Why Republicans Are Losing the Battle They Started

by Sunnyjane

Hmph!  'Those women' who were making my Inaugural Ball gown are out of work.  Serves them right for voting for Obama!

Losing the War on Women: Do Not Resuscitate

Ignoring women is no longer a winning strategy, and Ann Romney may have been instrumental in making that point during the 2012 election cycle.  She was, for all intents and purposes, more damaging than helpful.

The Republican campaign insisted on trotting her out to win the women's vote.  But by rattling around in the echo chamber of hypocrisy, she gaffed far more than she got her point across.  The problem: she had no viable point to make.  Ann Romney was, and remains, ignorant of the broad scope of issues that concern women.  She stated in one interview that, I've been on the campaign trail for one year, and guess what women are talking about. They're talking about jobs ... That's what I'm hearing.  Well, she must have been talking about jobs for men, because this is the woman whose husband-candidate refused, throughout the entire campaign, to even say whether he was in support equal pay for women.  Women were left to assume that he did not believe that women should be paid the same as their male counterparts for performing the same job. 

In all fairness to Mrs. Mitt, she had nothing to offer women.  The Republican Party started a fight with women by legislating their healthcare options, promising to defund Planned Parenthood, drastically limiting or entirely eliminating contraceptive choices, overturning Roe vs. Wade, forcing a rape victim to carry a baby to full term, and refusing to enact the latest iteration of the Violence Against Women Act.

Neurotic Inertia Posing as Moral Rectitude

The Republican Party has not yet reconciled themselves to their loss on November 6.  Oh, to be sure, some of their, ahem, leaders are making noises that sound as if they are willing to change out of nothing but sheer desperation. I don't believe we should expect a sudden GOP flash mob performing Kumbaya in the Capital Rotunda any time soon.

The GOP implemented a great winning strategy -- for 1950

The Republicans desire -- and determination -- to govern women's issues is ingrained in their collective psyche and reflected in their legislative positions.  All eight GOP primary candidates were adamantly against abortion.  Because the Koch Brothers' brother by another mother, Herman Cain, took an early flight to Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan, his view on the issue did not receive the attention it should have: He has repeatedly stated that life begins at conception, and that if he was elected President, he would sign legislation to protect the sanctity of life. He supports the defunding of Planned Parenthood, and has noted that the organization was started by someone with the stated goal of lowering the number of African-American children.  Yes, dear readers, that's exactly what he believes.  And if you have the stomach for it, you can see the other six presidential nominee hopefuls' views here:  Michele Bachmann, Jon Huntsman, Rick Perry, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, and Newt Gingrich.  [Mitt Romney doubled down on his views on women's rights when he selected the most far-right anti-woman legislators in the congress, Paul Ryan.]

GOP Moralists, Wannabes and  Knuckleheads

The Republican Party will never again be a Grand Old Party until it purges itself of the current bunch of self-appointed right-wing moralists like Paul Ryan, Michele Bachmann, Darrel Issa, etc.  While Todd Akin was roundly defeated, too many remain.  Grover Norquist would do more good for the party were he to encourage more moderate candidates to support rather than using his Gestapo tactics to force candidates to sign ridiculous no-more-taxes pledges. 

Wannabe candidates such as Richard Mourdock should not be supported, nor should people like Sarah Palin; again, memo to Norquist, see above.

When the GOP stops taking its cues from the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, and Donald Trump, they may be able to move forward.  Otherwise, their party will continue to be nothing more than one that is Only for white men of property, circa 1800.

Diversity 2012, Republican Style

The New Republican House Committeemen

 vs.

Change We Can Believe In:  The New Women in Congress

 Future Post (perhaps):  Why Democrats are Winning the War on Women  
 

END NOTE

With 55% of the women's vote, Barack Obama won a second term.