and immediately following, if you want a copy, they are selling them outside of the auditorium. thank you for coming out this evening and helping us recognize the constitution. [applause] >> book tv continues to on c-span2. television for serious readers. >> welcome, everybody. i hope at the end of this evening, especially women who are here, he will run for something and represent us i think this is one of the best books i've seen on this topic. really informative and fun. we are so happy that we have you here tonight.

we are thrilled they are here. this book is a great guide book for anyone who cares about their community and is an activist. you should do something about that. get engaged and involved, everything from the scoreboards, everything up and in between. welcome. so glad you're here. we are thrilled that this is out in the wealth because we clearly need it. he knew that more now than ever. i think it's only been out in the world for only a few months. it's like having a baby, it is out in the world.

>> i can't do jumping jacks anymore. [laughter] it's a wonderful process. getting to know her personally and becoming very friendly throughout it off. this book was a good conversation and collaboration and someone who doesn't know much about the process, asking someone who knew everything in fact really what the book is. me coming with all my questions and providing all of her interest. really hopeful that women will pick it up. what do you do? what are the first steps? why does it go as a luxury to

reading? writers appeal something that should be available to all of us? how do you do it? >> you are an activist, comedi comedian, has anyone seen the movie, longshot? and you know her from the show, frankie. >> you have two kids, you live in l.a. kate, you have a long political history in many ways. you're the vice president and chief of staff. we are working to uplift the voices of women in the voices they care about. also with negotiations for women.

>> so yes, i could help with that, too. the campaign for over ten years, when she came to me, i was working on the hardest resource and after the election, we put everything on the line to see the first woman to become president. i didn't realize there was a woman on the other end of the country was feeling for me. we had a call and got first call was really scuttled for an hour but i think we talked way over that. it started with her asking, is this resource available? i want something that's accessible and fun and joyful.

>> i love some of the way you put your text messages. the connection of trying to find each other. it's wonderful how you show so much of the process of what you put in the book. i love the checklist. the checklist make you analysts why you're here. is this right for me? is it right for my life right now? >> she asked with the first step was. among the first things, trying to identify what it is that buyers you up. women tend to run for office to

solve problems. it could be that thank you are tweeting about a lot, i think your are going at things thanksgiving over and over. once you identify fact, you could beat that platform and campaign you all you need to get a kickstart to the next step. >> i think the checklist ended up being helpful because for me, my big questions were surrounding the real life aspect of a race. you have to stop working the way that i'm working now" the jobs i have? whether -- would i do about the people i take care of in my life? nervous about things that might be active so all of it is all very real questions. for women, too, the unpaid labor women are doing, in the early taking care of small children and older children and elderly parents and friends, a lot of that work is going to women. the hours need to be accounted

for and considered. the checklist was a great tool for someone to really actually do the inventory. >> there are other checklist through the book. it gives you different options. you can come from a wide variety of backgrounds. >> i think we want to include as many forces as possible. recognizing that we come from similar backgrounds and so many ways we approach this in a similar way so we wanted to include officials how had been there. you hear from congresswoman and

jordan, the only open transgender official in the country. you hear the wisdom and advice and i hope any reader can see themselves in the book. >> she's had it all. >> i love the dedication you have in this book. we dedicate this book to all the men who've been making decisions about women thank you for your time, energy and talent. we appreciate your. also, we are coming for your. >> i think we were kind of joking about that. that was like no, let's actually do it. i think it sets the tone.

even in progressive bubbles and communities, it's an incentive, it might be of women's turn right now. or we want to speak for anyone, it doesn't matter. it never seems to be the right time. it never seems to be our turn. ... .... >> because i don't feel we the time to wait. >> are is it too many barriers in the way for women to run for office. certainly there's a woman out there thinking away to run when

my children are grown when i get that promotion when i feel financially secure, or what i pay off my student loans. we didn't want to add this book to that. >> anything about the last midterms, all of the women, and you think about the average age of most women who are previously in the house, or even in the senate, i would think the average age when they were elected is the pit older. older than the men. >> we differently sell the women i would say this class of younger and coming in with young children. i think you know more moms with his young children exporting ways to figure out and navigate washington. they've actually been created little networks for those new members of congress. it's called moms in the house. it's a bipartisan group. they just get together and talk about childcare and just a share. how are they doing it. i think that community didn't exist before. even here in illinois. look at tammy duckworth.

