Elections

EMAIL: Clinton Pitched As ‘Kind Of Funny, Slightly B*tchy Person’ To Broaden Appeal To Youth Voters

Kerry Picket Political Reporter
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Hillary Clinton’s staff appeared to struggle with making Clinton more personable with younger voters and pitched ideas including appearing on the opening season show of Saturday Night Live, according to hacked emails.

In a September 7, 2015 email, which appeared on WikiLeaks Sunday morning, Neera Tanden, the president of the Center for American Progress and policy director of Clinton’s 2008 campaign, wrote to Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta her ideas.

Her statement begins in the subject header with, “Not a mission, but very joyful” and then said: “particularly for people younger than me. Did you ever see these?” Tanden asks of Podesta regarding the favorable Tumblr account focusing on Clinton — “http://textsfromhillaryclinton.tumblr.com.”

The email continues, “This person should take over her twitter account for a day or a week, dial it back a bit but definitely tweet at people. Should be clear it’s stated.”

“Then maybe do Late Night shows and Funny or Die to build off of it…? And be the kind of funny, slightly bitchy person (but in a good way), these people imagine her to be (and she really is, after a drink or two).”

Tanden goes on to say, “Maybe she could do Funny or Die w/ Meyl Streep w/ the Galyfinakis (can’t spell his name for he life of me) w it her. That would be Hilarious! And I still think she should do Season Opening of SNL. She hates this shit, but at the end of the day, nothing will move her personal numbers more.”

She adds, “I think she’s not inspiring people because it’s hard to latch onto her – the person at her core – with all the swirl around. Feel free to reject out of hand. Just trying to send ideas in.”

Clinton did appear in last season opener of SNL in October of 2015 as well as with Zach Galifianakis on a Funny or Die sketch last month.

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