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In 2008, women represented 53% of the American electorate. Four years later, and with the 19th Amendment still intact, Republicans have reason to be concerned about the antagonism between the GOP and more than half of the country's voters.
A new Washington Post/ABC News poll, for example, asked respondents, "[W]hich political party would you say cares more about issues that are especially important to women?" Democrats led Republicans by 25 points, 55% to 30%.
What's more, Karen Tumulty noted the other day that when an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll asked last summer which party should control Congress, women preferred a Democratic majority, 46% to 42%. Last week, that margin had grown to 15 points.
Over the weekend, the New York Times had an interesting piece on women feeling increasingly alienated by the Republican agenda. The lede referenced a baby shower attended by someone named Mary Russell.
"We all agreed that this seemed like a throwback to 40 years ago," said Ms. Russell, 57, a retired teacher from Iowa City who describes herself as an evangelical Christian and "old school" Republican of the moderate mold.
Until the baby shower, just two weeks ago, she had favored Mitt Romney for president.
Not anymore. She said she might vote for President Obama now. "I didn't realize I had a strong viewpoint on this until these conversations," Ms. Russell said. As for the Republican presidential candidates, she added: "If they're going to decide on women's reproductive issues, I'm not going to vote for any of them. Women's reproduction is our own business."
Obviously, it's a mistake to draw sweeping conclusions from the perspective of one individual, though when the GOP is pushing away a self-described evangelical Christian in Iowa, that's can't be encouraging.
Indeed, the larger point is that we're not just talking about one woman who attended a recent gathering in her community, but rather, Mary Russell isn't alone. In addition to the recent polls, the NYT added that "dozens of interviews in recent weeks have found that moderate Republican and independent women -- one of the most important electoral swing groups -- are disenchanted by the Republican focus on social issues like contraception and abortion."
It's against this backdrop that President Obama's re-election campaign is beginning "an intensified effort this week to build support among women, using the debate over the new health care law to amplify an appeal that already appears to be benefiting from partisan clashes over birth control and abortion."
The gender gap was pretty enormous four years ago. Don't be surprised if it's even bigger in November.
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Hopefully it's not just the independent/moderate republican leaning women, but the men that support them will turn away. Just hope that the GOP continue to remind everyone by continuing this "war on women's health" under the guise of "religious freedom" nonsense.
With all the family values the tealiban promote but never follow, it amazes me that they are using "religious freedom" to promote all this crap. That they jump to support the Catholic bishops that have repeatedly covered up the pedophiles in their ranks make me question their sexual ideals. Especially with the type of instances where they have been caught with their pants down and still remain in office. Marriage HAS to be between a man and a woman, but other than that anything goes?
You could also read into this poll that people care more about the price of gas than women's rights to do anything. Call me cynical, but measuring the opinions of the uninformed is as useless as navel gazing.
Over the past month, I've heard much the same from even staunchly Republican women who are dumbfounded the party that attracted them because of its "small government" philosophy wants to worm its way into their uterus.
"I can't bring myself to vote for Obama," a woman named Jen said at a dinner party not long ago in another version of what I am now calling the 'Nicole Wallace' syndrome after watching Game Change, "but I won't vote for anyone on my side of the ballot who wants to tell my daughters or me what to do about family planning or our health."
One of her adult daughters lost her job and health care during the Lesser Depression and had to rely on Planned Parenthood for her annual gynocological exam.
In my mind, her attitude is as good as another vote for re-electing the president - which I didn't point out to her. Whether the nominee is Romney or Santorum, Republicans are doing a magnificent job of driving women voters away from polling places.
I think it may just be a new generation of men that think it is okay to control women. If the women in their lives are being submissive to them they actually believe that the deficit or gas prices is more important than human rights. Unfortunately there are still alot of women who are under mens thumbs. If they look around them they can see that they can make it on their own and they do not have to be puppets to their husbands. Thank Goodness for private voting booths.
Women of a Certain Age- don't you dare say "old"- are uncomfortable discussing "feminine issues" in public, and certainly not with males.
There are still a vast amount of unburnt bras in Flyover Country, and their wearers still defer to their husbands on political issues. But,- like Ms Russell,- behind the voting curtain, they are beginning to reach for that "other" lever.
I wonder what would happen if a committee member were to use her time to show a video of the procedure they were demanding?
The press and TV would never cover it, of course, but that's what the Internet is for.
What is happening to women's rights on a national level is tame, compared to what is happening in state legislatures. The national argument on women's health is overt. States, until recently, were running their repressive agendas more covertly. While a major national victory for Obama would send a strong message, regaining state legislatures would send an even stronger message to all the national candidates-in-waiting. Unless women and the men who love them all vote this debacle will continue to repeat itself.
Bingo!!! I'm pretty certain that - despite all public statements to the contrary - serious GOP movers and shakers have given up on the presidency for 2012.
BUT that doesn't mean we Democrats get to rest on the laurels of a second Obama Administration Done Deal. All this foofaraw with the social issues is intended to distract and disunite and get everyone mad at everyone else so that DOWNBALLOT races are ignored.
We can't let that happen. The landslide has to go the Democrats' way - all the way down to dogcatcher in every county of every state. We have to defeat every single "personhood" amendment and protection of marriage referendum on every single ballot. These authoritarian, patriarchal, dominionist ilk have to be driven right back into the woodwork to stay!
I was at a Democratic committee meeting yesterday and my heart was full. There were many many OLDER women there that are horrified at what the GOP is trying to do. They may not have talked about it but they believed it was settled and their own business. What the Limbaugh comments and the Blunt-Rubio amendment has done is wake them up to what is happening in STATES around the nation. They are 'fired up and ready to go'.
To paraphrase a quote that has appeared during all these shenanigans:
"Women bring every politician into the world; in 2012 we can also
takevote them out".And who should be on the Diane Rehm show today but ... Phyllis Schlafly!! My God, is she still alive?! Still out there peddling the republican dribble. I hope the younger women are paying attention and this next election is a real Republican smackdown.
If Republicans lose the elections, the crazies are going to blame the party for nominating a moderate. They will not see the connection between women voters and these abortion and contraception laws. I want Santorum as the Republican nominee because it would present the voters a real choice in the election. The religious right would have their referendum on social issues. The loss and the size of the losses of the elections would send them reeling when they realize that they do not represent the majority of Americans. Social issues would no longer be a major campaign platform for the Republicans.
I am a 40 year old woman and have used several contraceptive methods over half of those years. I have 2 children and make it my mission to raise them with empathy, logic and love. I have been able to do so because of insurance covered contraception at times. Thank you New York Liberals.
The same people looking to limit access to contraceptives that a WOMAN controls are generally the ones who gripe and moan about single moms, teen pregnancies, the expense of education... all things that come about because of NOT using birth control.
Women are the ones who are most affected by unplanned pregnancies. It can be used as a brand of shame and a way for those who didn't happen to get knocked up (because THEY could afford the most effective birth control) feel superior. Well bully for them, but they can go *&^* themselves and get pregnant while the rest of us are responsible about how many children we bring into this world and when.
We are going to be paying premiums for the insurance policies. We deserve access to the best contraceptives if we choose to use them.