Enter the 'Hillaryland Whisperer'

[bigtree]

Mother Jones @MotherJones
Meet the only person on Earth who can run a drama-free Clinton campaign http://bit.ly/1a9gn62

___Within days, Clinton is expected to officially launch her next presidential bid—and (Robby) Mook will be her campaign manager. He has the formidable task of repackaging perhaps the most widely known and picked-over public figure in modern politics and convincing a weary electorate that she should lead the country for the next four years. He will have to hold together the many tribes and fiefdoms within the Clinton community, while sidestepping—and surviving—the sort of backstabbing that felled his predecessors...

Mook is widely known as Robby, not Robert, and at 35, he's still boyish—handsome and clean-shaven with close-cropped brown hair. His usual uniform consists of chinos and bland dress shirts rolled up to the elbows. He couldn't be more different from, say, James Carville, the loudmouth Ragin' Cajun who advised Bill Clinton's first presidential bid and now makes a living as a consultant and TV commentator. Mook rarely appears in news stories or on TV. He did not respond to repeated interview requests. He has no Facebook page. He has a Twitter account but never tweets and has forgotten the password.

{Think of Mook, then, as the Hillaryland Whisperer. But Mook can't focus on Clintonworld alone.}

Mook, who will be the first openly gay manager of a major presidential campaign, is largely unknown beyond the insular world of Democratic staffers but well liked within it. In addition to the email listserv, his loyal following—the Mook Mafia—plans yearly reunions, during which they return to a state where they once operated for a weekend of bar-hopping mixed with volunteering for a local campaign...

After Clinton lost the nomination to Obama, Mook spent the fall of 2008 managing Jeanne Shaheen's Senate race in New Hampshire. But he never strayed far from the Clinton camp. After Obama tapped Clinton to serve as his secretary of state, Mook had the option of taking a job in Foggy Bottom, but decided against it. Instead, he went to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the party organization focused on electing Democrats to the US House of Representatives. There, Mook would learn the mechanics of congressional races from Maine to Hawaii. For his first job as political director, he recruited new candidates to run for office for the 2010 midterms, and he accumulated an obsessive knowledge of the nation's 435 House districts. He was later promoted to a job presiding over the DCCC's $65 million war chest for independent ad spending in 2010. He witnessed up close and personal the rise of the tea party and the shellacking the Democrats endured that year. During the 2012 cycle, when House Democrats upended pundits' grim predictions by winning more than a dozen seats, he ran the entire organization...


read more: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/04/robby-mook-hillary-clinton-campaign-manager-profile

[NYC_SKP]

1. If a candidate needs this much spin-management, maybe that's a sign that they're not the best choice

From the article:






Fine, good for them. Who is going to save US from the Clintons?

[Octafish]

2. Great point.

The recipe for democracy calls for transparency, not new tints and trusted turpentine.

[bigtree]

3. that's a MoJo pic, not a campaign promotion

...you've distilled a rather extensive and illuminating profile of this seasoned and well-experienced campaign manager (first openly gay manager of a major presidential campaign) into a critique of the article's ridiculous promotional pic and their nonsensical lede. It's an unfortunate mess of a poster and a hyped-out lede, but has almost nothing to do with the profile of this man and his potential influence on her campaign. He's an interesting and dynamic choice with a record of successes, and this is a very good portrait of his history.

Like it or not, there's going to be a Hillary Clinton campaign, and it would be a good idea, for proponents and foes alike, to recognize and learn what's fueling and managing that run for office. I might be expecting too much from DU, though. There's too much satisfaction in the conventional opinion around here that her campaign is destined to fail with Democrats.


Do you really believe only the Clinton campaign needs, or will employ, 'spin?'

[cali]

5. Mook is probably a good pick

but yeah, the Clinton campaign will employ spin in a major way. It's a big part of any presidential campaign. It's a given.

[Motown_Johnny]

6. Isn't it corporate money that is fueling that campaign?

I think most of us recognize that already.

[bigtree]

11. yes. Corporate money is going to be a major underpinning of the initial launch

...but it remains to be seen whether individuals will provide a sizable portion of the financial lift ANY campaign will require to compete with the republican party network of corporate cash which is daunting and can be overpowering.

It will be interesting to see if Bernie Sanders, or others like O'Malley, can generate enough actual support from voters and supporters to compete in all of the states necessary to gain traction and prevail. I agree with Sander's notion that a 'movement' will be required to make his campaign a reality. Barring that, it will take a load of cash to move the candidates around the nation and provide them with enough exposure to compete.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

10. It's as if some people want her to lose the general to validate their unfavorable opinion of her...

It's as if some people want her to lose the general to validate their unfavorable opinion of her despite the damage to people who are highly dependent on the safety net, as flawed as they believe it is, or civil rights protection, as flawed as they believe it is.

