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The Austin American-Statesman, 06-26-1998
They're rich, female, Democrat
and, yes, they're OK with that:
ROADWomen look to shift Democratic image
These women -- business owners, professionals,
socialites and homemakers -- practically exude River Oaks, a high-end
neighborhood dominated by Houston's elite.
They are well-heeled, college-educated, affluent
women who are unabashedly fond of the finer things in life. Strong advocates of
individual freedoms, they want to elect candidates who believe in responsible
government.
And, they are Democrats.
Today and Saturday, the River Oaks Area
Democratic Women, sporting Gucci bags, designer silk suits and big checkbooks,
plan to make their presence known at the state Democratic Convention.
``We want to be a beacon for business and
professional women who have not been involved in Democratic politics,'' said
Dalia Stokes, president of the group that calls itself the ROADWomen.
``We are breaking the stereotype that professional, wealthy and educated women
belong only to the Republican Party."
Formed in April 1997, the group, now 300 strong,
exemplifies Democrats' desire to move their party beyond the union-thumping,
big-government- loving, blue-collar image of yore and to convey to uptown Texans
that it is OK to be Democrat, said Bill White, outgoing chairman of the Texas
Democratic Party.
``They are causing Democrats to come out of the
closet in GOP neighborhoods, '' White said. ``There are many Democrats in the
suburbs and affluent neighborhoods who are afraid to stand up because of
conventional political wisdom that their neighborhood is Republican."
As the Texas Democratic Party seeks to rejuvenate
itself, the River Oaks Area Democratic Women -- which formed around special
interests instead of broad themes embraced by most other Democratic clubs -- may
be the wave of the future for the party.
``We are professional women who are pro-choice,
pro-education and pro-religious freedom,'' said Dana Hunt, a member who lives in
River Oaks. ``My thought is that other Democratic clubs are organized around
neighborhoods or unions. I don't belong to a union."
Despite its name, the group is open to anyone who
can afford the dues: $50 annually or $100 yearly for a status membership that
gets one mentioned in the group's monthly newsletter. Other Democratic clubs
typically charge $10 to $20 for dues.
Not all the members live in River Oaks or are
affluent. Tamara Tallarico of Austin, attending her first ROADWomen event,
is a homemaker who lives in the middle-income Wells Branch neighborhood. And
there are ROAD men, such as White, who live in River Oaks or upscale
neighborhoods and who support the women's goals.
As some of the group's members began arriving at
the bed and breakfast they booked in the historic King William district, they
discussed their goals and why they joined the group. Some members, like Stokes,
have been active in Democratic Party politics. Others, like Hunt, have not.
``My husband and I are volunteers in a dropout
program,'' said Hunt, who also is on the board of her local Planned Parenthood.
Before ROADWomen , ``I would have kept my mouth shut
when my neighbors had anti-choice signs or stickers in their yards."
And after joining the group?
``I am not ashamed anymore to be a Democrat
because I am right. I put up my own stickers."
Hunt said she chose the group over other
Democratic women's organizations because ``I was more comfortable in country
clubs than union halls."
Meetings typically are held at members' elegant
River Oaks' homes. Caviar, pasta and other delicacies show up on the menu.
A Democratic club was hardly what Martha Huebel
of Houston had in mind when she went searching for an organization. Reared in a
conservative family, the GOP clubs seemed more her cup of tea.
But she turned Democrat when Republicans turned
right on abortion.
``I'm almost single-issue,'' she said. ``I just
can't agree with what (Republicans) stand for."
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