Obama Bundler Worried About New York Businesswomen
Leonore Blitz, a bundler for Barack Obama and an advocate for women in politics, called to say she is picking up on what she considers a disturbing vibe among Democratic women in the New York business community: supporters of Hillary Clinton are considering voting for John McCain over Obama.
"I've been sensing an undercurrent in New York and then the Ferraro thing just set it off for me," said Blitz, referring to remarks Geraldine Ferraro made in Monday's New York Times. (She called Obama "sexist" and suggested that she might not vote for him.) "There is not a great deal of enthusiasm for Barack Obama and some are considering voting for McCain, others are saying let's wait and see, we don't know him yet."
One of the issues, said Blitz, is that some women feel there aren't enough women in the leadership of the campaign. Blitz said that just about everyday she receives email messages sent out by Clinton aides Ann Lewis and Maggie Williams (she made personal donations to the Clinton campaign early on). From the Obama campaign, she said, all the updates come from men.
Blitz said she found it heartening that Clinton's former campaign manager, Patti Solis Doyle, reportedly held informal talk with Obama's chief strategist, David Axelrod.
"It's a good thing," she said. "We need senior women operatives to migrate from the Clinton campaign to the Obama campaign."
The Clinton campaign puts a good deal of Clinton's disastrous post- February 5 showing on Solis Doyle.
- Poll
- Obama (D)
- McCain(R)
- Spread
- RCP Average
- 45.8
- 41.6
- Obama +4.2
- Candidate
- Favorable
- Unfavorable
- Spread
- Obama
- 55.6
- 33.0
- +22.6
- McCain
- 52.6
- 34.3
- +18.3
Leonore Blitz started with the Obama campaign just 4 months ago. I don't think she's even raised $30,000; the fact that she's being quoted as a powerful Obama insider and bundler is insulting. She's caused more harm than good on the campaign.
As a strong Women for Obama supporter, I'm insulted to see that Leonore Blitz is mentioned as a bundler (I believe she's raised less than $30,000) AND as a strong advocate inside the campaign. Leonore has caused more harm than good since her arrival (after having donated $4600 to Hillary) just 5 months ago.
In response to the Women for Obama’s comments, I have gotten to know Leonore Blitz through New York Women for Obama. This is a totally inaccurate portrayal of her. She is a well known advocate of women in business and women in politics and has been supporting Senator Obama since he announced in Springfield in February 2007. She has spent countless hours working on behalf of Obama, fundraising, grassroots, and with New York Women for Obama. I was in New Hampshire, and Leonore was there knocking on doors and calling voters. She was one of the organizers and speakers at the New York Women for Obama Rally in Columbus Circle before Super Tuesday, which I attended.
I believe she has been courageous, and she has spoken at meetings about how hard it was for her to make the decision to support Senator Obama over Senator Clinton, as a woman and as someone who respects and has known Senator Clinton for many years. Above all, Leonore always stresses that she is a Democrat and speaks about the importance of uniting the party. Her fundraising is legendary in New York, she raises for the DNC, for House and Senate candidates, and in 2004, she personally raised over $1 million for Senator Kerry. I know she has raised over $130,000 for Senator Obama, and started raising money for him in February 2007, almost a year and a half ago. I went to the fundraiser she organized at the end of March this year for New York Businesswomen to support Obama. Finally, I was curious and I looked at her giving history, she contributed the $4600 to Senator Clinton’s Presidential campaign in the second quarter of 2007, 12 months ago, not five months ago.
Leonore is a master of self-promotion. She is barely tolerable at events. She is pushy and never gives anyone else credit. She's also known to be really abusive to the staff at the DNC and most people just say yes to her to shut her up. Sadly I think she's probably very lonely which explains a lot.
Barack Obama deserves to be in this position he's in. He earned it and I would say the same about Hillary Clinton.