Emerge Oregon: Women need apply

Karol Collymore

Emerge Oregon is ready to hit the ground running. Here's a bit about their program to help elect women to office:

emerge Oregon: Our mission is to identify, educate, and inspire Democratic women who want to pursue elective office at the local and state level in Oregon. emerge makes a long-term investment in these future leaders by honing their political skills; expanding their knowledge of local issues; and connecting them with mentors.

Emerge is now accepting applications Download 2009_emergeOregon_Program_Application[1] for their spring program in April.

Read about Emerge's background here Download About_Emerge_Oregon_with_board_and_requests[1]

I apologize for the messiness of the post. I'm still learning the new TypePad.

  • Zarathustra (unverified)
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    What should the role of "education" be in stimulating grass roots politicos? When does education become indoctrination, and how does one see that it doesn't?

  • Bruce Cronk (unverified)
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    Karol. emergeOregon sounds like a worthwhile organization. My question is why limit membership to Democrats? There are many progressives who will never run for public office as a Democrat because they view the Democratic Party of Oregon as not very progressive. A case in point: Ashlee Albies ran for Attorney General as a member of the Oregon Working Families Party.She received over 160,000 votes with a larger percentage coming from rural counties than from urban ones. If one of emergeOregon's goals is to elect women to office in rural districts, I suggest they stay as far away from the Democratic Party as possible.

  • Paul (unverified)
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    Hey Karol!

    I am so excited about this organization getting off the ground here in Oregon. I hope it will encourage many more women to run for public office. It is so important to have women leaders be the norm and not be a novelty. I am tired of seeing a sea of straight white guys running the world.

  • Miss Conduct (unverified)
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    I am tired of seeing a sea of straight white guys running the world.

    Definitely. I much prefer being lied to, conned and cheated by gay white men. No leadership in the House is much better when it is coming from a woman with 5 children on the demand of an octogenarian bachelor. Hey, but we've got a woman as Speaker of the House!

    Does it matter she's a woman? You bet! Humans are big time role modelers. Just this morning I saw a posting in another blog that shows how the gender identification is important to promoting things you couldn't otherwise, like environmental terrorism.

    Wiregrass Catholic Mom says: January 29th, 2009 at 6:28 pm

    We have 7 living children and 4 in Heaven with the Lord. Pelosi...just makes me want to have one more. Too old, though. LOL So I hope that when my children marry they will remember that the best things in their childhoods were their siblings and that, if God allows, they will be generous in childbearing.

    It's stooping pretty low, but I will give her some credit for adding birth control funding to the stimulus package, even though the whole thing is such pork it's crazy. Let's see if she does anything else worthwhile.

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    Speaking of modelling and all of that........We have no idea how a world (or nation) would look if it were run by a majority of women pols.

    I'm guessing that there'd be a lot more effort at consensus building and a greater reluctance to resort to armed conflict, but who knows?

    The sad fact is that the Second Wave Feminists have yet to make their mark, and many of the existing women pols, are forced to play a game designed and run by testorerone rather than estrogen........

    I've had a chance to meet a few of the Emerge gurls, and they are not the type to be subject to an attack of The Vapors. I wish 'em the best of luck, and will be careful to stay out of their way.....

  • Sue Castner (unverified)
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    Pat, Paul, et al – you need to start the Men’s Auxiliary for emerge Oregon. Women have vast experience with running bake sales and auctions if you need some help.

    Running for public office is not easy and IF you decide to take the leap, that’s just a first step in a very long, very arduous process. Running for office is a skill set and just like any other skill set, it can be taught and that’s what emerge Oregon intends to do.

    Emerge Oregon will be training Democratic women and while there may be moderate Republicans and progressive Independents out there who may share some of our goals and values, we don’t have the luxury of being all things to all people. Emerge Oregon will focus on Democratic women and let the chips fall where they may for other parties.

    I encourage everyone to scroll through your rolodex and find those women you’ve always thought SHOULD run. Kindly direct them to emerge Oregon’s website to find the program application and let ‘em rip. And all those guys who run unopposed cycle after cycle throughout the state? I’m hoping we kiss those days goodbye.

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