Case Study
Clinton Health Care Defeat

It was undeniably the most successful, expensive and divisive political advocacy/congressional battle in history, and Scott Mitchell & Associates played an indispensable role in the defeat of the Clinton Health Care Plan in 1994. Shrugging off an 85% approval rate for the president's plan at its unveiling in September, 1993, the coalition of consultants retained by the Health Insurance Association of America (HIAA) proceeded to focus the public's attention on the details, and ultimately force a Democratic-controlled congress to defy a Democrat president's wishes.

Working with Ron Goddard and Rich Claussen, the creators of the famed "Harry & Louise" ad campaign, SMA was initially focused on motivating the Oklahoma's key Democrat Members of Congress to abandon the plan. The targets were Sen. David Boren, a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee; Rep. Bill Brewster, Ways and Means Committee Member and Rep. David McCurdy, Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Committee and a close friend of President's.

Scott Mitchell & Associates utilized editorial board meetings, letters-to-the-editor, packed town meetings, built coalitions and groomed "influentials." The switch of the influential Oklahoma Democrats against the President is credited as being a key factor in defeating the Clinton plan.

Later, Scott Mitchell became a national consultant for HIAA, training coalition builders in many states.

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