So what are the political interests of Women in America?

[monster]

conversation spawned from here

For me, right now, economics is pretty big. Not that I get a vote or anything. But the econimics I'm struggling with relate to the policies of our Republican State Governor. Federally-speaking, I'm cool. ish. I have more local fish to fry.

You?

[tw]

Originally Posted by monster

For me, right now, economics is pretty big. Not that I get a vote or anything. But the econimics I'm struggling with relate to the policies of our Republican State Governor.

Careful. By the time spin doctors are done, you will be accused of being the Budda. It is politically incorrect to be a fat man.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by Chris Christie

It is politically incorrect to be a fat man.

[SamIam]

The political interests of Women in America are the same as the political interests of Men in America. Ever notice the way conservatives try to split up the country instead of uniting it for the common good? Class warfare? Christians against everyone else? Men against women? I get fed up with it.

[Ibby]

It's not just the righties that try to create artificial divides, to be fair. That's how you get votes on either side. The real question is the legitimacy of the argument about why there's a split.

I agree with the Democrats that Republican policy - not just the fringe, anymore, but the Party, almost all elected Republicans at the national level and in the states - is openly hostile to women's rights, to equality, and to just about every feminist principle. I think - especially given the 20-point gap between Romney and Obama among women - that women have realized this, and that they feel like things that they thought were settled a long time ago - like the right to contraception and the right to privacy - are under attack.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Originally Posted by SamIam

The political interests of Women in America are the same as the political interests of Men in America. Ever notice the way conservatives try to split up the country instead of uniting it for the common good? Class warfare? Christians against everyone else? Men against women? I get fed up with it.

Sam, Sam, that is what the Democratic Party is doing. Conservatives qua conservatives care naught for such things, and if you or Ibbie knew any conservatives you'd know as much -- but Obama waves the bloody shirt for class warfare about every third word. I was fed up with him before he was in the Oval Office, and nothing he's done since has ameliorated that one bit. The America he wants is not the America the rest of us deserve, and he should be sent packing.

[Ibby]

Yeah. Right on, UG! Way to put me in my place for saying that... its not just the right that does what sam says they do?

If you wanna lump me in with what you disagree with, fine. But don't expect your pretentious shit about conservatism having the inherent high ground to go unchallenged. go find the thread where I asked you to explain how the Republicans support freedom and you still haven't.

EDIT: http://cellar.org/showthread.php?t=26971&p=803951

[SamIam]

Originally Posted by Urbane Guerrilla

Sam, Sam, that is what the Democratic Party is doing. Conservatives qua conservatives care naught for such things, and if you or Ibbie knew any conservatives you'd know as much -- but Obama waves the bloody shirt for class warfare about every third word. I was fed up with him before he was in the Oval Office, and nothing he's done since has ameliorated that one bit. The America he wants is not the America the rest of us deserve, and he should be sent packing.

See, there you go again - trying to fit every question into the same wrong answer. Why are you so terrified of Obama? He seems to be the monster hiding forever under your bed or in the dark of your subconscious closet. Cowboy up and install a nightlite or something for god's sake.

I will grant that Democrats too are guilty of diversionary tactics. But the ones who are truely blatent about it are members of the ever more far right.

Ib is correct about Republicans becoming increasingly hostile to "women's" issues. What is even more discouraging is the lack of recognition that the issues under attack impact us all. If the government undertakes the destruction of the rights of one segment of the population, it undermines the rights of everyone.

When Romney first announced his candidacy, I took a dim view of his Mormon background and everyone here pooh-poohed me and posted stuff like "Mormons are people, too." Sure they are - extremely misguided ones. Here's a little on Romney's family backgound:

Mitt Romney’s great-great-grandfather was Parley Pratt, a Mormon apostle who had twelve wives. His great-grandparents were polygamous Mormons who moved to Mexico because of U.S. anti-polygamy laws. Miles Park Romney had five wives—including one taken in 1897, more than six years after the “Manifesto” supposedly announcing a ban on plural marriage in the LDS Church. The historical evidence shows clearly that Miles was not an anomaly. LDS Church founder Joseph Smith had himself secretly practiced polygamy, and his successor Brigham Young led the way in making it a common practice in territorial Utah. Many Mormons, including Wilford Woodruff, the LDS Church President who issued the Manifesto, continued to take additional wives years after the Manifesto. Romney’s father, George Romney, was born in 1907 in Chihuahua, Mexico, to monogamous parents, and moved with them to the United States in 1912. George went on to become governor of Michigan (1963-69) and the head of HUD under Richard Nixon (1969-73). During his retirement years, George Romney held the offices of patriarch and regional representative of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the LDS Church.

Can anyone wonder at Romney's attitude about women's rights? The inequality of the sexes is one of the foundations of Mormon belief and anyone who doesn't think so has never attended a meeting of the Women's Relief Society. The issue of women's rights has actually united two groups - fundamentalist Christians and the Mormons. Republicans play to these extremists in the hopes of large PAC contributions and they are getting them.

God help us all.

[piercehawkeye45]

This isn't direct but the fact that public sector jobs are highly represented by women isn't good for Republicans either.

[classicman]

You mean the ones we have been consistently losing since 2007, PH?

[Clodfobble]

Romney’s father, George Romney, was born in 1907 in Chihuahua, Mexico, to monogamous parents,

Originally Posted by SamIam

Can anyone wonder at Romney's attitude about women's rights?

I think Romney's an ivory-tower clueless hack, who may or may not care about women's rights depending on the weather that day, but honestly, I don't think this part of his history has much to do with anything. His grandparents were monogamous, his parents were monogamous. I don't know about you, but I never even met any of my great-grandparents. Given the time they lived in, I'd guess that most of those relatives of mine were racists, for example, but that doesn't mean I'm a racist.

[infinite monkey]

Mad Men mentioned a Romney two weeks ago. I lolled.

Originally Posted by Politico

Of course, since the show, in its current season, is operating in the year 1966, that would be George Romney, the father of Mitt and the then-governor of Michigan.

Henry Francis, a character in the show who had served as director of public relations and research for New York governor Nelson Rockefeller in past seasons and now works for New York City Mayor John Lindsay, is heard on one scene saying into the phone:

“Well, tell Jim his honor’s not going to Michigan. Because Romney’s a clown and I don’t want him standing next to him.”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0412/74726.html

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

I think Romney's an ivory-tower clueless hack, who may or may not care about women's rights depending on the weather that day, but honestly, I don't think this part of his history has much to do with anything. His grandparents were monogamous, his parents were monogamous. I don't know about you, but I never even met any of my great-grandparents. Given the time they lived in, I'd guess that most of those relatives of mine were racists, for example, but that doesn't mean I'm a racist.

What Clod says is fair.
My Grandmother was an openly racist woman.
Both my parents hold views I consider racist.
I have questioned myself about racist tendencies in terms of soul-searching.
My family has come a long way baby.

On the flip side, Romney is still part of what I believe to be a sexist religion.

[piercehawkeye45]

Originally Posted by classicman

You mean the ones we have been consistently losing since 2007, PH?

The jobs that would be completely gone with Paul Ryan's budget, which Romney claims to support. Also, a large mount of lost jobs since 2008 have been public sector jobs under Republican state governments.

I don't see those statistics helping Romney.

[classicman]

I didn't bring up Romney nor R's state govt's. In fact, I didn't blame anyone.
I just stated a fact as evidenced below. Something far different than the last three recessions.