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May
17
Live-blog: “Bill to Michelle, Cindy to Ann: A Media Perspective on Spouses and Gender in the 2008 Race”
Filed Under Politics | 2 Comments
This live-blog will begin at 8:30am on Saturday morning, May 17, 2008 from the “From Front Porch to Webcast: The History and Impact of Spouses in Presidential Campaigns.” This session will feature:
Dianne Bystrom, Director fo the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics, Iowa State University
Evan Cornog, Associate Dean, Academic Affairs, Columbia Journalism School
Connie Schultz, Cleveland Plain Dealer Pulitzer Prise winning Journalist
By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:37 am May 17th, 2008 in Politics | 2 Comments
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May
17
Live-blog: Keynote Speaker, Eleanor Clift
Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment
This live-blog will begin at 8:30am on Saturday morning, May 17, 2008 from the “From Front Porch to Webcast: The History and Impact of Spouses in Presidential Campaigns.”
By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:26 am May 17th, 2008 in Politics | Please comment
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May
17
This live-blog will begin at 8:30am on Saturday morning, May 17, 2008 from the “From Front Porch to Webcast: The History and Impact of Spouses in Presidential Campaigns.”
This session will feature:
Annette Dunlap, Frances Cleveland biographer
Mary Hoyt, Journalist, former press secretary to Rosalynn Carter
Karen Tumulty, TIME Magazine political correspondent
By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:19 am May 17th, 2008 in Politics | 1 Comment
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May
16
“From Front Porch to Webcast:The History and Impact of Spouses in Presidential Campaigns”
Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment
I will be conducting three live-blogs tomorrow from The History and Impact of Spouse in Presidential Campaigns.
Here’s the schedule with hyperlinks to each of the sessions I’ll be blogging:
8:30-9:45am: “Who Elected Her? Historic Presidential Campaigns Where Wives Counted”
10:00-11:15am: Keynote Speaker: Eleanor Clift
1:00-2:00pm: “Bill to Michelle, Cindy to Ann: A Media Perspective on Spouses and Gender in the 2008 Race”
What you do, if you are around and want to follow the session, is return to the blog post that corresponds to the session I’m blogging and get yourself signed in to comment and interact if you like. Or, you can just read as I type. As has been noted, I’m pretty fast, but I do make typos (that can be fixed later).
By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:23 pm May 16th, 2008 in Politics | Please comment
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May
16
Obama editorial portrait artist Lukas Ketner explains Wilmette Week illustration
Filed Under Barack Obama, Research, WH2008, Culture, Media, Politics | 2 Comments
I couldn’t figure out what this portrait was about, so I wrote the artist, Lukas Ketner, to find out. Here’s what he wrote:
Hello Jill,
The illustration in question is meant to be a humorous depiction of Portland’s (and perhaps much of Oregon’s) democratic population’s preference of Obama over Clinton. The picture makes the joke that Portland is in love with Obama, hence the harlequin romance novel treatment. Originally we were going to do a similar cover with Obama making out with Portlandia (a Lady Liberty-style statue that has oft represented our fair city in local cartoons), but we felt that it wouldn’t read as well outside of Portland.
I’m glad it rendered at least a giggle, and thanks for your interest in my work
Thanks,
Lukas
Mystery solved. And very interesting.
Here’s an example of Harlequin Romance Novel covers. And here’s an image of and Wikipedia entry about Portlandia.
So - now what do folks think?
By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:30 pm May 16th, 2008 in Barack Obama, Research, WH2008, Culture, Media, Politics | 2 Comments
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May
16
The relevance of Clinton Supporters Count Too
Filed Under Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Gender, Democrats, Social Issues, Campaigning, Ohio, Elections, Women, Civil Rights, Politics | 11 Comments
I don’t know about you, but I feel like my head is about to explode.