she is the baby. and she's a senator. it would take that dive boat leadership just to bring a baby onto the senate floor. to really think eliminate for many women and people that that wasn't allowed before. >> so the humor, you put throughout this is and i apologize, [laughter] i have a feeling a lot of that came. [laughter] think of that. because i think it makes the whole processing a lot of scary. it can be scary. we're talking about fundraising talking about, god, am i going to do if i need to get endorsements. what kind of endorsement show to get. all of the different things you go through we do think about, even talk about in the book, do i need to worry about my facebook. do i need to worry about what i posted in instrument. anything like that. you really cover so much that i think it raises a lot of the

spheres that many of us will have. >> thank you for staying that. i think that it is important to connect to joy. in any activist work. i don't want to be a part of a revolution that is not having fun. so that was really important to me. the kind of joy of doing the work and the joy of serving and representing the people. the book is i think, very accessible because it takes what could be at a very dry topic and shed some color on it. that said i think there is tension and it does take a lot and so for me i actually pulled back on a lot of jokes i wanted to make because it does take so much courage. it is so hard.

my god, i have so much respect for women who are is going to do that. going to throw her hat in the rain. i am amazed by it. one of the things i walk away from the process was really understanding how this if it is that went out access to personal wealth and networks of wealth, and just how much harder it is to do this. if you cannot take those day off from your job. if you know barely making an his meet at the end of the month. while this journey is going to be very different. it is going to be much more difficult. there are sobering facts around this book. in this process. but i do think that it is a way and for many people because it provides also some levity to the process. >> i wish i would've had this a

few years ago. [laughter] screaming what it's not in their that you wish was in there. >> i was on the naperville city council and i was elected in 2015. but then i decided that i would try to run for the six can rational district here in illinois. it was one of those races and it was at the time, after the women's march and everybody is jumping on board. i had six women six different other women running with me on the democratic side and then two men. there were eight of us. we were going into the primary. we have so many, you heard about races like this around the country both of there are so many people engage in it. in trying to get attention or trying to being cut into a lot of pieces the pious. as you talk about raising funds, that was the most daunting thing for me and i wish i would've read more about it but the role, that could be the so tedious. and the calling for dollars. it was hard for me. test people for money.

being in the book business, called every author and publisher i know. i think had more donations coming from new york than i did from illinois. it was a really daunting proce process. we need came to getting endorsements, that was the thing that is most disappointing for me. i don't mean to, getting an endorsement from emily's list, we were told there were six women in this race. emily's list said they would not endorse in the primaries because there were six women. they ended up doing it anyway. they went with the woman who'd given about $200,000 of our own money to her campaign. so they went with the money instead of the person. and sometimes that is something you have to work on because what you stand for and who you know, it's not all about the money. that was the most discouraging thing for me. my mother a result, has been in emily's list supporter at for decades dropped her membership and gave her peace of her mind.

you do that, and you know working to get endorsements are you going after the big what organizations are the unions or whatever you are going to go after, that is the tough part. i think that kind of race, it was daunting. moving from a city, but a hundred and 50000, moving to a race like that. i think so many of us jumped in all of the country because we wanted change. there a lot of races that there were a lot of opponents. just going to the primary. the different kind of game. like you said, it would've been some things in this book that would've given me some perspective or at least something humorous that i could've laughed at some of the stuff. i wouldn't trade the experience for anything. i hope you write again. i don't know. i've conducted out. i like selling books. [laughter] >> you make an excellent.around taking about the community that exists around you.

for that first and second and third check. one of the things we do about it the monkey is really for women, we exist in a lot of places already that we might not think of as natural places that foster campaign. but they are. i could look like the daycare pickup group that you are in. he could look like your church are sitting on your mess, your sorority or alumni situation or professional organization or maybe just a neighborhood group they like to hang out with think like kickball with. that can be a place for modeling test for money but a campaign manager maybe seek out volunteer coordinator, all of these things can be great networks for support. i think you took a step in thinking about who do i know a new guy asked for that support. >> i do think the issue of women and money and asking for money is to see if you bring up a good.around that, we are not trying to do that. first of many of us, it's a really foreign thing to have to thanks somebody to write a check. it's the old i don't know,