I can only conclude they aren't those people or they don't care about those people, despite their loud protestations to the contrary.

She is going to be our candidate and folks that care about civil rights and social welfare they better hope she prevails...

[cali]

13. No, I for one, FEAR she'll lose. I think she's a shitty campaigner

and I believe she has the opposite of "teflon".

[NYC_SKP]

15. Me too. Someone genuine has a better shot, even with half the money.

All the money on the planet can't put the thoughts in your head and the fire in your heart that someone like Warren has.

And that is conspicuous by it's absence in HRC.

There's no "there" there.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

18. She isn't running!!!

What part of that don't you understand?

[NYC_SKP]

27. Neither is Hillary. Hillary has yet to declare her candidacy.

Let me know if I missed it!

[DemocratSinceBirth]

29. It's all a mirage:

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/ways-hillary-clinton-ready-run-president/story?id=30175777

[NYC_SKP]

30. My puppy likes your baby!

Gotta run!

[DemocratSinceBirth]

16. What can i tell you beside find a better candidate and support him or her to the hilt./NT

[cali]

19. I am tentatively supporting O'Malley. What I want to see is several more dems

running. I think Hillary is inevitable as the party's nominee, but I'd like to see a vigorous debate- and that means other candidates.

[NYC_SKP]

28. Me too. Maybe that's all Warren is doing at this point, pushing for debate.

I wish it could turn a corporatist around, but it can't.

[Motown_Johnny]

4. What if he isn't as good as they think?

I think it might be better to say that he is the only person with a snowball's chance in hell of running a drama free Clinton campaign.

I have been saying for months that she might be able to be a good President, but she is going to be a terrible candidate (again). This is just more evidence of that.

[NYC_SKP]

7. Judgement. Either she has none or she has lost control of her campaign.

Either way I see nothing but a trainwreck for the campaign AND the presidency.

It's just not worth it, I don't see the upside, I don't see how she's even a halfway decent person for the job, given her voting history.

Warren, please, or similar:

[DemocratSinceBirth]

12. " I don't see how she's even a halfway decent person for the job, given her voting history. "

Hillary Clinton on Abortion

Voted liberal line on partial birth & harm to fetus. (Oct 2005)
Voted NO on defining unborn child as eligible for SCHIP. (Mar 2008)
Voted NO on prohibiting minors crossing state lines for abortion. (Mar 2008)
Voted YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines. (Apr 2007)
Voted NO on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions. (Jul 2006)
Voted YES on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives. (Mar 2005)
Voted NO on criminal penalty for harming unborn fetus during other crime. (Mar 2004)
Voted NO on banning partial birth abortions except for maternal life. (Mar 2003)
Recommended by EMILY's List of pro-choice women. (Apr 2001)
Rated 100% by NARAL, indicating a pro-choice voting record. (Dec 2003)
Expand embryonic stem cell research. (Jun 2004)
Sponsored bill providing contraceptives for low-income women. (May 2006)
Sponsored bill for emergency contraception for rape victims. (Sep 2006)
Rated 0% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-choice stance. (Dec 2006)
Provide emergency contraception at military facilities. (Apr 2007)
Ensure access to and funding for contraception. (Feb 2007)
Focus on preventing pregnancy, plus emergency contraception. (Jan 2009)

Hillary Clinton on Budget & Economy



Government action to tackle recession, not tax cuts. (Feb 2008)
The economy is not working for middle class families. (Jan 2008)
We need immediate relief for home heating & housing crisis. (Jan 2008)
Voted to limit credit card interest to 30%. (Jan 2008)
FactCheck: Consistently against making bankruptcy stricter. (Jan 2008)
2005 bankruptcy bill was by big credit cards & lenders. (Jan 2008)
No evidence as to how Obama would pay for new programs. (Jan 2008)
Foreclosure moratorium mitigates agony; doesn’t prolong it. (Jan 2008)
90-day moratorium on foreclosures; freeze interest rates. (Jan 2008)
Call for a moratorium on housing foreclosures for 90 days. (Jan 2008)
Freeze mortgage interest rates for five years. (Jan 2008)
Look back to 1990s to see how I’d be fiscally responsible. (Dec 2007)
Help people facing foreclosure; don’t just bail-out banks. (Aug 2007)
Balanced budget replaced with rising costs & falling wages. (Jun 2007)
Last six years were challenging; let’s try a new direction. (Oct 2006)
Co-sponsored bills totaling $502B in spending thru 2005. (Oct 2006)
Use tax dollars to upgrade infrastructure, not for stadium. (Oct 2000)
Pay down debt & cut taxes within balanced budget. (Sep 2000)
Stimulate upstate economy by more local decision-making. (Sep 2000)
Supports Niagara casino, but prefers job creation strategy. (Sep 2000)
Protect next generation by paying off national debt. (Aug 2000)
We have outlived the usefulness of Bretton Woods. (Jun 1999)
The economy creates consumers but cannot create citizens. (Jun 1999)
Invest in people instead of “smokestack chasing”. (Feb 1997)
Voted YES on $60B stimulus package for jobs, infrastructure, & energy. (Sep 2008)
Voted NO on paying down federal debt by rating programs' effectiveness. (Mar 2007)
Voted NO on $40B in reduced federal overall spending. (Dec 2005)
Require full disclosure about subprime mortgages. (Dec 2007)
Reform mortgage rules to prevent foreclosure & bankruptcy. (Feb 2008)


