Clinton to open up on faith and values

Hillary Clinton’s campaign said the Democratic presidential nominee will begin opening up more about her faith and values as she struggles with public perception. 

Clinton’s team hopes the new effort curbs GOP nominee Donald Trump’s attacks, The Washington Post reported Thursday.

{mosads}“[We want] more about her than about him,” Clinton communications director Jennifer Palmieri told the Post.

“We believe we have to work extra hard to make sure that the positive notion of what she wants to do breaks through in the amount of interest there is in what [Trump] says.”

“That’s the reality of the cycle we’re living in, and we just have to put more effort into making sure people see aspirationally where she … believes the country can go together. Also there probably needs to be more about the values that motivate her, which is hard to be heard in this cycle too,” she added.

Palmieri debuted the more personal approach in her address to the National Baptist Convention Thursday — there, she talked about her experience growing up with the church and how her faith has led her throughout her life.

Palmieri said Clinton plans to give at least three more speeches about her private values, with two already outlined.

A speech next week will cover Clinton’s hope for an “inclusive economy,” she said, while another later this month will address families and children.

Burns Strider, Clinton’s religious adviser during her 2008 Oval Office bid, said late last month she is more religious than most observers realize.

“If you’re honest and you’re passionate, most folks aren’t going to freak out over the fact that your center comes from a relationship with God,” he told The New York Times on Aug. 26.

“They’re going to respect being honest and passionate about it,” he added of how Clinton, a Methodist, can share her spirituality publicly. “I think Hillary herself has more than enough leeway to talk about faith if she wants to.”

The Clinton camp’s fresh strategy comes amid tightening polls between Clinton and Trump at both the national and state levels.

Clinton leads Trump by about 3 points nationwide, according to the latest RealClearPolitics average of polls.