there's something about it that is very difficult. in cases around it it which is in the book, how to separate yourself from it. i found it really helpful with, you are not writing a check for me, this beautiful person, [laughter] your writing a check for what i believe in and what i want to change. and having that kind of distance i think is the tool that can be really helpful new think about. >> think calling up strangers asking them for money but telling them exactly where you stand and why it's important and what you are fighting for. it's really hard when it comes around to calling again. the same people who have an been generous to you. but i think for women, it's harder for us asking for money. it really is and to make that call into asking again. because i think were always dependent more on that i can do this myself instead of reaching

out and asking for help. >> would make that.in the book. asking for help. >> asking for the check or time of the campaign is being specific about it. will you specifically asking for $250 or instead of staying, hey nikki, you've been a great friend my whole life, please help me in my campaign. that doesn't really tell them what you need. it's something that, you could say something like nikki, you know a graphic designer, i need a logo, let's match up. be specific and thinking afterwards, invite her into the process and more importantly it shows that you know cognizant of what you need in the modem. the so important. >> like the beginning of the roof the checklist, there's all of these questions. he sort of analyzing what you want to do. can i do this and will i do this. but at the bottom, you make a face to thanks other women. to take those run for it is it too. >> i think women do encourage each other that's great and we are more supportive i think in a lot of ways.

you hear a lot of book about women who are well and not done often going to run for office right now but hanoi support other women you in. the last chapter the book is really intentional. giving money or money for them or asking them to run. we know that were going to have to sit for more. there is no magic number. we need to be asked and we do need to be seen. i think intentionally putting that in the book, helps foster that openness and that first thanks. >> you think of the women's work and how women never would've done anything. anything will the marches that were around the country. women who would have never gotten involved and gotten they marched. i think i saw, how many of those went to the chicago part or dc or anything like that? >> i had daughters in three different city so it was great. it was so great that you could turn to the woman and you felt

they were your friends. i never have been in that situation before. i done several marches since that one but it was the most incredible feeling. i think that's what women bring to the table. this cooperation. this wheeling to unite together and we are going to work together and we are here for each other. i think you make that very clear. >> i think we frame just because a woman does it mean necessarily represent other women well or fight for the women and children, however, kate provides a lot of research on women leaders and what they run into the table or bring to the table. it is pretty compelling. the data is out there the shows over and over again that women when there in an office, they collaborate more, they introduce more bills, they work across the aisle, we had to fall back some of the examples of women getting us out of tough spots.

>> both of it's like the government shutting down. let's not forget women are the ones that got us out of that. there are talent countless examples that hopefully inspire readers that their voice at the table manners. they can have an impact not just for the women in their own communities but outside of that as well. >> have really appreciated the fact that you were more nonpartisan in your book. you have republican women mentioned in the book and you talk about some nonpartisan races and things like that but i think it's important that we don't make this all one sided. and because that's one of the biggest issues we have right now. we don't cross the aisle and we have so much division. i really appreciated that about the book. >> i think if we ever want to get to the point where women are equally represented in our government, we are over 50 percent of the population but nowhere near that up and down the ballot. not just at the federal loophole. both parties and all parties have to do their part.

i think we want to make sure the democrat republican independent and green, whatever that you see yourself in this. note that there is space for you. >> i know you talk about that phrase it's been around for eons, all politics are local. me think about you can run for things if you are a community minded. what a difference you can make almost immediately. we do are on the school yard or on the parks district board or you run for your local city council. your county support, those can make a difference because the seed in which things can happen is faster. but it does make a difference in your own life. in your own home where you live. in your neighborhood as well. something some people there are so many things that are so great to see so many people objected to races of all kinds. it really is where there used to be races a lot of people go unopposed. it's a crime. we think about it.

>> how do you get so many decades of men running things. it's about time we had our turn. >> i love the timeline with women throughout history. that was great as well. knowing what a difference we have made and those women who have where the early pioneers for fighting for women's rights. an voter and parity in all that. >> we left the timeline unfinished because we know that this next generation is the generation is going to be leaders but they carry us forward and so it was important for us to ground the book in that opening kind of timeline but also recognizing both of it's you or i or our children, maybe we could people in this room possibly. they're going to want to be the people to finish and continue that timeline. >> me i set dane to make this, two years to make this book. you put so much into this which i think is absolutely wonderful, how did you do this, did you live on either side of the country his right?

