Does Heidi Hall lack "proper background or intellect"?

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http://smirkingchimp.com/thread/jaime-oneill/58451/does-heidi-hall-lack-proper-background-or-intellect

Does Heidi Hall lack "proper background or intellect"?
2014 Elections | Congressional Elections
by Jaime O'Neill | September 21, 2014 - 9:16am

One of my devoted readers is a guy who reads, hates, and comments upon my column nearly every week. If I wrote a column in favor of clean air, he'd wonder what kind of a pansy needs clean air. He recently shared his view of the Heidi Hall/Doug LaMalfa congressional race, saying: "Despite LaMalfa's shortcomings, he's still 100 percent better than any Democrat running for office. And Heidi Hall doesn't possess any of the proper background or intellect."

Heidi Hall holds a Bachelor's Degree in International Relations from Pomona College, and she has two Master's Degrees, one in International Relations from Columbia University, and one in Public Policy from Rutgers. Those aren't Mickey Mouse schools, and Heidi Hall doesn't come from the kind of background where the heritage kids get passed through with their "Gentlemen's Cs" in order to keep the endowment money rolling in from the rich alums.

She also has a couple of decades of experience working in state and federal government agencies. She is the daughter of public school teachers, and if my judgmental reader thinks she lacks "proper intellect," that conclusion can only be based on the sexist assumption that women aren't as intellectual as men.

Her opponent, Doug LaMalfa, has a Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He had no "proper background" in legislating until he was elected to the California State legislature in 2002.

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http://www.kcra.com/politics/heidi-hall-candidate-for-us-house-of-representatives-d1/27850092


Full name:
Heidi Hall

Age:
53

Current profession:
Program Manager, California State Department of Water Resources

Party affiliation:
Democrat

Previous elected officials held?
No previous offices held

Highest educational degree obtained, and from which institution:
M.A., Columbia University (International Relations),; M.A., Rutgers University (Public Policy)

Number of years you have lived in California:
Born and raised in Northern California. Lived here for all but 5 years.

Why should people vote for you? (A 200-word statement written by the candidate):

Hi, my name is Heidi Hall, and I'm running to be your next member of Congress. As your representative in Congress, my top priority will be to create jobs. I grew up in the North State, and I see the difficulties our working families face every single day. I will work with my colleagues across the aisle to make it easier for small business owners to create jobs and to expand their businesses. I will support fiscal incentives for employers to hire veterans and training programs to get the long-term unemployed back into the workforce.

Extreme partisan bickering in Congress has held hostage sensible measures that can get our economy on track, including simplifying our tax laws, investing in education, and improving infrastructure.

I will work to protect our water in Northern California that is critical to the financial security of our farmers and ranchers. I will protect Social Security and Medicare and help students avoid crippling debt, and I am very proud to have been endorsed by Democrats, Republicans, and independents from around the district.

I will bring responsible, common-sense leadership back to Congress and end the gridlock and partisan bickering. I ask for your vote on November 4.