Hillary Clinton turns to producer of pulpy television shows to create video of her life for DNC

Amy Chozick
The New York Times
Thu, 28 Jul 2016 00:00 UTC

© Damon Winter/The New York Times

Attendees at the Democratic Natoional Convention watch a video of Hillary Clinton from earlier in the week.

Who did Hillary Clinton's team turn to to create the biographical story of her life? The creator of the TV show "Scandal," of course.

The TV powerhouse Shonda Rhimes, who created the ABC drama about a Washington fixer caught up in a steamy web of sex and betrayal, has made the five-minute video that will be shown on the final night of the Democratic National Convention, according to a person with direct knowledge of the convention planning who would only discuss the video on the condition of anonymity.

Ms. Rhimes has supported Mrs. Clinton throughout her campaign, having produced a television commercial for her during the Democratic primary.

The video will be centered largely on Mrs. Clinton's mother, Dorothy Rodham, who was born into poverty and neglect on the day that the United States Senate affirmed a woman's right to vote and whose story will form the emotional core of the message Mrs. Clinton hopes to impart on viewers Thursday night.

A Clinton campaign spokesman declined to comment on the video, which has been kept under wraps, though Ms. Rhimes, who also created or produced ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," "Private Practice" and "How to Get Away with Murder" has been spotted here.

The convention has featured a series of videos so far, from Republican national security experts portraying Donald J. Trump as unfit to have the nuclear codes, to a montage of male presidents in the past that ended in a virtual glass shattering and Mrs. Clinton appearing via video from New York.

Another video highlighting Mrs. Clinton's achievement as the first woman to capture a major party's nomination for president was pulled at the last minute on Tuesday. It also included sepia-toned images of Dorothy Rodham's childhood. A spokesman said several videos were under consideration for the evening.

Mrs. Clinton has spoken frequently about her mother, who died in 2011, and whose life story has become a central theme of her daughter's 2016 candidacy and one Chelsea Clinton is expected to also touch on when she introduces her mother on Thursday night.

Comment: Killary: "See, I'm just like you! Even though I never had the experiences my mother had, know absolutely nothing about what it's like to live in poverty, and am a millionaire many times over - I can still identify with you. As Bill used to say, 'I feel your pain.' And please, kindly ignore the fact that I am firmly subject to the whims of Wall Street, the military-industrial-complex, Big pharma and major corporations - who all want nothing better than to strip you of your wealth, health and your very souls. Thank you for watching this message." Funny that the producer of Scandal will produce a scandal-free puff piece for Killary.