e-mail and talking on the phone and that sort of thing. i was find it interesting when people, the process, [laughter]. >> the first time we met was after women's march in dc. we are still just talking about the idea and making sure it was the right collaboration and then we wrote the proposal together. kate at that.didn't have any children and very kindly came to la because it's a little bit harder for me to travel and we would spend marathon days together. and then, we would go to a spin class in order in mexican food. [laughter] that was part of our process. [laughter] it really was, we need it to blow off steam at the end of the day we would sit around and break the checklist down and start to go through the book. we really feel a lot of conversations in the beginning

some of which we agreed on and some we didn't agree on and just kind of hashing it out. and talking a lot about it. then we wrote a proposal together, most of the book once we knew we were writing a book, was written that way. which we spent time together in the room for about four days at a time going through the big strokes. with characters in the book, of different women who are from varied backgrounds. someone who is the part of the gay comment and works as an over driver and every stuff and really did not knew that she can afford to do that. in one of the things that kate said to me right away was she should probably when we probably were just talking about her and her life in a budget, we should probably thanks her boss she can take off to do this. maybe her job would be secured after that. >> a lot of buses might want someone who is running for

office as our employee and why not thanks. it's your sort of nuggets like that we come out of these conversations. we were creating these characters together. so for the real big picture, creative sessions, we would be in the room and then we would break up a lot of the chapters, the vomit drafts and then continued to send them back to each other to the point that we couldn't recognize who was who and done what. that was a process. >> i think we do have two writers making sure that there is a cohesive unified voice, is something that we luckily i think didn't have to struggle with. because we came at this book with unique voices but to allow ourselves the ideas unified kind of narrative but also created and received in the book, little times things would pop up and have kate or have deliver

effect. but we kind of give ourselves that freedom and that space to still have our own identities which is really special. i love those composites. >> they were based on real people but yet they weren't real people. i thought that was a really great device. we asked the reader workbook. to write in sections where you will navigate what you want to run for and think about the office, that might match that passion. you write down your elevator pitch. there is space to do that. in the reader says that so long with the characters. the characters provide nicely team examples. but also to maybe the readers unsure, they can see monica can do it first which is kind of cool. >> also two people are worried about how i might qualify to run for office. people have the stereotypical

view of what it takes to be a congressman or a city councilman or hell his representative here or even just a representative to the house here in illinois. they don't realize that they have it. they just have to make sure and realize it and embrace it. i think you really believed a lot of that. i was on city council and i think there were three lawyers. noise thought my gun is the low degree and it is so untrue. >> absolutely, that's a big specific trouble for women. we don't see ourselves that way. cases over and over, your experience is your expertise. in with the world, is the part of your resume. what you know frustrated by and what you love and what you hate is the part of your story and resume and does make you qualified to do this. the promise of our democracy but

it is supposed to be about we the people. and that does include everyone. i also think that thinking about women running for office it encourages everyone to also think about all women and not just the white women who have children that are grown who are wealthy. but domestic workers, all women means all women in all women having a voice at the table. >> one of the things that we do that qualification chapter which is am i qualified for this. we write down, we look at the 815 congress and we look to their professions before they entered into the house of representatives. it's not all lawyers. there are a lot of lawyers but his teachers and it does kind of open up panel farmers, ranchers,

it can be anybody as a point. his survey can be people who read this book. it should be. >> absolutely. the other thing to and people reminded me of this when i was running on the last campaign. self-care and how important it is and taking care of yourself because you can get so absorbed into what you are doing and forget about yourself. your health and also the other part of your life. that was a great part of it. expedia. >> i think self-care is become this fuzzy thing. people love to talk about it but i do think we all and what it looks like for each of us might be different. it doesn't have to look like that. it doesn't have to look like baths and netflix binges but it

does for me but it might not be for you. you might be going for a run are taking your antidepressant medication or whatever it looks like for you to take care of yourself or spending time with your partner or your children. but identifying those really nursing soul satisfying things you do need in order to give. because we are talking about public service but women already do so much. i think that doing that investigation of i'm not really good for anyone else if this lady ain't right. we understand what one needs. in making sure that that time is protected and that those things are sacred during a campaign. >> the other topic you brought up which is so important and becomes, media and people can be, accessed.

