Do Republican Candidates Care About Women Voters?
Categories: PunditMom Ponders, We're More Political Than You Think
As we are now counting the days to the primaries and caucuses in January, I’m assuming that voters will become more focused on the candidates, both Democratic and Republican, and where they stand on the issues that are most important to them.
As you can probably guess from reading my columns, I tend to lean just a teensy little bit to the left in my politics!
I’ve paid a lot of attention to where the Democrats stand on issues that impact women, regardless of their political affiliation of those women — work/family balance, the Family and Medical Leave Act, Roe v. Wade, child care, and health care for mothers and children, just to a name a few.
So, in fairness, I thought I should take a quick tour of some of the candidates’ official websites to see what they’ve chosen to highlight in terms of issues that would resonate with women voters.
And I have to say, I was shocked.At least from what they’ve got on their sites, it seems like the Republicans aren’t very interested in women.
As for the Democrats, they all have places on their websites to address the so-called “women’s issues.” John Edwards has his Promise for American Women. Chris Dodd wrote the Family and Medical Leave Act. Hillary Clinton is calling herself a “Champion for Women.” Joe Biden has a whole section on his website called “Empowering Women to Take Charge.”
So I assumed that the GOP candidates would have similar topics on their sites.
I’m still looking.
Sure, they’ve included those buzz words “family” and “life,” but the main focus is on the war and the economy. Of course those are incredibly important issues, but since women voters are the acknowledged key to the election this political season, wouldn’t you think that a few of them would devote a little web space to explaining their positions on helping women, and families, solve the practical problems we all face in our lives? And where do they stand on another important agenda item — children??
I’m a little afraid they’re not thinking about it.
Mike Huckabee talks about “Faith and Politics” and “The Sanctity of Life,” but I don’t see a mention of working moms.
Mitt Romney places “Defeating the Jihadists” above most other issues on his site, but I didn’t see anything about the FMLA.
Rudy Guiliani? John McCain? Fred Thompson? None have a separate agenda item on their sites about women, as the Democrats do.
So what’s that all about? I’m sure somewhere in a speech or written release, the Republican candidates have uttered some words on this topic. But why have they left that information off their websites — the best and easiest place for a voter to get the information they’re looking for?
Republicans, if you want some of us women to vote for you (sorry, it won’t be me, but I know they’re out there), maybe you should spend a little time thinking about what’s important to women voters.
Even though you may think otherwise, this isn’t all about you.
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Wow, apparently the Republicans are really taking their bible beating to the max. Do they think that sending the message that the man should be master of his domain is really a way to encourage women to support them? Seems to me that the type of woman that would fall for that is also the type who would vote exactly as her husband instructed her to….
PT-LawMom | November 19th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
I don’t really think I need to see a special section devoted just to me as a woman on every candidate’s website. As you said, PunditMom, I expect them to explain their positions on issues that I am most concerned about, and I see that.
On Rudy’s site (http://www.joinrudy2008.com/issues) I see topics about Education, Abortion, Marriage, Public Safety and whatever the rest of his 12 Committments are. On other sites, I see similar lists of issues (wow, including Defeating the Jihadists - wow). That’s all I need. Candidates don’t need to try sucking up because I’m their key to the election, I just want to know where they stand.
Personally, I would be more offended if the candidates made a section “just for women” and talked ONLY about a select few of their issues. It would be arrogant of any candidate to presume that he or she knows what issues are important to me…wouldn’t it?
Cheri | November 20th, 2007 at 1:49 am
[...] My favorite recent post was about voter apathy, but it was today’s Spin Cycle post on Republican candidates’ pitches (or lack thereof) to women that really got me thinking that I should share her with those of you who aren’t already [...]
PT-LawMom | Have you met PunditMom? | November 20th, 2007 at 6:34 am
Why should there be a special “women’s issues” platform? As a woman, I’m just as interested in the economy, defense, etc, as I am childcare, health, or other so-called women’s issues. Would you also like to see a section on “Men’s issues” and if so, what would that contain?
nigelmoose | November 20th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
nigelmoose, That’s a fair comment. I, too, am very interested in the main issues of the economy and defense. But it just seems odd to me that the GOP seems to be lacking on thoughtful positions on issues that seem to impact women more than men. Plus, since the country is still run be men, they probably don’t need to have separate “men’s” issues — they’re already taking care of themselves.