Some posts, some contact info. Let people know how you feel, preferably with some backup as to why, but please, also try to offer some solutions. What is it that you want? Because no matter how much I wanted Al Gore to win, and no matter how wrong I know the SCOTUS was, and no matter how much I didn’t want George Bush to be president, I live in this country and I accept it’s basic structure and the ways we have that allow us to voice our concerns, and solve our problems. Living in a democracy means someone will always “lose” an election. But it shouldn’t mean that we take out our disappointment by being self-destructive.
I understand that some people are afraid that giving any credence to Clinton Supporters Count Too will legitimize their efforts. Guess what? Too late. The source of their anger - sexism in the 2008 presidential primary campaigns - is real. It’s their tactics that are unreal.
So what can anyone do? For one thing, let them get it out. Just let them. Read it, respond to it you like, but my recommendation: don’t make moves that escalate it. That’s a no-win move. The best reaction would be to understand it, but it’s very clear that many people don’t have a clue about how to do that. Then, consider solutions that you would accept if you were in their shoes. It’s fine to say, what you want, you may not be able to get. But here’s what you can get. And here’s what you will lose if you don’t find a better way to resolve your anger.
1. Read this column.
2. Read this post.
3. Contact Clinton Supporters Count Too:
More contacts info here.
4. Leave a comment on one or all of these blog posts (and find more by going here - I’ve just included a few):
Buckeye State Blog here and here
The Mahablog (highly recommended)
5. Got more ideas? Put them in the comments.
6. Whatever you do, be smart - don’t shut down the conversation, don’t tell people to get over it and don’t call anyone sweetie while you are making your case for how you see the Clinton Supporters Count Too effort. That’s what got us here in the first places eons ago.
Today, I’ve got a speaking engagement and a child returning from a three-day class trip, and an all-day symposium with Eleanor Clift in Akron tomorrow. So I can’t say how much I’m going to be skipping around commenting and checking on this.
But seriously - if you cannot identify with how these voters are feeling - if you don’t understand why they are feeling that way - then you might want to consider not addressing them at all. Because right now, the anger will keep them from being able to hear pretty much all of us. But eventually, they will be ready. And if we want to win in November, we damn well better not blow it when they are. This does not mean they get what they want, which I’m assuming is Clinton as the nominee. It means that they get treated like the voters they are, with respect.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 12:10 pm May 16th, 2008 in Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Gender, Democrats, Social Issues, Campaigning, Ohio, Elections, Women, Civil Rights, Politics | 11 Comments
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May
16
[updated] Editorial illustration of Obama as…what exactly?
Filed Under Campaigning, Barack Obama, Marketing, WH2008, Media, Politics | 16 Comments
Okay, anyone, what exactly does this illustration show? I’ve written the artist to find out what he believes. Here’s the newspaper endorsement that accompanied the picture. I find the picture to be pretty over the top - but then, I really don’t understand what I’m looking at in it.
Hattip Donna Darko.
UPDATE: See here for the artist’s explanation to me of the illustration.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:57 am May 16th, 2008 in Campaigning, Barack Obama, Marketing, WH2008, Media, Politics | 16 Comments
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May
15
One reason why Joe Biden was my choice for Democratic presidential nominee
Filed Under Primary, George Bush, Joe Biden, Campaigning, Foreign Affairs, WH2008, Congress, Politics | 8 Comments
There’s a smattering of articles about how some of us don’t like any of our choices - that’s been me since Bill Richardson dropped out. And here’s a reminder of why I liked Joe Biden. Hattip Progress Ohio.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:02 pm May 15th, 2008 in Primary, George Bush, Joe Biden, Campaigning, Foreign Affairs, WH2008, Congress, Politics | 8 Comments
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May
15
More on Clinton Supporters Count Too
Filed Under Barack Obama, Voting, Gender, Social Issues, Campaigning, Ohio, Elections, Women, Politics | 26 Comments
I just can’t support a group that, according the Political Punch,
stands ready to boycott the Democratic Party if Clinton doesn’t win the nomination, and will work against superdelegates who support Obama over Clinton as a means of registering their displeasure with the party.
