
<https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton> "fearlessly leads the fight for
women’s rights and education"
http://bluenationreview.com/malala-hillary-forged-bond-built-determination-educate-girls-everywhere/
…
<http://t.co/dd1cpV5f1s> via @BlueNationRev
<https://twitter.com/BlueNationRev> [12/8/14, 11:06 a.m. EST
<https://twitter.com/CorrectRecord/status/541987122320658434>]

*Correct The Record* @CorrectRecord: "Because of ... #Malala
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/Malala?src=hash> and @HillaryClinton
<https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton> we are making great strides ... for
human rights & gender equality."
http://bluenationreview.com/malala-hillary-forged-bond-built-determination-educate-girls-everywhere/
…
<http://t.co/dd1cpV5f1s> [12/8/14, 10:41 a.m. EST
<https://twitter.com/CorrectRecord/status/541980802938970112>]

*Correct The Record* @CorrectRecord: New from @shellyporges
<https://twitter.com/shellyporges> in @bluenationrev
<https://twitter.com/BlueNationRev>, "Malala & Hillary Forge a Bond to
Educate Girls Across the World"
http://bluenationreview.com/malala-hillary-forged-bond-built-determination-educate-girls-everywhere/
…
<http://t.co/dd1cpV5f1s> [12/8/14, 10:34 a.m. EST
<https://twitter.com/CorrectRecord/status/541979032405823488>]

*Headlines:*

*Blue Nation Review: Shelly Porges: “Malala & Hillary Forge a Bond to
Educate Girls Across the World”
<http://bluenationreview.com/malala-hillary-forged-bond-built-determination-educate-girls-everywhere/>*

“Because of the work of women like Malala and Hillary we are making great
strides in the fight for human rights and gender equality. I hope we don’t
have to wait much longer for the fight to end – or for America’s first
female president.”

*New York Times: First Draft: “2 Years Out, Democratic Group Seeks to
Derail Potential G.O.P. Candidates”
<http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2014/12/08/?entry=mb-3>*

“No Republican has yet made a formal presidential announcement, but
American Bridge is not waiting.”

*The Hill blog: Ballot Box: “Hillary trouncing potential GOP contenders”
<http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/polls/226283-hillary-trouncing-potential-gop-contenders>*

“No Republican presidential contender is within 5 percentage points of
Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton, according to a poll
released Monday by Bloomberg.”

*Washington Post blog: Post Politics: “Here’s why Hillary Clinton would be
so formidable in 2016”
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/12/08/heres-why-hillary-clinton-would-be-so-formidable-in-2016/>*

“It's worth noting that as Clinton mulls a White House run, she has yet to
fully -- or arguably even roughly -- spell out what her overarching
campaign theme(s) would be or what her ‘vision for the Future’ would look
like, precisely. But the fact that she already scores high on that question
illustrates why she should not be underestimated.”

*New York Times: “G.O.P. Donors Seek to Narrow Field of Presidential
Candidates to One”
<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/09/us/politics/gop-donors-seek-to-narrow-field-of-presidential-candidates-to-one.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0>*

“Dozens of the Republican Party’s leading presidential donors and
fund-raisers have begun privately discussing how to clear the field for a
single establishment candidate to carry the party’s banner in 2016, fearing
that a prolonged primary would bolster Hillary Rodham Clinton, the likely
Democratic candidate.”

*RNC: Press Release: “Retooled GOP Ground Game Delivered”
<https://gop.com/retooled-gop-ground-game-delivered/>*

“The RNC will continue to refine and test our field operation as we prepare
to take on Hillary Clinton in 2016.”

*Articles:*

*Blue Nation Review: Shelly Porges: “Malala & Hillary Forge a Bond to
Educate Girls Across the World”
<http://bluenationreview.com/malala-hillary-forged-bond-built-determination-educate-girls-everywhere/>*

By Shelly Porges, former senior advisor to the Global Entrepreneurship
Program at the U.S. State Department, and launched the State Department’s
Global Women’s Business Initiative

December 8, 2014, 8:43 a.m. EDT

This week we celebrate International Human Rights Day. It marks the
anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and is the day on
which the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded. This year’s Nobel Peace Prize
recipient is a symbol of the continuing fight towards human rights, in
particular for the rights of women and girls around the world.

Malala Yousfzai was shot in the head by the Taliban in her native Pakistan.
Why? Because she wanted to go to school. That may sound strange, especially
if you’ve ever heard a child complain about “having” to go to school. But
for more than 50 million girls around the world, going to school isn’t even
an option.