obsessed. when things come out about a candidate that people assume that is unsavory or whatever it is, have people talk about looking at their facebook, all of their social media, what have you posted that sort of thing. some great advice. tell us a little bit about that. sometimes it's a good thing to look at as well. >> it will only be more and more with women running. our lives are all online now. everybody's going to be dealing with it. inventory, go through every post. there are some tools online to help you download this post but sometimes you just have to go through them. really take back in stock of how would i feel if what is elevated to a loophole, people will look for it. and it's okay, we make a joke about it but a tweet is kind of like if you sniff it twice, great delete it. it's okay to do that. there is no shame in that. the same goes with thinking through a public facing in a private account. we do run for office, is the

facebook account you have created in college really the best tool to communicate with posters. maybe not. start thinking that through. in the book, really try to write down the steps. how people see that it is possible to do. >> what is interesting is how much of a campaign is running the crowd. how do you get people his attention and the way it used to be. it was amazing to me to see the cost of everything and you are hiring on the loophole of running from congress, your hiring a media company, a manager, someone is doing all of your finances for your campaign, but knowing that still you think of newspapers, you are trying to get as many endorsements as you can, you are trying to but still sending out those things in the mail. mail mail. mail works. it also costs money. >> i think it's interesting we

had a candidate who ran here for the steakhouse. he did nothing he spent nothing on mail only social media. and she won her seat against a guy in, and it was really interesting. she didn't spend much money. but she swore she would not use the traditional types of campaign literature that other candidates use. through interesting how she did it. so is just interesting how everything is change. but still some of the old stuff rebates. >> it's about that human contact. sharing that story with your community. that is how you win races and i think for women, our stories are so powerful. sometimes we're just kept out of the dialogue. represent that is open up the discussion for women in all communities and all spaces. what to wear.

[laughter] i think is so interesting because i used to think it was the political uniform that women would wear. when i feel about that. we do talk about what to wear. it doesn't have to be the typical stuff. >> we almost didn't include this chapter the book. because it was a real slippery slope. i am still conflicted about including it in the book because i feel there are so many beauty centers, i believe hold women back and that we send an inordinate amount of time trying to do and money trying to obtain and at the whole idea is that there will never be attainable. i really struggle with it. i would never want to prescribe what to wear to a woman. yet when we started talking to some women in our lives, was one of the first questions.

people asking for money, i know i'm running, i know what to say, literally tell me what to put on my body. i just don't know what to wear i just want to be told. but we ended up and to answer your question is what i feel about it is it is really complicated. we ended up doing is providing a do your own adventure. if you want to just pick something out of your closet that you have been not spend any money on it that you feel great and, and that you feel your best self in it then that is what you should wear. and if you want to uniform and you are not thinking about it is going to give you the most freedom around it, and may also provide some suggestions there. but it is definitely a tricky subject. >> i think the way we approach

it is just thinking through basically you know interviewing for a job with your community everyday. everyday you are talking to voters you know in an interview in the interview is going to last months in this campaign. how do you show up. would you show up in the thing that makes you most confident. if that's the case then put that on. if you want to be told, then we can help figure out a space in your closet for these items so you can just grab and go. hopefully readers will hear a little bit of this dialogue in the book where women are actively texting back and forth. can we do this and how do we do this. and get some tips on the way to dress themselves. to try on leadership in a real way. >> that freaks anyone out, just don't read that chapter. [laughter] >> double standard we do think about this. men talk about their suits. you might talk about donald red tie.

or the beige suit for his grandma genes that he wore. but the weight talk about what they wear. so many comments about hillary. i think leadership in this country for over 200 years, we cemented his suit and that is what a leader looks like. . .

thinking through the time in the place in your community and making sure you are meeting them where you are is really important. when we are going to ask a few questions from all of you but i respond to ask what would you say would be the top two things when someone is considering or just looking at the prospect of possibly running for office? >> what would you say? >> i would say if you are thinking about it tell someone right away before you even figure out the where and the why and the how and all the other stuff. name it and say it to someone because kate told me that right away and i was so stunned. don't you have to be able to say why and when this is going to happen and for wet seat and she said no. naming it and saying it out loud commits you in a different way

and hold yourself accountable to the process and then you've also brought someone else and to hold you accountable to the process. that accomplishes two things and it's incredibly important. and getting that person to contact you. so much for running for office is not a team sport or you are not doing it by yourself so as you are telling their friend or family member i'm going to run for office at some point writing down who you told getting the e-mail and the phone number, when you do decide to kick-start that campaign you've got a borderless. you have people you know you can go to for that first check or to help you knock on some doors. >> all right, okay. questions? >> hi. when i think of a politician i

