The Dialogue: What Readers Had to Say About Felicia Williams’ Endorsement Interview

“I feel like at any moment she’s about to ask to see the manager to complain about her pumpkin spice latte being tepid.”

Felicia Williams (Walker Stockly)

Last week, WW highlighted video clips from our recent endorsement interviews. Two videos drew unusual attention. One clip showed City Council candidate Felicia Williams asking her opponent, Andrea Valderrama, to choose a priority from career and family: "Parent, partner, profession? Pick one," Williams asked. Another clip showed Williams addressing why she had not received any institutional endorsements. She said it was because three women of color were running. Here's how readers responded.

Hairball, via wweek.com: "Just watching the body language of all five [candidates] is worth the price of admission."

Aaron Duran, via Twitter: "Politics 101. If your name is Felicia, don't be such an easy meme mark."

Jessica Legg, via wweek.com: "I feel like at any moment she's about to ask to see the manager to complain about her pumpkin spice latte being tepid."

Anna Griffin, Oregon Public Broadcasting news director, via Twitter: "Female City Council candidate to fellow female City Council candidate: You can't actually have it all. Uh…what?"

Sal Peralta, via wweek.com: "Seems to me that the most damaging part of this article are the words coming out of Williams' mouth."

Jasmine Wadsworth, via Twitter: "She basically is saying these three women of color didn't earn their endorsements. #GirlBye."

Ryan McKenzie, via Facebook: "You can tell it's getting close to voting as WW starts running hit pieces on everybody they haven't endorsed."

Leslie McCollom, in response: "It's literally just a video of her talking. If that qualifies as a hit piece, it's due to the choices [Williams] made and the words she said. She really laid out the welcome mat out for them on this one!"

The Mother PAC, a "mother-run" Oregon political action committee, via Twitter: "Mothers are often discriminated against when running for office—just as they are in many workplaces. Sometimes by other women."

Margi Bradway, via Twitter: "From all the working moms out there, kudos to Andrea Valderrama for handling this question so well. It was and is offensive to tell a woman she must choose between her kids, partner and profession."

Corrections

A story on congressional candidate Joey Nations ("League of Nations," WW, May 2, 2018) incorrectly stated that Nations declared his candidacy after his fellow right-wing protester Joey Gibson. Nations formally registered as a candidate on Jan. 13, before Gibson.

An item on City Council plans to fund lawyers and other support for immigrants incorrectly stated the amount of money proposed in city budgets. It is $500,000, not $50,000.

WW regrets the errors.

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.