Behind every successful man is a strong woman, the saying goes.
It's so often the case that it's practically a truism. Women have been the unsung heroes for hundreds of years, supporting men behind the scenes, doing a considerable amount of work and letting the man take all the credit.
Jen O'Malley Dillon is a powerhouse on the campaign trail. She's been working on campaigns in some capacity as far back as Al Gore’s campaign in 1999. According to the Texas Tribune:
O’Malley Dillon once helped eke out a 524-vote Democratic Senate victory in South Dakota. And before moving to the Obama camp, she was key to former U.S. Sen. John Edwards’ two second-place finishes in the 2004 and 2008 Iowa caucuses. While she started the 2008 cycle as the Iowa state director for Edwards, she eventually made her way to the Obama campaign and was his deputy campaign manager for the 2012 campaign.
Most recently she served as a deputy campaign manager in charge of field and data on both Obama campaigns. It was under her direction that the campaign was able to use analytics and turnout models to unprecedented levels.
Almost every single candidate was trying to attract her to their campaign, but O’Rourke was in the right place at the right time to get her on board with him.
He had a little bit of help in that department though. Her former boss, President Obama, had been in contact with O’Rourke prior to his announcement and he reached out to O’Malley Dillon and suggested that she take on the job with O’Rourke.
After she was hired O’Rourke was apparently told to “do whatever she says”.
However, not everyone was happy with her being hired on as manager.
Soon after the O’Malley Dillon hiring, The Interceptbegan publishing a series of articles taking note of corporate ties with O'Rourke campaign hires. The issue for some progressives is O’Malley Dillon’s work in the consultant firm she founded, Precision Strategies. While the firm is involved in campaigns, its clients also include corporations.
And:
And not long after O'Malley Dillon signed on, two of O’Rourke’s top Senate race field staffers — Becky Bond and Zack Malitz, 2016 veterans of the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign — left O'Rourke's presidential campaign. Whether or not it was intentional, some progressives interpreted that exit as a signal that it was worth giving other Democratic candidates consideration, a situation that did not exist when O’Rourke faced only minimal intraparty opposition in his Senate race.
The Texas Tribune look into this woman and what she has done and might bring to Beto’s campaign is well worth the read.
They say in there that he needs a breakout moment for his campaign to grasp on to. As horrific as it was, the El Paso shooting may have been it.
All of his media appearances lately and statements that everyone loves so much are coming with the approval of this woman. She is a rock star.
Beto needs to stay in the presidential race where he is. He's got a great staff behind him that is experienced and smart. If he's on the ticket we might take Texas. He's our best shot in decades.
Don't count him out yet. The women are still working.