Subject: how to win the presidency Re: Follow-up from Palo Alto Meeting & Next Steps
From: Carrie Barnes <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 2016 12:54:17 -0800

Hi John,

I am dedicated to Hillary's candidacy because of my firm belief in her ability to create equal pay and confirm paid family leave—and as a result—help to curb domestic and campus violence and other attacks on women. I do believe her nomination is the single most important opportunity of this century and will have positive cultural reverberations. 

As such, I wanted to share my thoughts on what seems to be working as well as propose some marketing ideas that might further her agenda and help her connect with a broader electorate.

A shift in tone needed:

Hillary is supremely qualified for the role of President.

But, rather than discuss how prepared she is for this job interview, I recommend focusing on how she might engage in a more direct, personal way with the public. This would expand on the very poignant and compassionate side of Hillary we saw in the television ad in Nevada, when Hillary tells a little girl to "let her do the worrying.” We need to cultivate empathy by appealing to women and moms (in the 18-44 yr-old bracket) who care about the future and the next generation of children. 

Society is stressed out. And, she plans to decrease the pressure every family faces. She will do the worrying and caring so we can all get back to our own work and dreams.

To do this, she needs to develop her voice.  

We now need to know more about her as a person, her own struggles and experience. I was recently at TED, and data scientist Noah Zandan <http://blog.ted.com/the-helpful-talks-in-session-4-of-ted2016/?utm_content=28657494&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter> discussed the three most important traits for visionary leaders: (1) They speak in present tense; (2) they communicate in clear, simple language; and (3) they refer to you/your concerns and use contextual language. 

All of this engagement generates trust <http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/22/opinion/young-voters-motivated-again.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-left-region&region=opinion-c-col-left-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region&_r=0> and warmth <http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/16/opinion/the-roosevelt-approach.html?_r=0>.

I recommend:

(1) Talks. Conducting more fireside chats, “up close and personal,” with Hillary. We need to hear more about her path and journey: her struggles growing up, challenges being a working mom, etc.

(2) TV: Doing less Saturday night live and more daytime televisions shows to reach the stay-at-home moms. Can Sheryl Sandberg endorse her? Anne-Marie Slaughter (maybe too much history)? These are the voices speaking to the working moms and the stay-at-home moms who balance more than their share across the country.

(3) Concert. Perhaps an “I’m with her” benefit concert this summer which also features some of the hollywood female figures who appeal to a broader audience across the US.

(4) Partnership. Marketing partnership with UrbanSitter and Uber on Election day so that babysitting is covered to encourage voter turnout.

(5) Magazines. Long form and magazine Q&A’s with Hillary. She is an interesting, complex and multi-dimensional person with a lot to say. If people could hear her and read about her in a very personal, authentic way, I do believe she will win. 

(6) Trailer or short viral film. Similar to this video posted yesterday <https://www.facebook.com/sheryl/videos/10156510941810177/?pnref=story> by Sheryl Sandberg, which is a narrative about how gender stereotypes are cemented and reinforced in homes, I think you should develop one which narrates what society might look like IF Hillary was elected President. What could we expect to see in that home? What would be different?

Umbrella statement: defining her core positioning

Hillary is a compassionate diplomat.

She is on a mission to implement change. She helps to bridge differences by bringing together both sides of the aisle, unifying and creating consensus between countries. 

She’s a progressive, enlightened democrat who will listen and get things done, always keeping in mind the voiceless and underrepresented. She is for social and economic reform to protect and defend everyone’s rights, both on the domestic and international fronts.

What she stands for:

Hillary is for equality: LGBT rights, women's rights, voting rights, workers' rights—and more. She wants to “break down barriers and create ladders of opportunity."

I think this is one of her strongest positions to-date. And, I saw this same sentiment echoed in Madeleine Albright’s Op-Ed in the Times: Despite decades of progress, women still make less money than men for equivalent work. Paid family leave remains an elusive dream. Sexual abuse against women continues to plague our communities. And many politicians still act as though the top threat to our national security is Planned Parenthood.

