Subject: Re: HRC @ Toner Prize
From: Dan Schwerin <[email-masked]>
To: Nick Merrill <[email-masked]>
Cc: "Margolis, Jim" <[email-masked]>, Jennifer Palmieri <[email-masked]>, Robby Mook <[email-masked]>, "Cheryl Mills" <[email-masked]>, Joel Benenson <[email-masked]>, "Mandy Grunwald" <[email-masked]>, John Anzalone <[email-masked]>, "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>, "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>, Huma Abedin <[email-masked]>, "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 22 Mar 2015 00:32:50 +0000

Nora is editor of a high school newspaper, it's a catholic school in DC suburbs I believe.

On Mar 21, 2015, at 8:14 PM, Nick Merrill <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:

As someone who was a proponent of the humor, reading this I think it's in a much better place.

I will say that I think one more joke couldn't hurt.  What I liked about it is that it provided a rare opportunity for her to show some contrition and self-awareness but do it under the guise of humor so as not to cede any ground.  The joke about her running against herself did that nicely I thought.

If that's too much, understood, but I do think we could do well to go one more beat here.

On the daughter, this is a high school/college paper we're talking about, right Dan?

On Mar 21, 2015, at 6:53 PM, Dan Schwerin <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:

All, thanks for the helpful feedback.  I’ve worked with Jen on a new draft which we think is now in a better place.  Kept a few light jokes at the top, but it no longer feels like a stand-up routine and the rest of the speech includes more of the points Jen suggested about the challenges facing journalists today.  Please send along any final reactions, and I’m going to share with HRC as well.
Dan

From: <Margolis>, Jim <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Date: Saturday, March 21, 2015 at 6:35 PM
To: Jennifer Palmieri <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Dan <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Cc: Robby Mook <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Cheryl Mills <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Joel Benenson <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Mandy Grunwald <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, John Anzalone <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, "[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>" <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Jake Sullivan <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Nick Merrill <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Huma Abedin <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, "[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>" <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Subject: Re: HRC @ Toner Prize

Been on a plane.

I’m going to defer to Jen on this.

That said, I think humor is important.
I’m ready to try an email joke , maybe the suggestion of something between her and reporters…
I thought the joke about her daughter nora as editor of paper was cute.

And I’m not as allergic as everyone else to the idea of making fun about her relationship with press (just wouldn’t do it so much of it).  I think that would signal a  change, perhaps.

Overall, though, I think jen’s point about making sure this feels like it’s about robin, not HRC, is the most important note.  I felt we were too self-focussed by the time I finished.

Out of power, sending this.

From: Jen Palmieri <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Date: Saturday, March 21, 2015 at 3:42 PM
To: Dan Schwerin <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Cc: Robby Mook <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Cheryl Mills <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Joel Benenson <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Mandy Grunwald <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, John Anzalone <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Kristina Schake <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, GMMB GMMB <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Jake Sullivan <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Nick Merrill <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Huma Abedin <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, John Podesta <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Subject: Re: HRC @ Toner Prize

So, my take is that the best way for HRC to connect with this audience is to show some empathy as opposed self-deprecating humour which at some level is making the event about her.

Let's pretend everyone in the audience is a serious, on the level journalist trying to get the story right and cover serious issues in an absurdly difficult environment where speed and mass appeal are over valued.   Have her commend them on how hard they all work in this difficult environment to tell the facts, unearth important stories (maybe we can reference some good stories on important issues that we would not know about where it not for nyt and other outlets).   Robin is the model for getting to both substance and telling the human side of the story.   Robin hasn't been gone for very long, but it has gotten even harder in the intervening years to do what she did - think if HRC acknowledges that and says she and all thoughtful people appreciate the struggle the reporters in the room face, and how impt it is that they keep at it, how needed they really are - think that would go over really well.  The press is the most hated profession and they are all losing heir jobs to 23 yr old bloggers who make listicles about drinking games at Northwestern.  Let's give them an ego boost.

HRC is also a victim of the new speed and click bait above all else, but she doesn't have to bring it back to herself - the audience will do that on her own.

She should poke fun at herself but I would maybe do it along the lines of how press thinks she doesn't like them, but what a life-changing revelation it was to her to read the nyt as a young woman (I know she now thinks less of them, but still) and how much she loves npr and all the wonky stories.  I would  also do an email joke - maybe some emails between her and the press, I will think more about that.

Sent from my iPad

On Mar 21, 2015, at 3:52 PM, Dan Schwerin <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:

Great minds think alike — I consulted with Jim yesterday and the draft I sent around reflected his help.  But if the consensus is, as Joel says, that this doesn’t work, I’ll go back to the drawing board.  Or if you think we can make the 12-step concept work with better punchlines, will aim for that.

From: Jennifer Palmieri <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Date: Saturday, March 21, 2015 at 3:48 PM
To: Robby Mook <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Cc: Cheryl Mills <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Joel Benenson <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Dan <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Mandy Grunwald <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, John Anzalone <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, "[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>" <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Jim Margolis <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Jake Sullivan <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Nick Merrill <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, Huma Abedin <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>, "[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>" <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Subject: Re: HRC @ Toner Prize

Agree with going to Jim.

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 21, 2015, at 3:35 PM, Robby Mook <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:

Great idea.

On Sat, Mar 21, 2015 at 2:42 PM, Cheryl Mills <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:
The best person in the world on onliners like this is jim kennedy dan - you might want to reach out to him

On Sat, Mar 21, 2015 at 2:40 PM, Joel Benenson <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:
I don’t think the jokes are working – a little too close to the bone without a punchline that really works at taking the seriousness out of it.

Wonder if we could have think of a few funny “private” emails to reporters that she could read…. Obviously they would have to be both self-deprecating but could poke a little fun at them…

From: Dan Schwerin [mailto:[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>]
Sent: Friday, March 20, 2015 11:26 PM
To: Mandy Grunwald; John Anzalone; Joel Benenson; [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>; [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>; [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>; Jim Margolis; [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>; Nick Merrill; [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>; Huma Abedin; [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>
Subject: HRC @ Toner Prize

All, here are draft remarks for the Toner Prize event on Monday evening.
We had talked about a few possible goals for this speech: 1) clear the air a bit with the press, possibly with self-deprecating humor; 2) explain the important role that serious, fact-based journalism plays in our democracy, as opposed to gotcha-style politics of personal destruction; 3) and play a little offense on health care given that Monday is the 5-year anniversary of the ACA.
Of these sections, the first one is where I could really use your input.  Do the jokes in here work?  Do you have suggestions for punching any of them up?  Robin’s husband Peter likes the idea of HRC being funny up there, and she says she is open to it as well, but we’ll have to see if she really goes for it.
Thanks
Dan

<2015-03-21 Toner Prize - 7pm.docx>