“We have a plan to campaign against the Democratic nominee,” the group said in a press release Thursday. “We have the (wo)manpower and the money to make our threat real. And there are millions of supporters who will back us up in the swing states. If you don’t listen to our voice now, you will hear from us later.”
And all the momentum for that group seems to be driven from Columbus, Ohio. Lucky us.
I’m all for expression, first amendment, free speech, assembly and so on. I’m even for letting people know how angry you are about something, over and over and over. And sure, sometimes, you just take the hard line, no matter how it might seem to others.
I imagine that that’s how the folks who appear to support this effort feel.
I don’t feel the same way. I know I don’t feel like sacrificing a Democratic president for the sexism that’s existed for centuries and no doubt isn’t going to disappear in the next seven months. But I am willing to push for other promises of efforts to battle sexism.
I know what it feels like to be pushed to an extreme stance. And I would say that it’s up to those of us - all of us - who don’t want to make that sacrifice out of a Democratic presidential win to find a way to address the same concerns that have these folks organizing.
More feedback:
Donna Darko with email contacts and Washington Post coverage (mentions a YouTube of a group member being on Fox but I couldn’t locate it)
Virginia at Katalusis is following the events and has a link to a story by Catherine Candisky of the Columbus Dispatch
From the Dispatch:
Democratic observers say passions are high as the nominating contests come to a close and the party is poised to have either the first female or first black presidential nominee.
“It’s great to be making history, but somebody is going to lose and their supporters are going to be disappointed and have legitimate complaints,” said Greg Haas, a Columbus-based Democratic consultant.
“For ranks to close, the party is going to have to take seriously the concerns raised by the losing candidate because there are legitimate issues. If those are dismissed, then there will be a problem uniting.”
Jim Ruvolo, former Ohio Democratic Party chairman, said that by November most Clinton and Obama supporters will be united.
“Most Democrats and independents want to deny George Bush a third term, and that will unite us,” Ruvolo said. “I think at the end of the day this election will be about a new direction for the country.”
I suggest Haas and Ruvolo make their plans for getting to that united place known ASAP.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:22 pm May 15th, 2008 in Barack Obama, Voting, Gender, Social Issues, Campaigning, Ohio, Elections, Women, Politics | 26 Comments
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May
15
For sports fans, there’s nothing more disappointing than to see a career end before we want it to. This week, the world learned that two soon would. Belgian tennis player Justine Henin and Swedish golfer Annika Sorenstam both announced their retirements. Sorenstam, a career Grand Slam winner, is 37. Henin, a seven-time Grand Slam champion and current world No. 1, is 25. Neither plays a sport in which youth is at a premium. So it is difficult not to feel cheated: we will never again see Henin’s spry figure unleashing shots with such a variety of spins that she made the slugging behemoths of women’s tennis suffer death by a thousand slices. Sorenstam’s cool accuracy and composure will soon be lost to us, too.
…
To Henin and Sorenstam, an athlete’s career is in many ways no different from any other. “I have a lot of dreams, I want to live and I’m getting married,” Sorenstam said. Henin echoed: “This is the end of a child’s dream … It is my life as a woman that starts now.” The world has always admired northern European countries for their work-life balance, so we can hardly begrudge a famous Swede for saying she wants to start a family, or the planet’s best-known Belgian for simply craving a rest.
Henin’s explanation for quitting in her prime is that, quite to her own surprise, she has lost the desire to train and compete and is now interested in focusing on her personal life and her new Belgian tennis academy.
“I think I will take long, real vacation,” she said. “I’m going to appreciate going for a run with nothing at stake, just doing it for pleasure. I’ve never put my feet in skis, and next year I think I’ll be doing it the whole winter. I want to rediscover the small pleasures, not look at my watch all the time because I have to get to training the next day.”
So is it pure and simple burnout? Not according to Henin and not according to Larry Scott, the head of the WTA Tour, who heard the news and an explanation from Henin on Tuesday.
“This isn’t an exasperated, frustrated player who needs a break,” Scott said. “This is a life decision. I don’t think there’s any chance she’ll come back. Really.”
