We're Playing for Keeps ODP
Submitted by Admin on Wed, 08/15/2007 - 9:39am.
Pho catches an interesting story.
Last week I reported that my friend Megan Pappada was hired as the ODP's first coordinator of women's outreach. You may or may not have heard that she was unhired that night.
From what I can put together, after hiring Megan, someone discovered that first semester of her freshman year she wrote a letter to the editor of the OSU student newspaper about race relations. In it, she took some positions that were problematic and others that probably could have been expressed better. And from what I've been told by a person close to the matter, Megan was let go. Both the post on ODP blog and the podcast on Odeo were quietly deleted. I wrote ODP for comment and have heard nothing.
C'mon ODP, don't make me look dumb after all those nice things I've been saying about y'all to the press. No mulligans. Back to it.
Oh, and seriously. Don't try and just act like it "didn't happen." Own up to your screw up, admit it was a mistake, and move on. Don't stonewall Pho's request for clarification and don't hide the audio files like it never happened. That's so Matt Dole-ish.
UPDATE: Todd Hoffman from ODP responds:
Jerid-
Below is a copy of the message I sent to Scott:
Scott-
You wrote “I wrote ODP for comment and have heard nothing.” I have not received any messages from you regarding this situation. Please make a note of my contact information so that this communication gap does not occur again. You can call me anytime at 614-221-6563 ext.109 or email at Hoffman@ohiodems.org.
We hope that the 25 year old Megan would like to talk to the 18 year old Megan and explain how the views expressed in her letter to the editor were unacceptable. Unfortunately, Megan’s letter was not discovered during our routine background check nor was it disclosed during interviews. When the letter was brought to our attention, it became very apparent that the views expressed were not consistent with the ideals of the Ohio Democratic Party. As an employee of ODP, any statements, past or present, in the public domain reflect upon the Party so we let her go within hours of learning of the situation.
Well, I owe the party an apology. My issue here was that it sure sounded like stonewalling and hiding the issue, but props to them for responding so quickly and clearing things up. That's the type of response I'm looking forward to seeing in action in the campaign in '08. However, one last irritation... do a google search on folks before you hire them. That said, thanks to the party and my apologies.
Response
Submitted by Todd Hoffman on Wed, 08/15/2007 - 11:32am.
I have no record of being contacted by Pho, via phone or email, however after reading his post I have responded to his concerns.
We hope that the 25 year old Megan would like to talk to the 18 year old Megan and explain how the views expressed in her letter to the editor were unacceptable. Unfortunately, Megan’s letter was not discovered during our routine background check nor was it disclosed during interviews. When the letter was brought to our attention, it became very apparent that the views expressed were not consistent with the ideals of the Ohio Democratic Party. As an employee of ODP, any statements, past or present, in the public domain reflect upon the Party and so we let her go within hours of learning of the situation.
Todd Hoffman
Online Communications Director
Ohio Democratic Party
uh...
Submitted by Eric Vessels on Wed, 08/15/2007 - 12:26pm.
it was the second link in a google search of her name.
Fired for 7-year-old Thoughtcrime?
Submitted by Blogesque on Wed, 08/15/2007 - 1:50pm.
As an employee of ODP, any statements, past or present, in the public domain reflect upon the Party and so we let her go within hours of learning of the situation.
Let me get this straight: she expressed a political opinion (the main kind of 'speech' protected by the First Amendment) seven years before she ever applied to the ODP. She later applied for and was given a political job with ODP. She was then terminated for having exercised her right to protected political speech seven years earlier. Is that the basic sequence of events here?
The statute of limitations has expired on her thoughtcrime, Todd. You say these statements didn't come up during the interview process but let me ask you this: do you still remember (and agree with) everything you said or did when you were 18? Aren't people allowed to change their minds over time, or as Mrs. Clinton puts it, allow their opinions to "evolve?" Do people's opinions fossilize upon the age of majority, never to shift again until death?
This kind of idiocy just validates my decision.
When I was 18
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 08/15/2007 - 2:05pm.
I listened to a lot of bands. I liked soem stuff by Minor Threat until i heard the sone "Guilty of Being White". The songs has some of the same things that Megan's letter had.
I stopped listening to that band, because the fews they expressed about race made me sick.
I have no idea what Ian McCay is up to these days (Minor Threat's singer) but he should not e working for ODP.
Apparently we're not accepting new Democrats anymore.
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 08/15/2007 - 6:15pm.
The ODP has pissed me off in the past enough, but really, this? Assuming Megan has recanted her views, shouldn't we as a party be open to people who used to support Republican views or candidates? It should be considered a great victory for our party and message that we convinced someone to change their mind on an issue like this to the extent that now she is apparently a well qualified campaigner for our side. I've often thought I'd end up working for the ODP at somepoint, but I'd be hard-pressed to accept a job under conditions like this.