Malala at CGIFor many years, girls in the Swat region of Pakistan,
including Malala, were able to attend school and pursue an education. That
began to change around 2007 with the growing influence of the Taliban, who
believe educating girls violates their strict interpretation of Islamic
law. By 2008, the Taliban had taken control of the area and were
threatening girls and burning down their schools.

But that didn’t stop Malala. She was just getting started and finding her
voice.

At only 11 years old, Malala spoke out against the Taliban in a speech
entitled “How Dare the Taliban Take Away My Basic Right to an Education.”
She started a blog about life under Taliban control and two weeks later,
the local Taliban leader issued an order shutting down all girls’ schools.
Malala’s blog made the world aware of the violence and oppression happening
around her, and it sparked international outrage.

As Malala’s voice grew even louder, the Taliban tried to silence her.

On October 9, 2012, Malala was on her way home from school when masked
Taliban members stormed her school bus with guns, screaming her name, and
shot her point blank in the head. She was 15 years old. Doctors did not
think she would survive. She was first treated in Pakistan, but was then
put in an induced coma so she could be flown to Birmingham, England, where
she would continue to fight for her life – and her cause.

While still in the hospital recovering, Malala received an outpour of
support, including from Hillary Clinton, who fearlessly leads the fight for
women’s rights and education – calling it “the great unfinished business of
the 21st century.” At a UNESCO event on International Human Rights Day,
only two months after the assassination attempt on Malala, Hillary Clinton
honored her in a video message expressing her support for Malala and for
their shared cause.

“Today, we stand together with Malala and the millions of other girls and
women who literally risk their lives to get an education,” Hillary said.
“On behalf of Malala and countless other girls who share her dream, let us
champion their right to an education – and let us expose and hold
accountable those who would deny it. Together, we can build a world where
opportunity and education are truly a powerful force for progress – for
girls and boys, for men and women.”

The continued work of Malala and Hillary Clinton is making that possible.

The Malala Fund was formed to empower women through education, and in a
video message at the 2013 Women in the World Summit, Malala said, “Today
I’m going to announce the happiest moment of my life and that is the first
grant of Malala Fund. In Swat Valley in my motherland, we are going to
educate 40 girls…Let us turn the education of 40 girls into 40 million
girls.”

Hillary responded in a major way, announcing a $600 million effort called
CHARGE to educate 14 million girls in the developing world.

When Malala was honored at the Clinton Global Citizen Awards she said,
“Women are not even accepted as human beings, they are treated with
injustice and inequality…Women are denied, they are neglected even in the
developed countries, where they are not given the opportunities to move
forward and be what they want. Even in America, even in America, people are
waiting for a woman president.”

Because of the work of women like Malala and Hillary we are making great
strides in the fight for human rights and gender equality. I hope we don’t
have to wait much longer for the fight to end – or for America’s first
female president.

*New York Times: First Draft: “2 Years Out, Democratic Group Seeks to
Derail Potential G.O.P. Candidates”
<http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2014/12/08/?entry=mb-3>*

By Jonathan Martin

December 8, 2014

No Republican has yet made a formal presidential announcement, but American
Bridge is not waiting.

The liberal group is releasing a bound book on Monday of opposition
research on the potential Republican presidential field. Covering 20
would-be contenders, the “2016 Scouting Report” is a 194-page compilation
of innocuous biographical information alongside unflattering pictures and
potentially damaging anecdotes and issue positions. Nearly a third of the
tome is endnotes, a signal to reporters who may use the information that it
is all sourced.

Brad Woodhouse, the president of American Bridge, called the book “the most
comprehensive early look at a presidential field that has ever been
assembled.”

Aside from the many period pictures – a young John R. Kasich with Richard
M. Nixon, Nikki R. Haley with Strom Thurmond – this is mostly “votes and
quotes” information, gleaned from the public record and news media accounts.

It is also, Mr. Woodhouse notes, only the start. The online version of the
book will be continually updated on American Bridge’s website.

*The Hill blog: Ballot Box: “Hillary trouncing potential GOP contenders”
<http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/polls/226283-hillary-trouncing-potential-gop-contenders>*

By Jonathan Easley

December 8, 2014, 9:24 a.m. EST

No Republican presidential contender is within 5 percentage points of
Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton, according to a poll
released Monday by Bloomberg.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush trails Clinton by 6 in a head-to-head matchup,
as do Gov. Chris Christie (N.J.) and 2012 Republican presidential nominee,
Mitt Romney (Mass.). Clinton has an 8-point lead on Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.),
and a 13-point advantage on Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) in the poll.