Hillary Clinton on Civil Rights




Op-ed: Voted no on flag-burning to build centrist credential. (May 2006)
Voted NO on recommending Constitutional ban on flag desecration. (Jun 2006)
Voted NO on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. (Jun 2006)
Voted YES on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes. (Jun 2002)
Voted YES on loosening restrictions on cell phone wiretapping. (Oct 2001)
Shift from group preferences to economic empowerment of all. (Aug 2000)
Rated 60% by the ACLU, indicating a mixed civil rights voting record. (Dec 2002)
Rated 89% by the HRC, indicating a pro-gay-rights stance. (Dec 2006)
Rated 96% by the NAACP, indicating a pro-affirmative-action stance. (Dec 2006)
Recognize Juneteenth as historical end of slavery. (Jun 2008)
Provide benefits to domestic partners of Federal employees. (Dec 2007)
Re-introduce the Equal Rights Amendment. (Mar 2007)
Reinforce anti-discrimination and equal-pay requirements. (Jan 2008)



EDUCATION



Solemn vow never to abandon our public schools. (Jul 1999)
Voted YES on $52M for "21st century community learning centers". (Oct 2005)
Voted YES on $5B for grants to local educational agencies. (Oct 2005)
Voted YES on shifting $11B from corporate tax loopholes to education. (Mar 2005)
Voted YES on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors. (May 2001)
Voted YES on funding student testing instead of private tutors. (May 2001)
Voted YES on spending $448B of tax cut on education & debt reduction. (Apr 2001)
Offer every parent Charter Schools and public school choice. (Aug 2000)
Rated 82% by the NEA, indicating pro-public education votes. (Dec 2003)

http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/hillary_clinton.htm


There's more but folks learn more when they are doing the research instead of having the research done for them.

[Smithryee]

21. Out of date.

What are her current stances since 2008?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

22. Don't know...She was SOS...

I don't think the SOS is supposed to be involved in partisan politics.

[Motown_Johnny]

31. So her views on major issues change that often?

That would be terrifying.


If she does not have the same stances that she did in 2008 then the people who supported her in 2008 should not support her now.

She better be running on the same platform that she did 8 years ago. If not the ads of her flip flopping are going to be worse than we went through with John Kerry.

[joeybee12]

14. Another first! Hilary is the only candidate ever to use spin!

[merrily]

23. Note that the article specifies no leaks emanated from the campaign Mook ran.

[KG]

8. the politcal life of the clintons has been one big PR stunt

right up there with colin powell's

[DURHAM D]

17. Indeed...

starting with her peers picking her to make the 1969 commencement address at Wellesley.






gheez louise

[DemocratSinceBirth]

20. That was all part of the "Manichean Candidate" plan

Oh, that's the current occupant of the White House.



SARCASM

[KittyWampus]

9. Great article. If I were a politician trying to get elected Mook sounds top notch.

[RobertEarl]

24. If he is smart

He will hire some operatives to post on DU to try and herd - as the old saying goes - cats.

[cali]

25. Oh, I don't think there's any doubt that he's smart

Whether or not that would be a good move is debatable.

[RobertEarl]

26. Oh?

You think DU is a waste of time and effort?

If not, then it would be smart for campaigns to log in here.

[cali]

32. No, but it's about where to deploy resources and whether it's worth it

and anyone reading DU can see the paranoia around Hillary "operatives".

[RobertEarl]

34. So operative is a dirty word?

Campaign people are often called operatives. Is there another name some of you would prefer we call paid professional campaign people who post on DU?

I find it odd, don't you, to profess while posting on DU that posting on DU is not worth it. Either DU is, or it isn't. Obviously I think it sure as fuck is worth it. YMMV.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

35. I come here to kill time...

I have no doubt what I do here doesn't matter.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

33. If you think there are operatives here it would behoove you to name them.../NT