PunditMom | November 20th, 2007 at 4:36 pm
Actually, much of what have traditionally been called women’s issues are actually family issues that would benefit both genders. Unfortunately, they are labeled by Republicans as “entitlements” and pretty uniformly sneered at by the GOP.
Lisse | November 22nd, 2007 at 1:07 am
I am a 53 year old middle class white woman. Is this what you really want to run our country and to restore America’s good name?
Hillary Clinton has been telling America that she is the most qualified candidate for president based on her ‘record,’ which she says includes her eight years in the White House as First Lady - or ‘co-president’ - and her seven years in the Senate. Here is a reminder of what that record includes: - As First Lady, Hillary assumed authority over Health Care Reform, a process that cost the taxpayers over $13 million. She told both Bill Bradley and Patrick Moynihan, key votes needed to pass her legislation, that she would ‘demonize’ anyone who opposed it. But it was opposed; she couldn’t even get it to a vote in a Congress controlled by her own party. (And in the next election, her party lost control of both the House and Senate.) - Hillary assumed authority over selecting a female Attorney General. Her first two recommendations, Zoe Baird and Kimba Wood, were forced to withdraw their names from consideration. She then chose Janet Reno. Janet Reno has since been described by Bill himself as ‘my worst mistake.’ - Hillary recommended Lani Guanier for head of the Civil Rights Commission. When Guanier’s radical views became known, her name had to be withdrawn. - Hillary recommended her former law partners, Web Hubbell, Vince Foster, and William Kennedy for positions in the Justice Department, White House staff, and the Treasury, respectively. Hubbell was later imprisoned, Foster committed suicide, and Kennedy was forced to resign. - Hillary also recommended a close friend of the Clintons, Craig Livingstone, for the position of director of White House security. When Livingstone was investigated for the improper access of up to 900 FBI files of Clinton enemies (“Filegate”) and the widespread use of drugs by White House staff, both Hillary and her husband denied knowing him. FBI agent Dennis Sculimbrene confirmed in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in 1996, both the drug use and Hillary’s involvement in hiring Livingstone. After that, the FBI closed its White House Liaison Office, after serving seven presidents for over thirty years. - In order to open “slots” in the White House for her friends the Thomasons (to whom millions of dollars in travel contracts could be awarded), Hillary had the entire staff of the White House Travel Office fired; they were reported to the FBI for ‘gross mismanagement’ and their reputations ruined. After a thirty-month investigation, only one, Billy Dale, was charged with a crime - mixing personal money with White House funds when he cashed checks. The jury acquitted him in less than two hours. - Another of Hil lary’s assumed duties was directing the ‘bimbo eruption squad’ and scandal defense: —- She urged her husband not to settle the Paula Jones lawsuit. —- She refused to release the Whitewater documents, which led to the appointment of Ken Starr as Special Prosecutor. After $80 million dollars of taxpayer money was spent, Starr’s investigation led to Monica Lewinsky, which led to Bill lying about and later admitting his affairs. —- Then they had to settle with Paula Jones after all. —- And Bill lost his law license for lying to the grand jury —- And Bill was impeached by the House. —- And Hillary almost got herself indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice (she avoided it mostly because she repeated, ‘I do not recall,’ ‘I have no recollection,’ and ‘I don’t know’ 56 times under oath). - Hillary wrote ‘It Takes a Village,’ demonstrating her Socialist viewpoint. - Hill ary decided to seek election to the Senate in a state she had never lived in. Her husband pardoned FALN terrorists in order to get Latino support and the New Square Hassidim to get Jewish support. Hillary also had Bill pardon her brother’s clients, for a small fee, to get financial support. - Then Hillary left the White House, but later had to return $200,000 in White House furniture, china, and artwork she had stolen. - In the campaign for the Senate, Hillary played the ‘woman card’ by portraying her opponent (Lazio) as a bully picking on her. - Hillary’s husband further protected her by asking the National Archives to withhold from the public until 2012 many records of their time in the White House, including much of Hillary’s correspondence and her calendars. (There are ongoing lawsuits to force the release of those records.) - As the junior Senator from New York, Hillary has passed no major legislation. She has deferred to the senior Senator (Schumer) to tend to the needs of New Yorkers, even on the hot issue of medical problems of workers involved in the cleanup of Ground Zero after 9/11. - Hillary’s one notable vote; supporting the plan to invade Iraq, she has since disavowed. Quite a resume’. Sounds more like an organized crime family’s rap sheet.
maureen | February 7th, 2008 at 8:05 pm