Clarke's Gender Campaign Rolls On
After receiving an invitation to join Yvette Clarke on the steps of City Hall next Tuesday (pdf) for a women-centric promotion that we couldn't pass up posting ("A women's place is in the House...The House of Representatives!"), we decided to talk to Clarke PR rep Juda Engelmayer about the abrupt change in strategy that coincided so neatly with his arrival to the campaign.
Here's what he said:
"Basically the focus has been on race -- the focus hasn't been on issues and it's hard to get the focus back on issues when what's exciting to the media are polarizing issues and we're trying to do that.""Emily's List and Future PAC just endorsed her. These are women's groups who believe she's good on women's issues. Because of that, we decided we're going to start going with that. She is the only woman in the race so we believe it has a certain appeal and attraction level. But there are women's issues out there that are important and two PACs believe she is the candidate of choice for these reasons."
"People can argue that bringing up the women's issue is just as polarizing in a sense as the race issue, nobody can change their color, and nobody can change their gender -- well let's not go there. We're harping on a kind of non-issue: 'Vote for me because I am of a certain class or gender,' so its kind of feeding into the same race issue. But on the other hand, these two PACs give us the clout of having issues behind us as well."
Got that?
—Nicole Brydson
So what is a specific women's issue on which Clarke has a better position or record than her opponents?
EMILY's List Announces Support for Six Women for U.S. Congress
WASHINGTON, D.C. EMILY's List, the nation
The Future PAC is pleased to announce its endorsement of the following four progressive African American women candidates who are running impressive campaigns in tight races:
Yvette Clarke, Candidate for New York's 11th Congressional District
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Debbie Conway, Candidate for Clark County (NV) Recorder
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Donna Edwards, Candidate for Maryland's 4th Congressional District
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Marie Johns, Candidate for Mayor of the District of Columbia
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The Future PAC Endorses Nikki Tinker, Candidate for Tennessee
I hope all the DDDB people have noticed the Building Trades Unions flocking to her side. They usually focus on nothing other than picking winners. In this case it will be hard for them to cover their bets. But it really cuts into the overall union support for Andrews.
Gee - Rudy Guiliani's deputy mayor and hatchet woman Fran Reiter is supporting Yvette! I guess the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree....Go Yvette...way to follow in mom's footprints! Now that's the kind of representation we need in Brooklyn!
Gee....Rudy Giuliani's former deputy mayor and hatchet woman Fran Reiter is supporting Yvette. I guess the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree...why exactly is Yvette running? for herself or her Pataki supporting, Rudy sponsored mom?
EMILY's List only endorses women, so Yvette's getting their nod is no surprise. But how about the Brooklyn-Queens chapter of NOW voting to support Chris Owens based on his long record of support for women's issues? How does Yvette spin that?
Yvette Clarke's recent endorsements by Emily's List and FUTURE Pac are simply two more significant indications that Clarke is pulling further ahead of the other 3 far less attractive Democratic candidates in the 11th Congressional District.
Expect to see continuing expressions of support for Yvette Clarke as she marches toward an impressive victory against all the odds and an attempted white "coup" on September 12th. This is her race to lose. A victory for Yvette is a victory for Brooklyn, YOU GO GIRL you've got the Big Mo now ...
the reason the Building Trades is endorsing the only woman in the race is because of another woman. namely, randi weingarten, they despise her and she is going to wall for carl andrews. labor couldn't care less about the candidates, one dem is the same as another, but they rarely get to even a score with a union enemy!
Where on earth is Clarke's campaign? I live in the 11th CD, and she has been completely invisible. Not even signs on lampposts.
It is not permit by the city to put flyers on lampost.. You will be charged.
Clarke's campaign is campaigning. You feel that she has been invisible - it is probably because you are the type of voter who votes and then goes home to sleep without getting involved in anything that pertains to the community. She is visible to those that go to meetings and events.