You’ve no doubt heard the familiar saying, “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Now, in a variation on that old saw, top aides to Hillary Clinton are hoping that the way to the media’s heart is also through their stomachs.
It’s become clear over the last few weeks — ever since Mrs. Clinton’s email scandal erupted — that even left-leaning media types like reporters and editors at The New York Times weren’t going to reflexively look the other way and ignore issues that raise concerns about the former secretary of state’s electability in 2016.
With Hillary’s long-anticipated announcement expected to come midday on Sunday that she is officially in the race for president, serious efforts are underway to cozy up to the correspondents, analysts, and pundits whose coverage and opinions will play a crucial role in the race.
Politico has just published a revealing report detailing how a big campaign such as Mrs. Clinton’s sets about winning hearts and minds in the media. And even though one might think that “objective” reporters wouldn’t, or shouldn’t, get too close to the candidates they’re covering, well, you might think again.
“On Thursday night, Hillary Clinton’s chief of staff John Podesta held a private dinner with campaign reporters at his Washington home, where he served his signature pasta puttanesca, as well as a pasta with a walnut sauce….”
The Politico piece notes how important it is to actively woo key media figures who have ranged from cool on Clinton to borderline hostile. And there’s no indication the reporters invited to be seen (as well as to be fed) have balked at the invitation from Clinton confidants and gatekeepers.
“On Friday night, Clinton strategist Joel Benenson will hold a similar dinner with reporters, correspondents and even some television anchors at his apartment in New York.”
Trying to win their way into the reporting graces of The New York Times, even Politico itself seems to be a key objective of Clinton aides and allies intent on improving rapport with reporters.
“To date, The New York Times alone has published more than 40 articles related to Clinton’s use of a private email account while secretary of state, and many other news outlets, including POLITICO, have come forward with revelations of their own.”
In a sign of the times as well as an acknowledgement of the political power of social media, Hillary Clinton is expected to announce her second bid for the White House in a highly produced YouTube video to be released around noon Eastern time on Sunday.
That means that, for many, Hillary 2016 will officially launch just after or just before church…and too late for the Sunday TV talk shows to get a crack at the candidate’s coming out message.
As an article in Reuters observes: “Clinton’s use of social media to announce her White House run amounts to the adoption of tactics deployed by Obama in 2008 to raise large sums through small donations and appeal to young voters.”
The Clinton camp is no doubt keenly aware of Hillary’s topple off the political pedestal from which she once held sway over her Republican rivals.
Western Journalism reported on Thursday the results of a new voter survey by the independent pollster Quinnipiac that showed Mrs. Clinton’s popularity has suffered significantly in the turbulent wake of emailgate.
“…Clinton’s lead is wilting against leading Republican presidential candidates in three critical swing states, Colorado, Iowa and Virginia, and she finds herself in a close race with U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky in each state….”