Unlike others running for both Dems and Republicans, she is for:

-Unification—not revolutionary rhetoric <http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/dem-primaries/270308-sanders-clinton-progressive-rhetoric-hastily-adopted>. 

-She is a “safer” choice among extremists on both the right and left. She will keep the country’s safety and security as her main foreign policy goal. 

-Not a single issue candidate

-Has a proven track record and spent her life dedicated to public service.

What she proposes to do:

She will look to make health care more affordable. She will look to improve the cost of college (loan forgiveness programs), but, most importantly, she will investigate and implement safe guards to keep women safe on campuses. Women should expect and demand not just an equal place at the table but a safe place as well. Like other countries, she will work to create paid family leave so that the burden of child care does not fall solely on the mother’s shoulders. And, she will work hard to bridge the gender pay gap—I’ve heard so many frustrated women in Silicon Valley who attribute their inability to secure start-up investments to their gender.

She will fight to create a safer society with better gun control measures, considering the plight and path of immigrants into this country, and the aging population.

I’ve helped to build brands and develop “voices” for leading poverty-fighting figures <http://elisecommunications.com/our-work/paul-polak/> and movements <http://elisecommunications.com/our-work/robert-wood-johnson-foundation%E2%80%99s-games-for-health-project/>, launch social entrepreneurship organizations <http://www.andeglobal.org/> as well as run messaging sessions and crisis communications for Fortune 500 companies and multi-million dollar philanthropies.

I see no better way to improve society and create “cultural change <http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/23/upshot/how-society-pays-when-womens-work-is-unpaid.html?ref=topics>” than to elect the first woman president. And, I do believe that the first woman should be Hillary. This would be a “Radical Leap <http://blog.ted.com/in-case-you-missed-it-lessons-learned-through-the-course-of-ted2016/>” for society. And, I know that contributing my energy and talent to this campaign is the single best opportunity I have to create a better country for my daughter to inherit. 

Could we set a time to talk next week about how I might be involved? I can also meet in NYC or DC on Monday.

Thank you,
Carrie

Carrie Barnes
ELISE communications
215.239.4643 | mobile
@elise215 | twitter
[email-masked] <mailto:[email-masked]>
www.elisecommunications.com <http://www.elisecommunications.com/>

> On Oct 23, 2015, at 9:59 PM, Carrie Barnes <[email-masked] <mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:
> 
> Hi John,
> 
> We met on May 1 in Palo Alto at the Hillary for America Kickoff Finance Strategy Session.
> 
> You and I spoke (and Stephanie Hannon echoed our sentiments) about the positioning of Hillary’s campaign. Specifically I expressed disappointment with the press conference following the email debacle and shared how it was in stark contrast to the Hillary I met on October 9 in NYC. I sat with her at a private lunch at the Nomad hotel. She was funny, candid, intelligent and self-assured. 
> 
> You agreed that she might need to expose herself more, be more “raw” as you said, peel back the layers, and essentially be vulnerable. Her humanity is what is appealing to voters. 
> 
> After the recent debate and the insane Benghazi hearing, I firmly believe she should be the next President.
> 
> Like you, I am the daughter of an Italian-American who didn’t finish high school. I was the first person on my father’s side to attend college (Haverford College) and have built a reputable marketing communications firm with clients such as The Aspen Institute, Lemelson Foundation, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and solid media contacts. I am honest, a straight-talker and razor sharp.
> 
> I would love to apply my strategic insight and communications talent—for free—to help Hillary Rodham Clinton and you win the race to the White House.
> 
> I understand that you must have interest from far and wide. I am based in San Francisco and more than happy to hop on a plane at your convenience to discuss. 
> 
> Thank you, and I look forward to talking.
> Carrie
> 
> Carrie Barnes
> ELISE communications
> 215.239.4643 | mobile
> @elise215 | twitter
> [email-masked] <mailto:[email-masked]>
> https://www.facebook.com/elisecommunications <https://www.facebook.com/elisecommunications> 
> www.elisecommunications.com <http://www.elisecommunications.com/>
> 
> 
>