NEW YORK: Hillary Clinton has yet to declare her candidacy for the vacant New York Senate seat, but that hasn’t stopped the NY and DC PR communities from speculating about her potential choice of PR consultant.
NEW YORK: Hillary Clinton has yet to declare her candidacy for the
vacant New York Senate seat, but that hasn’t stopped the NY and DC PR
communities from speculating about her potential choice of PR
consultant.
One of the top contenders, David Axelrod, met with Clinton at the White
House last week. The other two PR pros rumored to be under consideration
are Hank Morris (who advised Sen. Chuck Schumer during his NY senatorial
campaign last year) and David Doak (a key advisor to California Gov.
Gray Davis).
Axelrod is a former Chicago Tribune political reporter whose client list
includes Chicago mayor Richard Daley and Iowa governor Tom Vilsack. More
important, however, may be his direct New York experience. Last year,
his firm handled communications for state comptroller Carl McCall. ’He’s
very thorough, potent and direct,’ said Chicago Tribune political writer
Michael Tackett.
Doak is a shrewd politico known for being able to distill the message of
a campaign into a poignant phrase. For Davis, who ran against two
candidates who had never served in state government, the catchphrase was
’experience money can’t buy.’ Doak’s interview with Clinton, however,
was reportedly postponed.
Morris, whose resume is highlighted by his role in helping Schumer oust
Sen. Al D’Amato last year, is said to be unsure about whether he wants
to help the First Lady.
Whoever winds up getting the job has a hectic 12 months ahead of
him.
Clinton and her likely Republican foe, NY mayor Rudy Giuliani, have
already been involved in highly publicized flaps - Clinton over her
flip-flopping on whether jailed Puerto Rican nationalists should be
granted clemency, and Giuliani over his condemning a controversial art
exhibit.
Democratic consultant Henry Sheinkopf, however, argued that the real PR
battle will be fought in upstate New York: ’There are 300,000 undecided
voters at this point and dollars 40 million will be spent to reach
them.’
