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Jun

11

US News & World Report covers Ohio Go Run!


I’m still debriefing from the White House Project’s Ohio Go Run! as well as Blogging in Tongues, but here’s evidence that Hillary Clinton’s efforts to win the Democratic presidential nomination not only are far from a defeat, for anyone, but rather has given birth to multiple times more women who will seek – and win – elected office:

We see the words Hillary Clinton in our application,” says National Program Director Erin Vilardi. “She has moved women from all political affiliations and inspired them with her candidacy.” And while Clinton’s efforts fell short, White House Project President Marie Wilson says that she believes Clinton still had a positive impact on women who might consider someday running for office. “You can say, ‘Well, [Clinton] didn’t make it,’ ‘Well, she didn’t win,’ but the fact that she kept working, I think, was a great inspiration to women,” Wilson says. More and more women have expressed to the organization that they want to walk in the footsteps of Clinton and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, she adds.

…

Women who attended the weekend’s panel discussions and workshops and spoke by phone after the training generally agreed that Clinton had done them a service, even those who didn’t necessarily support her at the ballot box.

“I thought it was small steps for the United States and huge steps for womanhood,” says Cat Fincun, a 22-year-old AmeriCorps volunteer and Obama supporter. “It’s awesome that there was a woman candidate.”

So agreed Deborah McKinney, the City Council president and vice mayor of a small town northwest of Cincinnati, who came to the training as a participant and a speaker. “Even though I did not support her and do not have the beliefs that she does, I appreciate the cracks that she put in that glass ceiling,” says McKinney, a Republican.

I am almost unspeakably proud to have had been on the steering committee for this training from the beginning, but I’m even prouder to describe how well the staff of the White House Project operates.  The planning, the materials, the kindness, the infinite energy – all resulted from their work, their constant work.

But most of all – the endless stream of encouragement. Several women said they’d campaign for each other, including me – if I ever have something to campaign for. And I told numerous women that they damn well better contact me so I can donate money and time and moral support.

The WHP clan displayed and shared the science of getting elected.  But in reality, I see it as magic because when I left there on Sunday, they actually had me believing that if I ever run for elected office, I would – not I could – but I would win.

That is some powerful shit.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 7:48 pm June 11th, 2008 in Campaigning, Elections, Hillary Clinton, Ohio, Politics, Science, Women 

Comments

4 Responses to “US News & World Report covers Ohio Go Run!”

  1. 1 Chris Baker on June 12th, 2008 6:56 am

    How cool is that.

  2. 2 Jill Miller Zimon on June 12th, 2008 12:45 pm

    It was pretty wild. It’s like voodoo or something, I swear. lol

  3. 3 Kelley Bell on June 13th, 2008 3:51 pm

    Hypnosis for sure.
    Marie Wilson waves her magic wand, makes the magic ask (asking women to run for office) and BAM! we are under her spell.

    Now, please explain to me how you go your blog picked up by TIME magazine?

    -Talk about powerful Voodoo. WOW.

  4. 4 Jill Miller Zimon on June 14th, 2008 9:13 am

    Hey you – yeah – it is like a trance, huh? Only broken when we return home to reality? Eek. I know – gotta try to not see it that way.

    Think positive, think positive. Where’s that voodoo doll?

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