Clinton is boosted in the poll by a deep well of public respect for her
resume.

An overwhelming majority, 78 percent, say it’s an advantage that Clinton
has lived in Washington and worked in the federal government, while 77
percent say it’s an advantage that she served as Secretary of State.

In addition, 67 percent said they viewed it as an advantage that she’s
married to former president Bill Clinton, 60 percent said it’s good that
she’s run for president before, 59 percent say it’s a positive that she
served in the Obama administration, and 52 percent admire her close ties to
Wall Street.

These figures contribute to giving Clinton the best favorability rating in
the field by far.

Fifty-two percent said they have a positive view of Clinton, against 42
percent negative.

Of the potential Republican candidates, only Paul and Christie have
positive favorability ratings, coming in at 32-29 and 36-35, respectively.

Romney is underwater at 43 positive and 44 negative, Cruz comes in with a
26-29 split, and Bush at 32-37.

The Bloomberg Politics Poll of 1,001 adults was conducted between Dec. 3
and Dec. 5 and has a 3.1 percentage point margin of error.

*Washington Post blog: Post Politics: “Here’s why Hillary Clinton would be
so formidable in 2016”
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/12/08/heres-why-hillary-clinton-would-be-so-formidable-in-2016/>*

By Sean Sullivan

December 8, 2014, 11:20 a.m. EST

Hillary Clinton tops every top potential GOP presidential contender in the
Bloomberg Politics poll released Monday. Another number in the poll may
give an indication why she could make such a formidable 2016 opponent: She
scores high on the qualities Americans prioritize when they size up
presidential candidates.

The new poll tells the story. When given four candidate qualities and asked
which is most important to them, 29 percent chose "shares your values"; 27
percent went with "has a vision for the future"; and 26 percent said "is a
strong leader."

Coming in fourth with 15 percent is "cares about people like you."

In other words, the public is all over the place on this question. There is
no one, dominant answer.

But take a look at how the public rates Clinton on the three most popular
responses when pitted head to head against leading Republicans. She tops
former Florida governor Jeb Bush, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Sens.
Rand Paul and Ted Cruz on all fronts. (She also tops them on the question
of who "cares about people like you.")

Take Paul, who is arguably the hottest name on the GOP side right now. The
public rates Clinton better on "sharing your values" by a 49 percent to 36
percent margin. On "strong leader," she wins 52 percent to 34 percent.
"Caring about people like you" tilts toward the former secretary of state
48 percent to 37 percent. And "vision for the future" is advantage Clinton,
48 percent to 38 percent.

The caveat to all this is that the question about which qualities people
care about was not an open-ended one. So it's possible American prioritize
other traits more -- and that Clinton is not winning on those traits.

Still, the qualities tested routinely come up as focal points in the
presidential elections.

It's worth noting that as Clinton mulls a White House run, she has yet to
fully -- or arguably even roughly -- spell out what her overarching
campaign theme(s) would be or what her "vision for the Future" would look
like, precisely.

But the fact that she already scores high on that question illustrates why
she should not be underestimated.

*New York Times: “G.O.P. Donors Seek to Narrow Field of Presidential
Candidates to One”
<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/09/us/politics/gop-donors-seek-to-narrow-field-of-presidential-candidates-to-one.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0>*

By Nicholas Confessore

December 8, 2014

Dozens of the Republican Party’s leading presidential donors and
fund-raisers have begun privately discussing how to clear the field for a
single establishment candidate to carry the party’s banner in 2016, fearing
that a prolonged primary would bolster Hillary Rodham Clinton, the likely
Democratic candidate.

The conversations, described in interviews with a variety of the Republican
Party’s most sought-after donors, are centered on the three potential
candidates who have the largest existing base of major contributors and
overlapping ties to the top tier of those who are uncommitted: Gov. Chris
Christie of New Jersey, former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida and Mitt Romney.

All three are believed to be capable of raising the roughly $80 million in
candidate and “super PAC” money that many Republican strategists and donors
now believe will be required to win their party’s nomination.

But the reality of all three candidates vying for support has dismayed the
party’s top donors and “bundlers,” the volunteers who solicit checks from
networks of friends and business associates. They fear being split into
competing camps and raising hundreds of millions of dollars for a bloody
primary that will injure the party’s eventual nominee — or pave the way for
a second-tier candidate without enough mainstream appeal to win the general
election.

