Hillary Clinton’s New Campaign Manager Is Openly Gay, A Historic First

[one_voice]

Hillary Clinton isn’t shying away from inclusion in her campaign. Anyone could see that from her official announcement video that included diverse races, languages, ethnicities, and sexual orientations. Clinton also shows her commitment to inclusion with her choice of Vermont native Robby Mook to fill the role of her campaign manager. Mook is openly gay, and the first openly gay man to ever manage a presidential campaign in United States history. He graduated from Columbia University with a degree in classics with no studies of political science. However, Mook’s accomplishments wouldn’t seem like it.

He successfully ran Terry McAuliffe’s Virginia gubernatorial campaign in 2013 against Tea Party extremist Ken Cuccinelli. Given Hillary Clinton is running against Tea Party favorites such as Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, Mook’s experience will certainly be a major asset to her campaign.

Mook also worked for the Democratic National Committee, and was tasked with directing Clinton’s 2008 campaign in the states of Ohio, Nevada, and Indiana, and Clinton won the popular vote in all three. After the primaries (which Obama obviously won), Mook managed Jeanne Shaheen’s successful New Hampshire U.S. Senate race that fall. Shaheen’s win ended over 30 years of Republican control of that Senate seat.

During McAuliffe’s gubernatorial election, Politico named Mook one of the “50 Politicos to Watch,” and said:

But as prominent as this off-year campaign may be, don’t expect to see the low-key Mook seeking out the national political spotlight. The earnest and self-effacing Vermont native has built such a strong reputation in Democratic politics in part by avoiding the public adulation that many consultants seek and by simply getting the job done.

*snip*

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/04/20/hillary-clintons-new-campaign-manager-is-openly-gay-a-historic-first/

[Agschmid]

1. Kick.

[hrmjustin]

2. K&R!

[giftedgirl77]

3. K&R

[msanthrope]

12. You sound concerned. Please feel free to air more of your concerns, and enjoy your stay. nt

[DemocratSinceBirth]

15. Are you looking?/NT

[William769]

17. Let's give you some time off so you can attend.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

18. I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and just assume he's looking

[William769]

5. K & Fucking R!

[okaawhatever]

6. Sounds like an excellent choice. Good hire Hillary. nt

[cali]

7. and he's a Vermonter.

[JI7]

8. impressive record for a 35 year old

[hamsterjill]

9. That woman is going to give the Tea Baggers a heart attack!!! LOL

Love it!!

[Iliyah]

11. Gonna? LOL

RWers are bringing out everything they can get their hands on to defeat her with unfortunately some help from the left.

[Hoyt]

52. Her secret strategy. They either won't be voting, or need the ACA.

[KamaAina]

10. Mook? Did he ever work for Stephanie Miller?

[4dsc]

13. And centrist I presume

so much for anything remotely progressive coming from this campaign.

[Hekate]

20. On what evidence do you base your presumptuous statement about the gay man being centrist?

Please proceed.

[justiceischeap]

23. Let's see, his first big campaign was Howard Dean

then John Kerry, Martin O'Malley, then Clinton, Jeanne Shaheen and Terry McAuliffe. No, I'm not going to presume he's a centrist because he works for democrats of all stripes.

[Thinkingabout]

34. The important result is for Hillary to win.

[justiceischeap]

35. He was responsible for the wins she had in 3 primaries

Nevada being one of them. I can't remember the other two off the top of my head.

[Cha]

60. But, you don't know.. you're just presumptious.

[Dr Hobbitstein]

14. Not a Hillary supporter in the primaries

As I like to weigh the field to see who best serves my interest. As she's the only player thus far (aside from my personal favorite, Vermin Supreme), I cannot make a proper decision. Aside from that, I applaud her for this decision. There should be many more openly gay figures in our communities, corporations, and government. That people still have to hide in fear of retribution for something beyond their choice in our times is appalling.

[zappaman]

22. I fucking LOVE Vermin Supreme!

[Politicub]

16. K&R!

[Hekate]

19. KnR!

[reddread]

21. is there any recognition for our first fully closeted Secretary of State?

or is that a state secret?
I guess these are much better days, where anyone can let it all hang out.
Unless they are a little too liberal in the loafers.

