FINAL Friends and Allies Launch TPs

Friends and Allies Talking Points Hillary for America THE CORE MESSAGE Hillary Clinton is running because everyday Americans and their families need a champion. She can be that champion. From her start fighting for kids and families, she has done that all her life. She’s arguing that the deck is still stacked for those at the top – and that while corporations are raking in record profits and CEO pay is through the roof, everyday Americans are not getting ahead. It is their time to get ahead and stay ahead. Most Americans know that the economy has come back from the collapse but they don’t feel like they are getting ahead with stagnant wages and rising costs of living. They see those at the top benefiting from the improving economy and they are ready for it to be their turn. This election will be about who they can count on going forward – who can help them get ahead and stay ahead. Hillary’s record shows she’s a champion of everyday Americans and their families. Her mother’s own childhood – in which she was abandoned by her parents, taught Hillary that every child deserves a champion. That’s what motivated her to work on behalf of kids and families at the beginning of her career and continues to be her core motivation. Hillary’s life has been about fighting for the causes she believes in. She fought special interest forces all her career. She’s getting back into the fight because it’s been her lifetime work.  After law school, Hillary chose not to go to a big New York or Washington law firm. Instead, she went door to door in New Bedford, Massachusetts for the Children’s Defense Fund.  When the insurance companies and other special interests defeated her health care effort as First Lady, Hillary didn’t give up. She worked with Republicans and Democrats to help create the Children's Health Insurance Program, which provided health coverage to more than 8 million children and cut the uninsured rate for American children in half.  After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Hillary pushed the Bush Administration for $20 billion for recovery and to address health care for first responders who were contaminated at Ground Zero. Having grown up in a middle class family, Hillary has never forgotten where she comes from and who she’s fighting for. Hillary grew up in a middle class family in Park Ridge, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. Her dad was a World War II veteran, he owned a small business, printing drapery, he operated the press himself, and Hillary and her two brothers helped out. Voters know the country has made progress since 2009 – they don’t want to go back. This election will be about who they can count on going forward. Voters don’t want a complete change in direction. They know the Obama Administration has worked hard to turn around the economy and pave the way for more Americans to get back to work.

 The private sector has created more than 11 million jobs during the Obama administration, including hundreds of thousands of American manufacturing jobs.  President Obama gave her an opportunity to be Secretary of State and stand up for Americans around the globe. She proud of that record. THE CAMPAIGN Hillary has made clear this campaign isn’t about her, it is about the American people, and that ethos will be reflected in every facet of the campaign. That’s the start of the different kind of campaign that Hillary wants to run – one that is squarely focused on having a conversation with voters – answering their questions, asking them questions and sharing ideas.  Her first trip will be to Iowa and then she’ll continue from there through other early primary and caucus states in the weeks ahead to ask questions, answer questions and share ideas.  We know she enjoys and thrives when she gets to interact directly with voters.  There will plenty of time for big rallies and high profile media interviews, but she wants to start her campaign by talking to voters one-by-one. Hillary will work hard to earn every vote, run hard in early primary and caucus states and not take anything for granted – the primary will be competitive. There’s no such thing as an “inevitable candidate” in Iowa and New Hampshire, and Hillary’s plans are to run hard in each early state. She and campaign manager Robby Mook have set the tone that the campaign will always operate as if it is running from behind.  She is surrounding herself with scrappy, battle-tested operatives and advisers who work hard and run campaigns like they're 10 points behind, even if they aren't.  In Iowa, no Democratic candidate for president has ever received more than 50% of the caucus vote unless they were a sitting president, vice president, or Iowa Senator Tom Harkin.  In New Hampshire, no Democrat in a contested primary in the last 25 years has won by more than 27,000 votes or received more than 50% of the vote. Even running unopposed in 2012 as the incumbent president, President Obama received around 80% of the primary vote. The campaign will have the resources needed to compete, but it will be built with a flat fundraising structure, a key grassroots donor base and a merit-based finance organization. Initially fundraising will be a challenge – with lower limits and a smaller list than Obama in 2011.

 In 2011, the Obama campaign could raise $35,800 donations at start because of joint fundraising agreements with the DNC. This campaign will raise $2,700 contributions for the primary because we’re focused on earning the nomination. While Republicans are engaged in a civil war within the field of 10+ candidates who might enter their competition, every single one of them offers the same economic agenda that Americans know rob Americans of the stability they’ve worked so hard for with their top- down agenda that would stack the deck even more in favor of those at the top. They want to be the champions for those at the top. THE RAMP UP Hillary has announced and started her campaign. That begins our first phase – our “ramp up” period. It will be different than most campaigns. The campaign will focus on small events that let Hillary have a direct conversation with voters, asking questions, answering questions and sharing ideas.  This “ramp up” phase is the same organizationally as if she had an exploratory committee – time to build before getting into full swing - but without being coy about her intentions and pretending like she’s still exploring.  Hillary started meeting with policy experts this fall to talk through solutions to the challenges we face. During this “ramp up” period, she’ll discuss those ideas with voters and then unveil her policy prescriptions at a later date. In May, she will outline more of her agenda and the ideas people have shared with her in a larger event that everyone can take part in.  Hillary’s doing this so people across the country can be part of her kickoff speech and the campaign going forward. Her team will be building for that all month long.