“If you are philosophically a center-right donor, I think you have an
interest in clearing the field,” said Bobbie Kilberg, a top Republican
fund-raiser in Virginia with ties to Mr. Romney and the Bush family. “I
think that’s important because there is clearly going to be a competition
of philosophies for who is going to be the presidential nominee. And I
firmly believe that person has to be from the center-right.”

But talk of an establishment coronation is likely to incur the wrath of
party activists and outside groups seeking a more conservative nominee.

For the first time in decades, the Republican Party is facing a wide-open
primary with up to a dozen serious candidates representing virtually every
branch of the party. Republican leaders, hoping to minimize damage to their
eventual standard-bearer, have already sought to compress the formal
primary season and reduce the number of candidate debates.

With the midterms over, Mr. Christie and Mr. Bush have begun pushing top
bundlers to commit to them in advance should they announce a White House
bid, according to several donors, putting intense pressure on the corps of
contributors who helped Mr. Romney and the Republican Party raise a billion
dollars for the 2012 campaign. Those requests have intensified the
discussion in some circles about whether to coalesce behind a single
candidate early or, alternatively, delay it until after the early
Republican debates next summer.

“What the donors are looking at is, how do we find someone we are confident
can win and not get involved in 2015 with people just throwing money
around,” said Ray Washburne, the finance chairman of the Republican
National Committee, who has met with most in the likely presidential field.

Many leading donors, like Woody Johnson, the billionaire Jets owner, who
helped lead Mr. Romney’s Northeast fund-raising efforts in 2012, have
relationships with both Mr. Bush and Mr. Christie, but would prefer to wait
until Mr. Romney makes a decision, according to people who have discussed
the matter with Mr. Johnson. Mr. Johnson hosted both Mr. Christie and Mr.
Romney at a Jets game last week.

The fear of a bloody primary extends even to the ranks of the ultra-wealthy
donors whose seven-figure largess to super PACs helped prolong the
Republican nomination battle in 2012, forcing Mr. Romney into pitched
battles for late-voting states like Michigan.

Foster Friess, who donated $2.1 million to a super PAC backing Rick
Santorum in 2012, said he was committed to helping Mr. Santorum again. But
he has discussed with other donors the need to encourage candidates to
avoid overly personal attacks.

“I think this time the candidates are not going to be quite as divisive in
the primary season,” Mr. Friess said.

Sheldon G. Adelson, the casino mogul whose family provided $20 million to a
super PAC backing Newt Gingrich in 2012, is increasingly wary of writing
checks to consultant-run outside groups, according to his political
advisers.

“We are evaluating all options, and we may fundamentally change how we
engage in the process while staying true to our principles,” said Andy
Abboud, one of Mr. Adelson’s lieutenants.

Mr. Adelson, who is based in Las Vegas, is engaged in discussions with his
small circle about how to take his political spending in-house and is
considering setting up his own super PAC to intervene in congressional and
presidential races.

And Mr. Adelson, a major donor to pro-Israel groups and someone with
moderate views on social issues, is inclined to be more cautious when
engaging in the Republican primary.

“He’s very focused on picking someone who can win,” said a Republican
strategist involved in the discussions, who spoke on the condition of
anonymity because Mr. Adelson was not yet ready to announce his plans. “He
wants to ensure whatever candidate he gets behind reflects that philosophy
and can win the general election.”

Many donors said they believed that Mr. Romney was likely to wait until
late summer to decide whether to enter the race, while Mr. Christie could
make a decision much sooner. That could leave elite bundlers — already
jockeying for status and rank within the campaigns’ likely finance
operations — in an awkward position if Mr. Romney does not run.

“When you get that call” to commit to Mr. Bush or Mr. Christie, said one
prominent Republican fund-raiser, “the answer to that question is yes.”

The fund-raiser, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preserve his
relationships with all three men, added: “Anything else and you’re on the B
team. You’re on the second list. People that like to do this want to be on
the A team.”

Some donors said they believed it was now inevitable that the primary would
feature more than one establishment candidate along with several from the
Tea Party wing. In that case, the donors said, they would probably seek to
avoid committing substantial resources or coalescing behind any one
candidate until later next year.

The discussions are unfolding against a burst of 2016-related activity in
recent weeks, with potential candidates like Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky
and Gov. Rick Perry of Texas organizing private conferences of potential
staff members and donors.

Mr. Perry’s ability to continue tapping into the deep well of wealthy Texas
donors would be tested by Mr. Bush’s entry into the race. Mr. Perry may
also find it harder to raise money when he leaves behind the Texas
governor’s office — and the thousands of political appointments it controls
around the state — in January.

