Hillary Clinton’s campaign considered and rejected 84* potential slogans before landing on the now-familiar “Stronger Together,” according to a hacked email posted Wednesday by WikiLeaks.
In an August 8, 2015, message to top aides, the campaign’s director of paid media, Oren Shur, attached a Word document with a list of would-be catchphrases and “organizing principle(s)” compiled by chief strategist Joel Benenson’s firm, BSG.
The email was taken from the personal account of John Podesta, the campaign chairman, and made public as part of what the US government now believes is a calculated attempt by the Russian government to meddle in the 2016 election.
The Clinton campaign has declined to confirm the authenticity of any of the emails released by WikiLeaks and CNN cannot independently confirm their authenticity. But the campaign has not challenged any emails in other WikiLeaks releases.
“Stronger Together” emerged as Clinton’s preferred slogan, alongside “I’m With Her” (not listed here) in May 2016, and is now painted, literally, on her campaign charter. So what took so long? Putting aside the standard strategic deliberations (Trump became the GOP’s presumptive nominee the same month), the menu options as presented here are, to be kind, not so great.
They follow below, in descending order of awful. “Stronger Together” has been removed from the field in the interest of journalistic objectivity.
*There were 85 possibilities listed, but one of them — “It’s your time” — was named twice.
Almost physically painful to lay eyes on
“Progress for the rest of us”
“A stronger America one family at a time”
“Lifting us up. Moving us forward.”
“Making America work. Together.”
“Progress for people”
“A new bargain we can count on.”
“Real Fairness; Real Solutions”
“New Solutions Real Results”
“A stronger America for a new day”
“America’s strength. America’s promise.”
“A fair chance for families”
“A fair fight for families”
“A force for families”
“A new bargain for a stronger America”
“It’s about time…and it’s about you.”
“The ideas we need and the strength to deliver”
“American strength from American families”
That doesn’t even really make sense
“Next begins with you”
“A better bargain for a better tomorrow”
“Fairness worth the fight”
“Fairness First.”
“Putting Fairness First”
“A fair chance to get ahead”
“Your family is her fight”
“A fighting chance for families”
“A new promise for a new time”
“An America built for you.”
“Putting America to work for you”
“Strength and fairness”
“A stronger America working for you”
“It’s your turn”
“Stronger at home”
“For an America that leads”
“Your future. Your terms.”
“Building tomorrow’s America”
“Secure the Future”
“For your family. For America’s future”
Uncomfortably unoriginal
“It’s about you. It’s about time”
“Because your time is now”
“It’s your time”
“It’s about you.”
“Building a better tomorrow”
“Strength you can count on”
“A fair shot and a fair deal”
“Building a fairer future today”
“You’ve earned a fair shot”
“You’ve earned a fair chance”
“Renewing America’s promise”
“Renewing our basic bargain”
“Time for a better bargain.”
“Making America work for you”
“Our Families, Our Future”
Meh …
“Hillary – For Fairness. For Families.”
“Get ahead. Stay ahead.”
“Families first”
“Fairness for all our families”
“Building a fairer future”
“Your family. Her fight”
“Your future is her fight”
“America gets strong when you get ahead”
“A better bargain. For all.”
“A promise you can count on”
“Together we’re strong”
“Strength for all our families”
“Getting ahead together”
“Moving Ahead. Together.”
“A future worth fighting for”
Decent but what are we talking about again?
“Go further”
“No Quit”
“Own the future”
“Don’t turn back”
“Move ahead”
“Keep moving”
“Unleash opportunity”
“Move up”
“Climb higher”
“Rise Up”
Closer …
“Fighting for Fairness. Fighting for you.”
“She’s got your back”
“Your future. Her fight.”
“An America that works for you.”
“A stronger tomorrow”
“Progress for all”