To Help Clinton Win the First Debate, Campaign Asks for Online Support 'Early and Often'
By Liz Kreutz
 Clinton-Carolyn Kaster, AP Photo; Trump-Mike Segar/Reuters
Hillary Clinton, left and Donald Trump, right.
Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign is well aware that the outcome of the first presidential debate on Monday isn't just about what the two candidates say on stage, but also about the conversation that takes place around it.
On a conference call with supporters this afternoon, a top aide to Clinton directly asked supporters to use social media during and after the debate at Hofstra University in New York to help shape the conversation positively around the Democratic nominee.
"Reporters certainly view what's happening online," Clinton's deputy communications director Christina Reynolds said, adding it is part of, "how they judge the debate and then how they call the debate -- who won, who lost."
"And this debate even more so," Reynolds added, "as they will actually be tracking analytics of social media."
The campaign's digital director Jenna Lowenstein -- who said that two of the campaign's goals for the night include amplifying Clinton's best moments online and influencing the narrative about who is winning -- told supporters the most "important thing" they can do to help Clinton during the debate is to show their online support for her "early and often."
"It's important that we're not just turning this into the Donald Trump show," Lowenstein said.
In order to do this, she advised supporters to use Clinton's name and handle on Twitter during the debate, as well as the official debate hashtags announced by the debate's organizing commission.
"Those two hashtags are going to curate the conversation that they're going to look at when they're measuring the conversation," Lowenstein explained.
"All those headlines you see the next day -- '50 Percent of People Tweeting Were Supporting Hillary' -- that's the conversation they're going to look at."
She instructed them to, "Tweet early, tweet her name, use those hashtags.”
Lowenstein also said the campaign will be doing real-time fact-checks during Monday’s event. She told supporters to look towards their website and four of the campaign's Twitter accounts -- @HillaryClinton, @HFA, @TheBriefing and @TimKaine -- for content they can share on their own accounts.
Beyond that, Reynolds asked their supporters who have a press following to help influence the story line in to the next day as well.
"Those of you who are doing things in the press on Tuesday, we'd love your help," Reynolds said, "noting some of the clear ways in which Hillary proved herself to be a President and Donald Trump didn't."
Earlier on the call, Reynolds also reiterated what Clinton aides have said is their biggest fear about Monday: They believe Trump will be given softer questions than his opponent.
"We're going to be on the lookout, and we've asked you to be on the lookout, to make sure we're all grading them on the same scale," she told the supporters.
As both campaigns have appeared to be doing ahead of the debate, Reynolds continued to lower expectations around her candidate. She noted that Trump is a "TV star" who will be "telegenic," "entertaining," and likely "put on a good performance" that night.
But she also said that Clinton will be ready for the high bar that's been set for her.
"Expectations be damned," Reynolds said, "We are confident that our candidate will crush that bar."
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