Mr. Paul has avidly courted establishment donors and bundlers across the
country in recent months, generating more interest than firm commitments to
his likely 2016 campaign. While he has added political staff for a
potential White House bid, including the former finance director for Mitch
McConnell, the incoming Senate majority leader, several donors said they
did not believe there was an obvious candidate to lead Mr. Paul’s
fund-raising operation.

“Can’t have a finance chair for something that doesn’t exist,” Doug
Stafford, Mr. Paul’s top political aide, said in an email. “We have a large
and expanding finance team, both professionals, bundlers and volunteers.
Announcements on who they are and what positions they hold would be
premature at this point.”

*RNC: Press Release: “Retooled GOP Ground Game Delivered”
<https://gop.com/retooled-gop-ground-game-delivered/>*

By RNC Chief of Staff Mike Shields

December 8, 2014

Saturday’s double-digit win over three-term incumbent Democrat Senator Mary
Landrieu was the capstone on a historic election cycle for Republicans. Our
candidates won at every level of government in red states, purple states,
and blue states. It was a stinging rebuke of the failed policies of
President Obama and the Democrat Party.

What’s more, these victories are a testament to the improvements we made as
a party when it comes to identifying and turning out voters and
implementing the recommendations of the Growth and Opportunity Project.

Consider the scope of the victory:

·         More than two incumbent Senate Democrats were defeated by the GOP
for the first time since 1980.

·         Republicans will hold their largest majority in the U.S. House of
Representatives since at least 1946.

·         Republicans will control 31 governorships, the second highest
total since the 1920’s.

·         Republicans will control 69 of the nation’s state 99 legislative
chambers, the most in history.

·         Republicans will control more than 4,100 of the nation’s 7,386
state legislative seats, the most ever.

·         More than half of the nation’s Lt. Governors, Attorneys General,
Secretaries of State, and State Treasurers will be Republican.

We also made history with our candidates and won in deep blue territory.
New faces like Joni Ernst (R-IA), the first female combat veteran elected
to the U.S. Senate, and Mia Love (R-UT), the first Republican
African-American woman elected to Congress, will join the ranks of a
bigger, more diverse GOP Conference in Washington. And at the state level,
Republicans picked up governorships in deep blue Massachusetts, Maryland,
and Illinois while reelecting GOP governors in 8 states the President won
twice.

To be sure, President Obama had a hand in these sweeping victories: a
majority of Americans view his presidency as a failure. Still, the only way
to translate public sentiment into votes is with a robust GOTV operation.
That’s where the RNC focused it’s time, talent, and resources:

·         The RNC invested more than $105 million in 26 states to fund the
retooled V365 field program.

·         The RNC made a multi-million dollar upgrade to the data and
digital operation, and opened up an office in Silicon Valley to recruit top
tech talent.

·         The V365 field program included more than 2,000 paid staff and
nearly 30,000 precinct captains who would go on to make 35 million voter
contacts and identify 2.4 million low propensity voters.

·         The RNC utilized new mobile walk apps to upload data in real
time, launched early voter and election day Facebook apps, and integrated
voter data into a revamped GOP.com website.

·         The RNC developed a 1 to 100 scoring system to model voters.

·         The RNC increased its grassroots email list from 2 million to 12
million, leading to record-breaking online fundraising and improved turnout.

·         In the Louisiana runoff, the RNC had hundreds of people doing
GOTV, testing and training for 2016.

These resources were brought to bear earlier than ever before, beginning a
full 18 months before election day. For the first time, the RNC focused on
persuasion and turning out low-propensity voters early. Our retooled GOTV
strategy was clearly a difference-maker for candidates across the
country—from our come from behind win in the FL-13 special election in
March, to Thom Tillis’ upset win in North Carolina, to taking the lead in
the Iowa early vote for the first time in history. None of this would have
been possible without  the RNC’s record-breaking fundraising that
consistently outpaced the DNC this cycle.

Republicans will head into 2016 with a proven field operation and a record
of resounding victories. The GOP will also have another advantage: a clear
shift in public opinion away from the Democrats. A Pew Research Center
survey found earlier this year that nearly two-thirds of Americans want
their next president to pursue polices different from the Obama
Administration’s.

Voters’ growing distaste for Democrats, their records, and their policies
will make it difficult for them to hold the White House or take back either
chamber of Congress. It’s a bad omen for Hillary Clinton and all of the
other Democrats who would only continue the President’s failed agenda.

But our work is far from finished. The Democrats will not be taking a day
off and neither will we. The RNC will continue to refine and test our field
operation as we prepare to take on Hillary Clinton in 2016.