Kamala Harris Cuts Staff, Restructures Campaign For Iowa Caucus Blitz

With roughly three months before the first contest of the Democratic presidential primary season, Sen. Kamala Harris is placing all her political chips on Iowa. In a memo sent to staff and top donors, campaign manager Juan Rodriguez spelled out how the California senator was radically restructuring operations to maximize outreach throughout the state. To bolster its war chest and beef up its ground game at this most critical stage, the campaign blitz calls for significantly slashing salaries and staff at Baltimore headquarters.as well as redeploying those operating out of campaign offices in New Hampshire, Nevada, and California to Iowa “for the home stretch of the caucus campaign.”

“To effectively compete with the top campaigns and make the necessary investments in the critical final 100 days to the caucus, we need to reduce expenditures elsewhere and realign resources. From the beginning of this campaign, Kamala Harris and this team set out with one goal—to win the nomination and defeat Donald Trump in 2020. This requires us to make difficult strategic decisions and make clear priorities, not threaten to drop out or deploy gimmicks,” the memo stated.

News of the realignment was first reported by Politico and news organizations like CBS News obtained copies of the memo. 

The memo further stated that Harris has raised a total of $35 million through 350,000 donors. But the campaign has yet to recapture the momentum gained after the first Democratic debate in June. Since then she has seen a precipitous drop in both campaign contributions and poll standings. For instance, CBS News reported that Harris raised $11.7 million in the third quarter behind the campaigns of Sen. Bernie Sanders ($25.3 million), Sen. Elizabeth Warren ($24.6 million), former Vice President Joe Biden ($15,7 million), and South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigeig ($19.1 million). She also trails behind them in the latest polls—as pointed out in The New York Times on Wednesday, despite the diverse field of candidates, all Democratic frontrunners are white.

Based on historical trends, Harris believes that she can reverse her electoral fortunes in the Hawkeye State. According to the memo, she “will continue to spend significant time in Iowa” throughout the month of November, including through the Thanksgiving holiday. Rodriguez wrote in the memo: “She is determined to earn the support of every caucus goer she can in the next 96 days.”

Political observers maintain that this type of radical repositioning has not been an unusual tact heading into presidential primaries—especially with an emphasis on the Iowa Caucus. Such a massive overhaul, however, must occur by the beginning of November to amass resources necessary for impact. In fact, the Harris campaign pointed to past presidential nominees on both sides of the aisle to communicate that the realignment could prove to be a successful strategy for Iowa and beyond. The memo stated: “Plenty of winning primary campaigns, like John Kerry’s in 2004 and John McCain’s in 2008, have had to make tough choices on their way to the nomination, and this is no different.”

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/34lKm7U

Kamala Harris Cuts Staff, Restructures Campaign For Iowa Caucus Blitz

With roughly three months before the first contest of the Democratic presidential primary season, Sen. Kamala Harris is placing all her political chips on Iowa. In a memo sent to staff and top donors, campaign manager Juan Rodriguez spelled out how the California senator was radically restructuring operations to maximize outreach throughout the state. To bolster its war chest and beef up its ground game at this most critical stage, the campaign blitz calls for significantly slashing salaries and staff at Baltimore headquarters.as well as redeploying those operating out of campaign offices in New Hampshire, Nevada, and California to Iowa “for the home stretch of the caucus campaign.”

“To effectively compete with the top campaigns and make the necessary investments in the critical final 100 days to the caucus, we need to reduce expenditures elsewhere and realign resources. From the beginning of this campaign, Kamala Harris and this team set out with one goal—to win the nomination and defeat Donald Trump in 2020. This requires us to make difficult strategic decisions and make clear priorities, not threaten to drop out or deploy gimmicks,” the memo stated.

News of the realignment was first reported by Politico and news organizations like CBS News obtained copies of the memo. 

The memo further stated that Harris has raised a total of $35 million through 350,000 donors. But the campaign has yet to recapture the momentum gained after the first Democratic debate in June. Since then she has seen a precipitous drop in both campaign contributions and poll standings. For instance, CBS News reported that Harris raised $11.7 million in the third quarter behind the campaigns of Sen. Bernie Sanders ($25.3 million), Sen. Elizabeth Warren ($24.6 million), former Vice President Joe Biden ($15,7 million), and South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigeig ($19.1 million). She also trails behind them in the latest polls—as pointed out in The New York Times on Wednesday, despite the diverse field of candidates, all Democratic frontrunners are white.

Based on historical trends, Harris believes that she can reverse her electoral fortunes in the Hawkeye State. According to the memo, she “will continue to spend significant time in Iowa” throughout the month of November, including through the Thanksgiving holiday. Rodriguez wrote in the memo: “She is determined to earn the support of every caucus goer she can in the next 96 days.”

Political observers maintain that this type of radical repositioning has not been an unusual tact heading into presidential primaries—especially with an emphasis on the Iowa Caucus. Such a massive overhaul, however, must occur by the beginning of November to amass resources necessary for impact. In fact, the Harris campaign pointed to past presidential nominees on both sides of the aisle to communicate that the realignment could prove to be a successful strategy for Iowa and beyond. The memo stated: “Plenty of winning primary campaigns, like John Kerry’s in 2004 and John McCain’s in 2008, have had to make tough choices on their way to the nomination, and this is no different.”

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/34lKm7U

It’s the Remix to Infection: R. Kelly Skipped Court Because His Toenail Is Missing

Even if you take the shackles off Robert “R.” Kelly’s feet so he can step in the name of love, apparently it would be a little bit difficult for him to do so today.

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Was a pastor was not hired to lead a Florida church because he is Black?