think of someone who is really thick skinned and someone like hillary who can withstand and everything in standard completely stonefaced. that's not me and probably a lot of people can relate to that so what's your take on emotionality is far someone running for office. >> i think it's okay. i don't think you can't be affected by what's around you. i think you have to imagine yourself being closed off and away. having emotion is really powerful. for women, part of i think running for office that makes us unique is we have that ability to connect with individuals at this surreal level especially other women in when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable that actually brings people into us. so yes your opponent might say something that you don't like and you've just got to take that a little bit that it's okay to respond. it's okay to allow yourself to be her full self in your

campaign. >> i think you bring up a point which is women who have access to their emotion have been demonized and is used as a tool against them. it's sort of scene as the reason why we shouldn't be in it and not one of our greatest strengths. and i challenge that idea and i would also add to what kate said i think being your authentic self in whatever space you are in is the best way to present yourself. i cried multiple times a day you know and there is stuff to cry about. it's weird that we are not. so i don't know, i think you

could create a totally different story around that and i don't have an answer or template or a model for what that would look like it is i don't think it's ever been done but i don't think it should keep you out of the process. >> are women too polite? >> the a soft yes. [laughter] >> it's interesting what you said about you were nervous about calling people again and again after getting the nose after asking for money and i was thinking about that. for me what would kick and of course is i have heard now i have to now go away. i think there is that politeness and waiting and waiting to talk and not interrupting. some spaces really serve us and i think people could learn from.

in other ways we have to build up that of the reflex which is take up more space. it's okay to be loud and it's okay to cry. it's okay to not be right all the time. >> i'm at the other end of the spectrum. i am very vocal but then i find out i get emotional. my sisters are very passive/aggressive like other women in my life. i feel like to be vocal you have to upset people and then they can't handle it and that's always been deemed as she's the vocal wonder she's allowed one. it's like your relationships are changed but you are finding your own voice. i feel like i'm having a hard time with that but men are held

if they are an acyl it's not part of their personality per se. but if i mean to some but it's like well she is being horrible. it's just when you are loud event start feeling judged. i'm afraid to take that next step. >> hillary couldn't be emotional and she can be angry. at this point what can you be? >> maybe this is a point to bring up the cheat sheet. the end of the book we include a chapter where we talk about how to help other women. one of the things is about interrupting sexist or racist narratives about candidates when we hear them. it seems like you are already there but maybe for some other readers who might hear things are seat rings on social media and may not know what to say when they hear something negative about a candidate or an elected official we provide some go to. some of that is saying how many

of us have heard she just bothers me or her voice is shrill or i just don't like her or it's not her turn, all these things. sometimes a simple question is tell me more about that a wide view feel that? it doesn't open -- it does open up space and someone may have heard that from someone else and it's a narrative that it exists. the cheat sheet is meant to literally get cut out of this book and take it with you and have it with you when those moments arrive so silence isn't seen as except since. it seems like you are there but for the people around you you want to bring a deeper conversation so maybe that is helpful. >> thinking about their ears and the impostor syndrome is

certainly real but i also think creating a platform i feel i'm qualified their. what would you suggest to build up the repertoire? if i were going to sit down and say this is my platform for this issue, this issue in this learning about that process with the legislation the process of legislating once you are there that feels like a really big bear your and i know that's probably not something but it still is there so what are your suggestions for digging into that side of the? this is something i want to get your take on two before the first things that june and i talked about in addition to telling people the next thing is to start showing up in thinking about ways in which you are present or maybe not present in your community and start to build that repertoire. you are going to eventually ask community to show up for you and you will start showing up for them. for you could be attending a

city counsel meeting asking for means of local legislators in winding mentors to shepard the along and give you some insight. it could be meeting candidates have done that before and getting some advice. figuring out ways in spaces that you can start to step into so when you decide to run you have been there and people at seeing you there and know you there. i think that's really important. >> i would also say it's okay to not know every single thing. i think it's really important to identify that is a barrier for you and your instinct is to have everything perfectly researched and know all of that and be the perfect student before you can do this. you might not ever be there and i think it's important to recognize that instinct is something where a lot of the women are primed with and i

