Hillery for president

Hillery for president' rally draws 20 instead of hoped-for 200


By BONNA de la CRUZ



A Hillary Clinton rally drew critics of President Bush, nonpartisan voters looking for a strong leader, and people who want to elect a female president.

About 20 people attended the Tuesday event, the national kickoff for Hillarynow.com, a grass-roots group pushing to draft the New York senator and former first lady to run for president in 2008.

"I've been fired up about her for a long time," said Mary Sneed, 64, of Pegram. "I think she can get things done. I admire what she's done in upstate New York. If she can win over New Yorkers, she can win over anybody."

Organizers hoped to have 200 people at the event in Nashville, a city selected to show that Democrats can win in Southern states.

They were disappointed but said they are not focused on numbers.

"We can build something from this," said E. Gayle O'Hanlon, president of Enchanted Gingerbread, who cooked for and helped organize the fundraiser.

Clinton is not associated with the group. "Hillary is focused on working for the people of New York and winning re-election to the U.S. Senate," Ann Lewis, director of communications for Clinton's Senate campaign, said via e-mail.

Miami Beach-based activist Bob Kunst, the founder of Hillarynow.com, said Clinton needs the help of energized grass-roots supporters, not the Beltway consultants who tripped up the campaigns of John Kerry and Al Gore.

"Out of this can come the White House, starting here in Nashville," Kunst said. "We're not afraid of the controversy, and we have to make the controversy an ally."

Under large shade trees on a vacant lot in the Germantown neighborhood, the mostly female crowd picnicked. Two anti-Clinton protesters picketed on the sidewalk nearby.

"Nashville is well-known as the buckle of the Bible Belt, and Hillary's position is in direct opposition to the values of both Republicans and Democrats," said protest organizer Tom Kovach, 48, of Mt. Juliet, a candidate for Congress in the 5th District.

Attendees got custom-baked "Hillarynow.com ginger-girl" cookies that O'Hanlon baked and chocolate chip cookies from a Clinton recipe made by Goodlettsville chef Anna Lia Notardonato-Hicks.

"Even if she doesn't run, at least we started a dialogue about having a woman president," Notardonato-Hicks said. •

Copyright © 2006, tennessean.com.