A Black pastoral candidate that was being considered for the top job at First Baptist Church of Naples, Florida did not secure enough votes to get hired – and now church staff members are saying racism played a role in his lack of votes.

Although a record 3,818 people showed up at the church to vote in this past Sunday’s “in-view-of-a-call,” Marcus Hayes failed to garner 85 percent of the vote due in part to “racial prejudice,” according to Black Christian News. Hayes, who was brought in by the church’s Pastor Search Committee, only received 81 percent of the vote.

READ MORE: New Birth Missionary Baptist church will re-direct Kanye’s hefty donation

What actually is a “in-view-of-a-call?”

Wishing the Southern Baptist tradition, a pastoral candidate preaches to the church congregation, after which the congregation has the opportunity to vote on whether they would like to hire the preacher on staff as pastor.

Church staff members decided to air the matter publicly and did so via a letter they posted on The Baptist Blogger’s Twitter account on Oct. 28.

“Last week, through social media, texting, phone calls and emails, racial prejudice was introduced into our voting process,” FBC of Naples staff wrote in the letter.

“Please know that specifically your Pastoral Staff is deeply, deeply grieved. We are grieved for Marcus and Mandy that they had to endure such vileness. We are deeply grieved that the wonderful name of our Lord and the reputation of First Baptist Church Naples was affected by this campaign against Marcus Hayes.”

An introduction to the letter from The Baptist Blogger reads: “What happened at FBC Naples is disgusting, and most likely fueled by resurgent racism in SBC life. It’s very sad to see this church come to this place in the past several years. Southwest Florida has problems. The whole region need Jesus.”

What happened at @FBCNaples is disgusting, and most likely fueled by resurgent racism in SBC life. It’s very sad to see this church come to this place in the past several years.

Southwest Florida has problems. The whole region need Jesus. https://t.co/xxRnXX2xWW pic.twitter.com/6xjJSt55Ae

— The Baptist Blogger (@BaptistBlogger) October 30, 2019

READ MORE: Chicago-area churches pay off $5M in medical debt for local families

Hayes, who currently has a leadership role at Biltmore Baptist Church in North Carolina, is also on the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Dr. Hayes Wicker formerly served for the past 27 years as pastor of FBC Naples. Earlier this year, he announced plans to leave.

Hayes, who is married to Mandy Hayes, declined to be interviewed, according to Religion News.

FBC Naples staff are asking “anyone who took part in such divisive and sinful actions” in the voting process “to immediately confess and repent.”

The post Was a pastor was not hired to lead a Florida church because he is Black? appeared first on theGrio.

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Kamala Harris campaign cuts headquarters staff, moves some to Iowa

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris is laying off several dozen staff members and transferring others in an effort to salvage her prospects in the Iowa caucuses.

The move, which comes roughly three months before the caucuses formally usher in the Democratic contest, make the California senator the most prominent candidate so far to announce a major campaign restructuring. Harris’ campaign turned to history to make the case that in order to win the leadoff caucuses, candidates sometimes have to overhaul their operations.

“Plenty of winning primary campaigns, like John Kerry’s in 2004 and John McCain’s in 2008, have had to make tough choices on their way to the nomination, and this is no different,” her campaign manager, Juan Rodriguez, wrote in a memo to staff that was shared by the campaign Wednesday.

Politico was the first to report the overhaul.

Harris had already pledged to go all-in on Iowa, joking she was moving there, and earlier Wednesday her campaign touted the 15 days she spent in the state this month as the “October Hustle.” It was more than any of her competitors spent there in October, but she’s still polling behind leading candidates such as Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren.

The latest changes come a full month after Rodriguez visited Iowa to evaluate the campaign’s organization and on the eve of an important Iowa Democratic fundraiser. On Friday, thousands of party activists, donors and officials — along with more than 150 members of the news media — will be listening closely to Harris’ speech for signs of new energy.

Among the changes outlined in the memo: Rodriguez and campaign consultants will take a pay cut, though it doesn’t say by how much; several dozen people will be laid off at Baltimore headquarters; and staff from New Hampshire, Nevada, California and headquarters will be moved to Iowa. The memo also doesn’t say how many people will be transferred to Iowa.

Harris plans to spend significant time in Iowa again in November, including over Thanksgiving.

The campaign, which has not yet run any television advertising, hopes to spend at least $1 million on a media campaign in the weeks before the Feb. 3 caucus, the memo said.
Rodriguez tried to distinguish the memo from what he called “gimmicks” by New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and former Obama Cabinet official Julian Castro, who have released urgent appeals for money in recent weeks, raising the prospect of leaving the race if they couldn’t raise enough quick cash.

But Harris has underperformed on the fundraising front. She hails from California, a state that is home to many of the party’s most prominent donors and which has long served as an ATM for politically ambitious Democrats.

That hasn’t translated into success for Harris. Although she did better than her rivals in the state, she has struggled to raise money in recent months, despite keeping up an aggressive fundraising schedule.

She has consistently posted middling quarterly fundraising hauls. And during the most recent quarter, which ended Sept. 30, she revealed that she spent roughly $3 million more than the $11.6 million she took in while delaying about $1 million in payments to campaign strategists.

While her aides initially tried to project California as locked up in her favor, many of her rivals have found deep pockets of support among top donors there. Last spring, Democratic megadonor Susie Tompkins Buell, who was initially a top Harris fundraiser, also started to raise money for South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg.
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Associated Press writer Brian Slodysko in Washington contributed to this report.
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Online:
Read the Harris campaign memo: https://ift.tt/323WsRs

The post Kamala Harris campaign cuts headquarters staff, moves some to Iowa appeared first on theGrio.

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