don't think it serves them. it doesn't mean you can't learn along the way. doesn't mean you can't say i don't know the answer to that and i'm looking forward to finding out. >> it's a perfectly reasonable response. i think it's something a lot of us can really relate to which is the idea that we need to know everything before we can possibly step into the space. >> i think for me choosing a platform a lot of it had to do with my family, myself, my children and what has been important in my life. being a bookseller for most of my life stories are still important so if you have those stories behind those issues that you really care about, that's how you related. you put that person you are to the piece of the platform that mean so much to you. we have the power of women to

tell the story and to show it means so much to us. for me being a breast cancer survivor and talking about obamacare and this horrible health care act and i have a daughter who is an environmentalist and knowing a lot about that, those issues became a part so i could take part in those stories and relate them and make them mine. i think it's important when you're creating their platform. it's so personal that it comes across that way that you care passionately about those things. kate i think you have kind of started to talk about this and an answer to another question but i feel like in conversations i've had in life in general people kind of accuse women of playing a card. i've had a queens is say you are playing the carterville woman

card. i have absolutely no idea how to respond to that and assert my entities. i just don't know how to handle that kind of invalidation. >> yeah. in the teachings i reference when we are faced with that line , did everyone hear the question? there are some kind of responses that we provide and that looks anything from the question why shiites playing up the specific part of our identity? the response could be because society is always putting it back on her minding her of that identity at the other one is it's not really an identity. it's part of her story. her experiences her expertise in what next are qualified, those pieces of her identity. some conversations revolve around ridding yourself of

identity -- identity politics and i fundamentally disagree. our identity is with existing make an white like to see more identity and/or politics. if you are bringing your full self to policy discussion that's going to be so much more robust than if we take some of ourselves off the table. >> i think that's such a great point and i think it's a great point for you but it's also a great point for all of us in the room to think about how are we hearing the women candidates even write now being spoken about and are we when we hear those things are we silent and if we are what message is that giving? the importance for you on our behalf to interrupt those discussions and to ask people to unpack them, those comments about it's a card.

she should wait its not her time and she seems so angry. all of the things that we hear are emotional. what does it mean and the importance of saying something and speaking up. >> when people say you are playing a card, this is in the game. you are representing yourself and a lot of people that are like you and it's important. they think when you see a card you are playing a game. this is not a game. we are here to help each other and we have got to call it as such. >> beautifully said. >> yeah. >> something i found encouraging while i was reading the book was the examples of the congresswomen and them talking about their snippets and you talked about how there were six women running with you and it felt like there was this pie

that was growing but minimizing at the same time. he mentioned being bipartisan. my two questions are, when you are approaching these women did you feel like they were eager to help people and you feel like women when competing with each other in some way are welcoming in the political field? >> one of the questions we ask all of the women that we surveyed was happy last other women to run and the answer was uniformly yes down the road. i think that is incredibly amazing. they understand that they have gotten there probably and also if someone asked you to run they'll say yes. women i've talked and i don't want to say for every woman elected official but the woman we talked to include in the book there is a sense of what i need to help my entire community of long and if i can bring another woman along and make space for her at the table it's valuable.

i don't think i can speak to all women that they all feel that way but that's what our intention was to include stories that make space for them. >> i agree. in my own personal life i haven't felt the narrative of women in competition. i've only experienced really women showing up in very powerful ways both in my personal life and professional life. i feel that narrative that is out there is the competition piece of it. i don't really buy it and i think it's sold to us to keep us apart. >> having been in that primary with other women we would get together for any kind of forum. it was so cool he joel you know and i don't ever feel like -- we

had so many issues that were the same. we knew was important and that was the endgame. i think we were supportive of one another. it was just the point of when certain things happen that doesn't seem fair to us as a group and that something we all united against. it was one of those things where was very collegial. whoever was going to be winning that primary would be the person we would support. >> i'm curious if you have any eyes for running in a city like chicago where we have the chicago machine and a lot of hard judges are elected and that's something that interests me. it's kind of the impression if you're not irish don't even bother and when you were an

outsider not part of that machine. i think it's something you seen the book is this notion of do you fight from within to get elected or do you fight from the outside and to use a metaphor from earlier we do provide a choose your own adventure. it's a hard thing to navigate because everything is so specific whether it's the chicago machine or the new jersey machine texas are the whole thing. i think you have to be expert in what the hook is like but just as it's important to show up its equally here. talking about do you want to run to as many people as possible. when not larger machine, when that starts throwing in their secede that opens up someone is like way this woman just told me she wanted to run for office. let me go find her. making sure as many people know about you and your commitment to