[sufrommich]

26. Who was that? nt

[reddread]

28. It is impossible to say with accuracy

but the last one I knew about was Condi Rice.
to so much as shed doubt about her sexual interests in the midst of marriage bans and a myriad of anti-gay hysteria?
That was simply being unfair and bigoted.
Except of course, to Standard Oil execs and Stanford University admins who all knew damn well what we were not allowed to discuss.

[Hekate]

33. If you have a legitimate point here, please let us know. If all you've got is speculation...

...about someone's desire for a private life, let us know that too.

[reddread]

36. i have no speculation to offer

the facts about it are as clear in hindsight as they were to anyone with privy to SO execs or SU admins.
MY VERY legitimate point is that gays were being targeted by an admin who kept theirs in the closet.
Do you think I did something wrong?
On the one hand, the demand for privacy amidst shaming and blaming and gaming?
But now, the tables are turned and sexuality is to be exploited for points?


If it werent for the hypocrisy and abetting, we would NOT be sweating the marriage and employment rights of gay Americans
ten years later.

[Jackpine Radical]

38. WTF is THAT about?

[reddread]

39. they've come a long way baby

what used to be a bug is now a feature.

[Agnosticsherbet]

57. Back in 2004, Rice refered to Bush as : "As I was telling my husb—"

She caught herself and continued with, "As I was telling President Bush."

He closest male friend was known to be gay. In the 70's, she was engaged to football player Rick Upchurch.

But there is no way such an accusation could be proved short of Rice coming out.

I do not see that we could celebrate her being closeted.

[tavernier]

24. Looking forward to the day

when his sexual preference isn't even an asterisk.

[Thinkingabout]

32. That would be good.

[yallerdawg]

25. An historic first!

Expanding the freedoms and rights of every individual. Smashing ceilings!

That is progressive!

Question about this website "Addicting Info" where the referenced article is, if I may.

Are you all getting links on the left to "Female Athletes With Better Butts Than Kim Kardashian," "25 Places You Are Forbidden to See on Google," "28 Crazy Tattoos That Will Blow Your Mind"? Because it is so very crazily creepy that 'they' know so much about me... Is this data-mining and targeted advertising?

At DU, all I get is warnings to not sue BP.

[FiveGoodMen]

27. Nancy "off the table" Pelosi was the first woman Speaker of the House

...and stabbed us all in the back.

It's nice to see glass ceilings broken, but that should not be a contributing factor in selecting a candidate.

[reddread]

30. such a hard point to make

even worse when it sticks out of your chest.
it aint us being represented up there.

[leftofcool]

29. K&R

[Thinkingabout]

31. I would be looking to surround myself with the best qualified people and it would

Not matter what sex, race, creed or choice they made as long as they were the best.

[Hekate]

37. The only problem with that statement is that it is routinely used by white straight males...

... as a cover for selecting other white straight males for jobs. It just is.

We went through this here at DU when Obama had the opportunity to fill not one but two SCOTUS vacancies. Some of us said women and/or people of color would be a good choice because it's a good thing to bring diversity of representation, point of view, and life experiences to the highest court in the land. Others believed that just giving voice to that opinion was an obnoxious demand for quotas -- ironically the same thing GOP people liked to say about affirmative action. And then the GOP gave us Clarence effing Thomas just to prove their point.

In a country of over 300 million citizens there are going to be untold thousands of "best qualified" for even high-level positions. With that in mind, why not go for a diverse selection of those qualified? We need everyone's life experience and point of view.

[Thinkingabout]

40. Then your routine thinking is wrong.

[Hekate]

41. ?

[Thinkingabout]

42. I am not male.

[Hekate]

43. Simply pointing out the pitfalls of endorsing that line of reasoning, not attributing gender to you

I'm female and white, but spent a dozen years working on Affirmative Action at my county. It's a point of view, even in a supposed meritocracy.

[Thinkingabout]

44. Sorry if my opinion offends you, I have had this opinion for many years and I do not

plan to change, I want the best around me.

[Agschmid]

47. Sounds like most of the stuff posted on DU on a daily basis?

What is the issue you take with that?

[Agschmid]

46. Kick.

[Cha]

48. her choice of Vermont native Robby Mook to fill the role of her campaign manager. Mook is openly gay

and the first openly gay man to ever manage a presidential campaign in United States history.

Excellent choice! So happy this is who Hillary chose!

Mahalo one_voice~

[McCamy Taylor]

50. K&R

[think]

51. respect /nt

[wheniwasincongress]

53. Swiss Mitt's spokesman was gay

And then he resigned, and I don't think it was ever really cleared up why he resigned but it appears to have to do with him being gay.

