On March 11, 2008, wOw co-founder Lesley Stahl interviewed Meg Whitman, who was, at the time, preparing to retire as eBay’s CEO. She had also just helped Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign raise $70 million, so clearly Whitman had at least some interest in the wild world of American politics. When Stahl prodded Whitman on her rumored plans to run for California governor, Whitman remained vague.

"You know, I’m interested in the environment, interested in education," the 52-year-old explained to Stahl. "So I think those are the things I am more interested in at the moment than elective politics." Three days later, Whitman would join John McCain’s campaign as the Republican’s national campaign adviser. That must have been a positive experience, because less than a year after the Stahl interview — and playing coy about her ambitions — Whitman officially threw her hat into the political ring when, on February 9, 2009, she announced her interest in running in California’s 2010 gubernatorial race.

Whitman’s announcement comes at a time when the Golden State appears anything but golden. California’s unemployment rate jumped 10.1 percent, according to figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released in January 2009. The number of people without jobs in California soared to more than 1.8 million, up almost 700,000 since Stahl spoke to Whitman.

Also in the last year, the unemployment rate for men rose faster than that for women, which means a woman’s role in the workplace will continue to evolve over the next few years. No wonder Whitman is making women a top priority in her campaign — by creating a Women’s Coalition, which encourages women to work together to sustain California’s struggling economy.

I recently spoke to that coalition’s leader, Jillian Manus, a leading Republican activist and the president of literary agency Manus and Associates. During this conversation, Manus explained why Whitman’s business career translates well into politics, she sheds light on the potential lawmaker’s personality and expands on how Whitman plans on enlisting – and deploying – members of the Women’s Coalition. Also, Whitman spokesperson Mitch Zak sheds light on what Whitman calls the "Campaign Diet" and why his candidate opposes gay marriage, but supports civil unions.

Randi Bernfeld: Hello, Jillian! Thanks for speaking with us. Now, let’s cut to the chase: Do you think women are going to vote for Meg Whitman because she’s a woman?

Jillian: Most people and most women – I know you are the same – do not want other women to support a person just because they are a woman. We want women to get behind us because we’re the right leader, the right CEO, the right candidate. But the fact that she’s a woman really does add another layer. And judging from your website, I know you get it.

Randi: Of course we get it: Women can change the world — one person at a time. Now Whitman hopes to change California in a big way. Her goals include improving public schools, supporting green technologies and creating two million new jobs by 2015. Can she do this?

Jillian: Look, Meg didn’t just roll out a platform and say, "I’m going to announce my candidacy when I know I can win." Instead, she said, "I’m going to announce my candidacy when I know I can govern." That’s how Meg thinks. She really researches every point. She really does her homework. She looks, she listens and she prioritizes everything — but she realizes she’s not going to create change alone. She understands the personality of entrepreneurship. And so if there’s anything that’s going to stimulate this market, it’s us. She calls it "The Power of Many." I love that.

Randi: "The Power of Many"?