your community and your vision and that you want to lead backing go a long way. we all know that machines run on i would say gossip. having your name in the mix even if you are not running this year , just so people can come back to you when they think the list of people who are potential candidates you are constantly pushing to be seen. i think that's important. >> you not on as many doors as you can and really show who you are. that's one of the best things you can do. >> any other questions? any more? >> how much money would you expect for a local campaign. how much money do you think you would need to start off with to even get your foot in the door? i know obviously campaigning is a huge part of it but when i

jump than i would assume you need to have at least some sort of foundation or groundwork in order to do that. do you have like a ballpark figure? >> most of the parts of the book were creating this template for women who work for so many different races across the country that looks so different. it's going to let different than running for the head of sanitation in rural idaho. the mac campaigns for a typical part of approaching the book. there are ways to figure out into nailed down. accurately how much money you might need to raise for the race

that you are considering. >> that absolutely and we talk about in the book. giving some facts about the discrepancies in the types of races you are describing. california versus iowa. those are very different but we also say okay first and foremost once you identify where you want to run you can find out how much the candidate raise in the last election cycle so seeing how much the person had to race to win that seat or maybe not win that seat before you kind of gives you a little bit of an understanding of okay they had to raise this much. my story is different. i may not be an incumbent. i may be a challenge or maybe an open seat. all of these things we talk about in the book is giving you an opportunity.

on the federal level state and local campaign finance laws are all different but at the federal level you are allowed to create what is called an exploratory committee that allows you to have an on ramp. it's not like you have to announce you running for office and you have 100,000 dollars in the bank. it's great if you could do that but the federal elections committee allows you to talk to people and raise money to explore the idea of running for office in to see if eventually want to be a full-fledged candidate on the ballot. i know local politics the rules may be different but there are some ways in which you don't have to start with the angel fund. you can actually build edessa go and decide if it will gain traction. >> i want to add and it's probably our last question there's a whole list of resources. i think some people think they have to have the money as

opposed to they have to raise the money from elsewhere or even if they have to know someone are many people who are wealthy. does it help? it helps quite a bit but there are so many organizations that are literally waiting for you to call them to say i want to run and they are there and set up to specifically help you raise money to help you build up your team and to help you do this. we direct women at the end of the book to really identify with those organizations, where they are and what they do and if they are the right fit for them and to contact them. >> illinois board of elections you can see what candidates at all different levels with a have race in what they have spent. it's a really great tool. we won for city counsel and i think i spent between nine and $10,000. i had a couple of fund-raisers

and you have friends and family. you do what you can buy it for school board doesn't cost that much for a successful campaign. it's a lot of different levels in a lot of different ways to do it but there are great resources in the book. >> okay, last questions. that was great. thank you so much and thank you. [applause] for writing such an incredible book that i think will be the handbook. to work book but it's so informative. it takes away the fear of running for office. encouraging and i want all of you guys to think about this seriously running for office and making a change in the world. but thank you. it's a great resource for anyone who wants to run for office. >> think you for having us. [applause]

if you want your book signed we are happy to do that. we will just pull over this table. you should have a number new ticket. so the center i'll be okay? [inaudible conversations] c at the time of the cat i'm a confirmation hearing the movement had been underway for a while and i think there was a back as brewing, was going too far in this notion of believe all women was oversimplified and overlooking the investigation part of it that i was talking

about earlier. you do have a president who does advocate taking tough stances and talk about allegations of sexual misconduct in something where you need to deny, deny, deny. it's important for us to put ourselves in cat, shoes and imagine that someone is being formally accused of how to go there and explore that.

>> fears this recurring theme in here that they really do believe on the radical far left side they throw these labels like fascist and all these really negative terms on donald trump but what i see them doing this exactly what they claim the president was doing. in order to protect their freedom they need to take it away. in order to make sure the first amendment is in place they need to take away our rights under the first amendment. it's just a recurring theme. >> tim cook and jeff bezos have donated to many of these deep-pocketed nonprofit organizations that are crusading for illegal alien rights. wonder how does they have been

since representation in court to go over every last trump initiative to enforce the law. big business in the u.s. chamber of commerce are a huge reason for that.

>> is great to be with you michelle. let's get ready to talk about your book "open borders, inc.". >> guest: thank you. posted the first part of your book captured my attention because something the sport and to me his cartels of operational control of our