EDIT that guy's name is Richard Grenell, Wikipedia (I know, I know) states "He resigned after pressure from social conservatives and gay liberals alike"

[Cha]

59. Yeah

[JI7]

63. gay liberals criticized him because of his sexist attacks on mostly liberal women

but even some republicans like gingrich's wife. attacks such as on their appearance. either way the attacks were just stupid and sexist.

but that had nothing to do with him resigning. he resigned because of the social conservatives that romney was having a hard time with .

and he was spokesman for romney on national security issues .

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

54. Okay, I have to commend Hillary for that move.

[merrily]

55. Great. However, when a gay in 2008 said gays had felt betrayed by Bill, Hillary said,

"I thought 'we' did very well." That was her reply in 2008.

Meanwhile, DADT and DOMA had led gays whom I know who had worked for Bubba in 1992 to work for Nader in 2000. And Bubba did not back off either position until after Obama openly supported equal marriage. The most Bubba did was say Powell had misled him as to DADT. (I don't believe for a second that Powell outsmarted Bubba.)


Once Obama took his stand on equal marriage, though, the political risk of doing the correct thing lessened considerably. So, hiring Mook, known for no leaks, was not exactly a profile in courage move at this point.

Also, one in eight Democratic bundlers are gay, a fact that came out when Obama made his announcement, just as he was gearing up for his re-election campaign. And Human Rights Campaign and others had, rightly, IMO, been putting pressure on him all alone.

Meanwhile, Ken Mehlman was head of the RNC from 2005 to 2007 AND Director of the White House Office of Affairs from 2001 through 2007. Although he did not come out publicly until after leaving both those slots, his orientation was widely known to Republican higher ups so giving him those positions was a bold step on the part of a Republican at that time. Does that mean we should have voted for Dimson?

Good for Mook personally. Good for members of the GLBTQ community generally. Every positive step is long, long overdue and helps. I can applaud this. But, I can also put it in context.

[malokvale77]

56. Fine and well...

but what does that have to do with a nation where a large percentage of the population is hungry and/or homeless?

[Behind the Aegis]

58. It is amazing!

It will be equally amazing when this is commonplace. Sadly, it is also amazing how news like this is shit on and pissed all over by those who claim to be supportive of GLBT people but in reality do nothing more than grouse about other issues, as if us homos got it so damn good this isn't important at all. Some look to belittle us in ways that would make the right-wing beam with pride.

Good for Clinton and good for us!

[For Freddie]

65. Thank You

PFLAG Grandma says Thank You. How can anyone see something negative in this event? EVERY step forward is a blessing. Every big and little step toward acceptance, Love and inclusion is a positive.

[Warren DeMontague]

61. Funny, I had thought Steve Schmidt, who ran the McCain Campaign in '08, was gay - and out.

Maybe not. Either way it was a deeply weird position for someone who openly supported equality, to put themselves in.

[Behind the Aegis]

62. Nope.

He has a lesbian sister.

[Warren DeMontague]

64. Right, okay.

I knew it was something along those lines.

[polynomial]

66. Hillary had a Gay manager before

Gay times are not always honest

Gushing with the magic word "diversity.", individuals from fundamentally different cultures are still persuaded in business to act independently risking achieving success by convoluting truth. Sometimes being a total liar.

In my personal experience I have had many interactions with openly Gay management styles, most being honest with integrity, but sadly in my last job being terminated by lies at a very large transportation company, namely the Union Pacific Railroad, an openly Gay women manager openly lied about my character in the work place. She knew she was not telling the truth.

The lie was about very important safety practices in the work place, plus combined with a cover up in proper injury reporting. All documented in a company investigation, as far as I know likely still is in an OSHA investigation. Actually, about eight other managers also involved lied about my character and behavior. It should be interesting how this all plays out, definitely going to write a book about these events.

For me it was a very traumatic experience no one should go through lies with a termination, and poor to negligent injury reporting, but it happens under the radar at this huge railroad transportation system that has combined laws by Congress.

[Behind the Aegis]

67. So who was the gay manager?

And what the hell does this have to do with gays being liars?

[JI7]

68. what the fuck does your personal story have to do with anything ?

There are people who do shit things of all backgrounds.you seem to be saying her being openly gay wss why she was a bad person.

And what the fuck is "gay management styles" ?