NOW's N.Y. president visits Valley for Hillary

YOUNGSTOWN — Marcia Pappas, President of New York State NOW & National NOW Board Member, met with local women Wednesday night to rally the troops.

NOW, National Organization of Women, rarely endorses a presidential candidate. This is only the second time they've endorsed a candidate during the primaries. A group of nearly 20 women met at the MVR Club, the well-known neighborhood restaurant just off the YSU campus, to discuss why it's important to them that Sen. Hillary Clinton wins Ohio's Democratice primary election. next week.

Pappas said Youngstown was the first of a 10-stop Ohio tour for her. She chose to start here because the Valley has seven delegates — the most in Ohio, she said, because of our high Democratic voting record.

NOW uses a tactic called retail politics to get the word out to voters. That consists of not only talking to groups of women, but to women in line at grocery stores, gas stations and even the wait staff at restaurants, she said.

Pappas, who is also a principal lobbyist for women, said she knows it's going to be a tough race for Clinton because she has to win Ohio and Texas to stay in the race.

"[Clinton] is absolutely one of the warmest people I've ever met," Pappas said. "... I want someone who's going to see the world through my eyes, through your eyes."

She said that since Clinton is the first viable woman candidate, she thinks that women around the nation should be proud, adding that this is also the first time a black candidate made it this far, which is also a major accomplishment.

State Rep. Linda Bolon of Columbiana County was also in attendance. She said it was exciting that Pappas came from New York to visit with them, and she was very excited to hear what she had to say. As an elected official, and a woman, having Clinton on the ballot is a huge deal for her, Bolon said.

"Woman are considering this such an important issue," Bolon said. "There's been women put in jail for the right to vote."

Bolon reiterated the fact that Pappas coming to the Valley proves that the vote in our area is important.

During the meeting, there was much debate about the candidates' qualifications. Although some things were said about Sen. Barack Obama's age and experience, none of the women in the group had anything particularly negative to say about him.