Today, it was announced via Glenn Thrush of Politico and to members of Kirsten Gillibrand's list that "Bill Clinton will host a March 11th fundraiser in Manhattan for his wife's successor Kirsten Gillibrand -- the first indication that the Clintons are explicitly supporting the rookie senator, according to an E-mail sent to Gillibrand donors."
This is a huge announcement for the New York Senate Race, with implications for fund raising, grassroots support, the infrastructure of the campaign via unions, and other interest-groups, and the huge political benefit in New York of being associated with the Clintons.
But there was no lead in to the announcement; no leaks to create a sense of excitement; and certainly no thought put into how they would unveil President Clinton's material and political support in a way that would create positive press coverage in the New York City media market. It was put in almost as an afterthought. This doesn't sit well with what the campaign should have done. Not only that, but this story could have been used to counter-balance the negative press the campaign received today in the NY Post article "Gilly Getting The Willies." Is this campaign doomed because of a few early missteps?
More below the fold...
The New York Post article:
US SEN. Kirsten Gilli brand is nervously telling friends that Gov. Paterson's sharp drop in popularity may lead to her defeat in next year's all-but-certain Democratic primary.
Party insiders who have had recent contact with Gillibrand, a former Albany-area congresswoman who has had to backtrack on her past pro-gun and anti-illegal-immigration positions since being named to her post by Paterson, said she appeared nervous, frightened and even shell-shocked over the growing opposition to her.
See the entire article here.
And the e-mail that was sent to her list announcing the fundraiser:
I am honored to announce that on March 11th, President Clinton will headline a fundraising reception in support of my 2010 Senate election. Both Secretary of State Clinton and President Clinton embody the type of leadership I hope to bring to the State of New York, and President Clinton's willingness to show his early support for my candidacy could not mean more to me.
President Clinton recognizes that this election will require an early and sustained effort to build the resources necessary to run a statewide campaign in New York.
I hope you can join us on March 11th as we start building a robust campaign organization that can bring our message to every corner of New York.
Over the next two years I will bring strong and effective leadership to the U.S. Senate. New Yorkers deserve a progressive, principled advocate for their concerns. This is the kind of leader I was in Congress and this is thend of senator I will be. From fixing our economy and investing in renewable energy to fighting for New York's fair share and always protecting a woman's right to choose -- I'm a public servant New York Democrats can be proud of.
Thank you for your support! I look forward to each day as an opportunity to fight for all New Yorkers. Your questions, guidance, and suggestions make me a better advocate for you and for the State.
Again, I hope to see you March 11th. Thank you for your friendship and support.
Warmly,
Kirsten
Senator Schumer so far has not explicitly endorsed Senator Gillibrand. Although in a late January POLITICO article he stated that "'I did not endorse or select any of the candidates, but, yes, I was very positive on Gillibrand,' says Schumer, who has taken the unusual step, for him, of signaling he’ll endorse Gillibrand for the 2010 special election, even though she may have Democratic challengers."
At the same time as she is savvy working with the political king-makers and is skillful fund-raiser, her press strategy has been non-existent. Here are some tips:
From a experienced press operative friend who sent this over in disgust:
So... for the jokers in Gill-land, here is a press plan, aka Press
101, for the rollout the biggest endorsement EVER and the biggest news
of your campaign thus far:
Day 1: Send out an email from Kirsten to her supporters saying that
she will be announcing a HUGE endorsement. "Be the first to know...
and tell your friends to sign up..." blah blah blah. Get buzz going.
Day 2: Have friends of the campaign spread speculation that it might
be Cuomo. Or President Clinton. Or Caroline Kennedy. Leak to NYT that
it's President Clinton, embargoed for the morning's paper. Send a late
night email to supporters, penned by President Clinton.
Day 3: Send out a press release from the campaign announcing the
endorsement. Have the Clinton Foundation send out a statement.
Day 4: Bill Clinton and Sen. Gillibrand hold joint conference call
with reporters. Record audio sound bites for radio and TV evening
news. Announce a crowd event to take place in Manhattan, to be
attended by President Clinton, details TBA.
Later: Slowly release details of rally with President Clinton.
Then, and ONLY then, announce and hold your freaking fundraiser.
NOTE: Don't do ANY of this when President Obama is addressing
Congress. His speech, and Jindal's response, will dominate coverage
the entire week.
So what do you all think? Big mistake? Are we over-reacting? And if not, do you think someone at Gillibrand's campaign will get the message? What would you have done differently? Does this show that Senator Gillibrand cares more about big donors than creating a true grassroots campaign?