Marianne Williamson Visits Oakland In Campaign Swing Through California: 'I Feel Understood Here'
OAKLAND (KPIX 5) – Self-help author and Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson spoke to a packed crowd in Oakland as part of a campaign swing through the Bay Area and California Wednesday night.
Williamson doesn't yet have the polling numbers or the number of donors to qualify for the upcoming Democratic debate, but the auditorium at the East Bay Church of Religious Science was so full, people sat on the floor. The crowd welcomed Williamson like a rock star.
"There is no place I'd rather be than California," the presidential candidate said. "I feel understood here."
Being understood is something Williamson has struggled with on the national stage. But at the last presidential debate, she seemed to find her voice, with a proposed policy on reparations for descendants of slaves.
Wednesday night in Oakland, Williamson talked healthcare, education, and race relations, and touted herself as a disruptor.
"Establishment politics in this case is the problem. It is not the solution. It is time for the people to step in," the candidate said.
Supporters, many of whom know her from her bestselling books and new age philosophies, say Williamson is bringing a brand of change that is needed in Washington.
"I feel like she is up leveling the whole conversation around leadership, certainly around politics and our political leadership," said Harriet Johnson.
"I think when people listen intently, I think when people listen to the facts that she is suggesting, I think that they will begin to know that this is a candidate that is worth voting for and taking a look at," said Tina Bathsheba Harambe, who was also at the event.
Williamson cut the evening a little short, saying she was tired and would indulge in some self-care.
The candidate is making an appearance in San Francisco on Thursday night and in Scotts Valley on Friday night. According to her campaign website, Williamson will campaign in Santa Barbara before making another appearance in San Francisco on the 23rd.