I hope we don't turn away people at the polls who voted Republican 6 years ago and now want to vote Democrat.
Correction
Submitted by PoliticalOutcast on Thu, 08/16/2007 - 1:06am.
Her views are not "Republican" views. Ignorant views, yes. Republican, no.
Her comments were extremely harsh. To think that she "evolved" from these bigoted views are pretty hard to believe.
Hard to believe? Not
Submitted by Brian from OH-12 on Thu, 08/16/2007 - 8:45am.
Hard to believe? Not really. I used to think affirmative action wasn't really necessary anymore, because I didn't know any better. Had you followed me around when I was in my first quarter of college, you might well have heard me say this exact sentence (pulled from Megan's letter): "Why should minority students receive more scholarships and opportunities because they are minority?"
I came from a large public high school that was primarily white. My friends - of all races - were from relatively affluent, white collar families. My experiences pre-OSU informed my opinions, and you know what? They were valid opinions in that context. My minority friends didn't need any special consideration for their race, because they had all the same advantages I did (and since most of them were smarter, and some from wealthy families, some other advantages too). In that context, everyone should be treated as if the world were color-blind.
At the time, I didn't understand why things like affirmative action and unions were necessary. I didn't have the requisite knowledge and life experience. Ohio State gave me some of that. Working in the real world after graduation gave me the rest.
If I could go back and talk to my 18-year-old self, I'd probably smack myself in the head with a clue-by-four and tell myself to stop being such a spoiled brat. I'm sure Megan would do the same.
I understand the ODP's position (and problem), but it feels to me like they are running away from the problem, instead of being proactive about it. Confront it: own it. Give Megan an opportunity to explain herself, and if she's convincing, let her do it publicly. The most troubling thing for me is where she points out that minority students often struggle in college, with the implication it's because they are minority (and not that their educational background might have anything to do with it). I'd like her thought process there explained, including why her opinion has presumably changed.
I've never run away from the fact that I used to be libertarian. It was a combination of idealism and naiveté. The idealism that lead to my libertarianism is still there. The naiveté is not. That's why I'm a liberal now.
I came from a large public high school that was primarily white. My friends - of all races - were from relatively affluent, white collar families. My experiences pre-OSU informed my opinions, and you know what? They were valid opinions in that context. My minority friends didn't need any special consideration for their race, because they had all the same advantages I did (and since most of them were smarter, and some from wealthy families, some other advantages too). In that context, everyone should be treated as if the world were color-blind.
At the time, I didn't understand why things like affirmative action and unions were necessary. I didn't have the requisite knowledge and life experience. Ohio State gave me some of that. Working in the real world after graduation gave me the rest.
If I could go back and talk to my 18-year-old self, I'd probably smack myself in the head with a clue-by-four and tell myself to stop being such a spoiled brat. I'm sure Megan would do the same.
I understand the ODP's position (and problem), but it feels to me like they are running away from the problem, instead of being proactive about it. Confront it: own it. Give Megan an opportunity to explain herself, and if she's convincing, let her do it publicly. The most troubling thing for me is where she points out that minority students often struggle in college, with the implication it's because they are minority (and not that their educational background might have anything to do with it). I'd like her thought process there explained, including why her opinion has presumably changed.
I've never run away from the fact that I used to be libertarian. It was a combination of idealism and naiveté. The idealism that lead to my libertarianism is still there. The naiveté is not. That's why I'm a liberal now.
No, our party should and
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 08/15/2007 - 8:31pm.
No, our party should and will continue to welcome people who voted Republican 6 years ago (or 2.5!) and now want to vote Democrat, but the ODP is right to hold its staffers to a higher standard.
Wow.
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 08/15/2007 - 10:31pm.
You people apparently treat your supporters like shit. Good job. Hopefully this woman becomes suitably embittered and votes Republican for the rest of her life.
Lesson Learned
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 08/16/2007 - 9:54am.
I guess this young lady gets no credit for maybe having learned something since her freshman year at college.
Of course, if they brought this letter to her attention, and then she said, yeah, I still feel this way, and if asked, I stand by those words, then that would be different. But that doesn't seem to be the case -- regardless of what she thinks now, that fact that she ever wrote that and put her name next to it bars her.
Life, Pre-Internet Was Sometimes Better
Life, pre-internet, was sometimes better. Shouldn't this lady get at least one pass for something she said when she was 18?
Scott A. Pullins, Esq., Publisher
The Pullins Report