Best to them both.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:39 pm May 15th, 2008 in Sports, Women | Please comment
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May
15
Speech about Wendy Hoke, recipient of SPJ’s Distinguished Service Award
Filed Under Women, Writing, Ohio, Announcements, Media, Blogging | 4 Comments
Today, I had one of the greatest honors anyone has ever given me: a chance to speak about someone who has had a life-altering impact on me, Wendy Hoke. Here is the text of my speech. And again, congratulations, Wendy.
Wendy Hoke is the kind of person who could receive a distinguished service award for every role she’s ever embraced or that has been thrust upon her. Daughter, student, wife, mother, friend. Reporter, freelancer, editor, blogger, spokesperson. Member, coordinator, president, chair, staffer.
What makes this assertion true is the fact that Wendy never applies only her skill set to a task. Rather, Wendy succeeds and excels unlike most everyone else because her efforts combine what she knows with what she feels: an innate talent and love for living life and telling stories.
It’s difficult for me to honor Wendy without slipping in even one story about how she has encouraged, mentored and nurtured me in the few years since I first wrote “Ms. Hoke” and asked her to tell me why I should join SPJ.
But you aren’t here to listen to how Wendy stood sentinel, laughing out loud over our carryon luggage, when we traveled to the 2005 SPJ annual convention in Las Vegas, while I raced madly on and off the plane from which we’d just disembarked because I thought I’d lost my cell phone, while, all the time, she could hear the phone ringing from inside the middle of my suitcase.
Yet, it is the way in which Wendy acts as this stalwart sentinel and caretaker, as she takes on every role – regardless of its importance - that distinguishes her and has permanently affected the local and national SPJ organizations for the better, and for all of us.
Wendy’s involvement in SPJ has spanned three decades. She joined the organization in 1986 during her sophomore year at Ohio University. Although she claims that she was not “real active” if you know Wendy, her version of not real active could shame most of us.
Wendy remained only slightly more dormant until shortly after her oldest son was born. Then, in early 1993, she learned that SPJ had held its national convention in Cleveland the previous fall but, even though she worked at one of the city’s major news organizations, she didn’t know a thing about the event’s existence. In Wendy’s words, which I’m sure you can hear her saying, she became “incensed” because she’d been yearning, as she always has, to become a better journalist, but had been feeling that there were few local opportunities to learn.
As a result of this experience, Wendy went to her first Cleveland chapter board meeting, with her then eight week-old firstborn in tow. Her intention? To give them a piece of her mind. Instead, in typical Wendy fashion, she found herself “volunteering at the tender age of 25 to chair the 1996 regional convention in Cleveland.
This story of Wendy’s foray into SPJ Cleveland Pro activities underscores her self-perception as a cheerleader and idealist who only wants the best things to happen.
The spectrum of roles Wendy has played in SPJ over the last fifteen years is testimony to her mantra:
LOCALLY, Wendy has: Chaired the regional convention twice and has been a panelist. She has served on the SPJ local board for a total of 11 years, since 1993 and as president from July 2002 to July 2004.
NATIONALLY, Wendy was a Delegate twice to National SPJ Conventions and moderated numerous freelance panels at several subsequent conventions.
In October 2003, as a direct result of Wendy’s observation at that year’s convention that freelancers who had paid their own way had no freelance-oriented sessions to attend, she was appointed by the SPJ national president to co-chair the National Freelance Committee, a position that she held from Oct. 2003 to Aug. 2006. Wendy considers the formation and growth of this group, to nearly 500 members by the time she stepped down, as one about which she is most proud. Why? “Because we gave them a voice when they felt that they weren’t being listened to or felt that the national didn’t have room for them. We got SPJ to listen.”
SPJ National also utilized Wendy in numerous leadership capacities. She was a Participant in the Ted Scripps Leadership Training Conference in June 2003 and a Speaker and/or coordinator of the program every year from 2004 through 2007.
One of Wendy’s most personally gratifying experiences, directly related to her hard work and unique contributions to SPJ came when she traveled as One of