John Newman, Digital Team Member at Correct the Record, Organization formed for Hillary Clinton
Public policy leadership, 2013
DM: Tell us about what you do and how you got to where you are now with the Clinton Campaign.
JN: I work on the digital team so I work a lot with social media and kind of website content. My job beforehand was working for a public affairs group, and I was doing social media work with them as well.
DM: How were you involved with politics as an Ole Miss student and how did that play into your career as of now?
JN: I was part of the Lott Leadership Institute, so I studied public policy. It was kind of a natural lead-in for getting into this kind of work. I was involved in (Associated Student Body), I was a senator and then I served in the cabinet for the ASB president at that time. I was always interested in the political aspect of any body of government, whether it be student government or federal government. I learned a lot of critical thinking skills that really played well into what I am doing now, or at least I think they do.
DM: This year’s election cycle has been almost unanimously regarded to be highly historic in nature. Why do you think that is?
JN: First of all, it’s historic because for the first time we have a presumptive female nominee for a major political party. On one hand, that is historic in itself. Another thing to think of is that for the first time since Eisenhower, we have a sitting president who is actively campaigning for the person to replace him. On the Republican side it is historic because we saw a pretty crazy primary to the candidate that I don’t think anybody in Washington, D.C. wanted.
DM: As we approach the DNC, what sort of role do you see the state of Mississippi playing at the convention?
JN: Specific to Mississippi, the Democrats in Mississippi were overwhelmingly supportive of Hillary, and I think we saw that in the polls there. I think people from Mississippi are going to bring a lot of realistic and rational kind of common sense policies that they would want to see through either on the Democratic platform or just with candidate they support. I think that is the kind of role that Mississippi plays, we’ve seen that before in years past and I think we will see that again.
DM: The Mississippi primary had an overwhelming majority vote for Clinton. Why do you think Mississippians voted in this way and what do you think this says about the political status of the state?
JN: I think (Clinton) represents a clear head and rational thinking that is attractive to people in the state. She also understands and will talk about things beyond her core agenda. She can speak to the Democrats in Mississippi. She has always had a very strong ability to put plans together in place to protect people and fight for them. And I think Mississippians respond well to that.
DM: If elected, what do you think Clinton will bring for the state of Mississippi?
Some of her biggest goals are to make it easier for people to vote as opposed to harder. Mississippi is a state where you have to have a photo ID in order to vote. I think she would work for, somehow on a federal level to curb those restrictive voting laws. I think Mississippi would be one of the first places to appreciate that.
DM: What action do you urge Mississippians to take as we approach the general election?
JN: I would urge them, first of all, be registered to vote. Otherwise, I would encourage them to find quality news sources to stay connected and stay up to date with the presidential election as well as events outside of that to have a fuller understanding of the world around us when we cast our ballot.
