Emily’s List
Are any of you Emily’s List members? Did you used to be?
I keep getting letters and emails from Emily’s List, asking me to rejoin. I’m still very sympathetic to their overall mission, but am disinclined to sign up at the moment.
First, I feel like I no longer need a group like Emily’s List in order to identify candidates in other states who are worthy of my support. Since I’ve never lived in what could be called a swing state — and rarely even lived in a district with a competitive Congressional race — I liked the idea of being able to make a difference in a race that might matter. I still like the idea, but am more likely to send money to a candidate who someone I trust blogs about than to one endorsed by Emily’s List.
Second, I feel like they’ve so totally drunk the Hillary kool-aid as to lose credibility for me. I’m not a Hillary-hater, and I’ll vote for her with enthusiasm if she’s the nominee, but she’s not my first choice candidate. And when they run a major feature on Myths about Hillary Clinton and say "Hillary has repeatedly said that if she had all the facts when she voted for the initial authorization for the war… she would not have voted in favor of the Iraq resolution," my response is to think that maybe if she had read the national intelligence
estimate, she would have had more of the facts.
I think I’m putting my money into the Women’s Campaign Forum instead.
August 22nd, 2007 at 10:13 pm
I am an EMILY’s List member still, but I don’t think I’ll be giving Hillary any money anytime soon. She doesn’t seem to need that ‘early money,’ in my opinion.
August 24th, 2007 at 2:07 am
EMILY’s List has not adequately addressed their absolutely devastating failure rate in the 2006 cycle. While Dems made huge gains across the country, EMILY’s List candidates tanked. With only a couple of exceptions, they all lost close races — many of which were targeted by the DCCC and considered winnable.
Like you, I send my money and support directly to candidates at this point. And like you, I also support EMILY’s List’s goals.
BTW, I now refuse to donate to NARAL’s national organization. I support my state affiliate (and VA’s is great, too) but it will take along time — and new leadership — before I trust NARAL with my money again after they endorsed Joe Lieberman. They endorsed someone who refused to filibuster Alito and Roberts and who infamously said that rape victims can just take a “short ride” to another hospital if they go to a Catholic hospital that refuses to dispense EC…and they endorsed him over a genuinely pro-choice challenger. So no soup for them.
August 24th, 2007 at 11:55 pm
i used to belong, and still get their mailings. the info is sometimes interesting/valuable. and i agree about naral, maura.