Is there a Republican war on women? Personally? No, I don’t believe there is a conscious war on women, being waged against women by the Republican Party. However, that does not mean that the GOP doesn’t have some underlying issues with the “fairer” sex.
My opening photo above is, I believe, how many within the GOP either see women, or how they believe women should be seen. Quiet, demure, talking quietly among their fellow women.
Then of course there are some within the party that only see women like this.
As the Republican Party moves closer and closer to the 2016 presidential election, it becomes more and more important, that the GOP reform its image as the “OLD WHITE GUYS CLUB”, it is important that the GOP makes it clear that it is open to all conservatives.
Right now the people who tell you they know politics, feel that Hilary Clinton is the likely Democrat nominee in 2016. That is going to place a high value on the women’s vote. It is also likely that the Republicans will field their own strong woman candidate, Carly Fiorino.
That is all well and good, and on the surface that may be a move in the right direction, however, if at the grass-roots level the party is stuck in the attitude of either seeing women as wives and mothers only, or objectifying them, then it is likely that Mrs. Fiorino will simply be a primary flash in the pan.
As usual we in Sussex County Delaware, need to look no further, than our own county GOP Executive Committee for examples of these types of attitudes. I have written here in the recent past about the behavior of several members of that committee and their treatment of the woman Treasurer of the Committee, Vicki Carmean. Here is a link to that article.
http://www.delawareright.com/mistakes-were-made-oh-really/#comments
But it is not just Vicki Carmean that is pointing out problems with the Sussex GOP in particular, and the Republican Party in general. The President of the Sussex County Republican Women’s Club, Alana Keeley, has also spoken out now, on two separate occasions about problems she is seeing, and also experiencing.
This past Monday night, Mrs. Keeley spoke at the monthly meeting for the 38th Representative District Republican Club. Mrs. Keeley’s sole purpose for speaking was to draw attention to what she sees as obstacles blocking the GOP from attracting more women to the party. Mrs. Keeley stated that if the GOP is going to grow the party, then it must “Clear The Path” for women to feel comfortable not only joining the party, but being made to feel as though they can be a driving force within the party.
Mrs. Keeley spoke of the subtle, micro messages that are sent either intentionally, or even unintentionally to women. Things like not paying full attention when women are speaking, making it more difficult for a woman to complete a task. There is also the problem of inappropriate jokes and comments, and mean-spirited comments.
Mrs. Keeley also spoke about these matters at the March meeting of the GOP Executive Committee, and related a comment made to her about the women of the SCRWC, that they were, “a bunch of crotchety old women”. The fact that a man would say this to the President of this organization, about the organization, shows that he felt above reproach for such behavior, after all, who in the old boys club would dare to speak up?
First let me say, for the longest time, my impression of the SCRWC was simply of the nice lady at the back of the monthly meeting who was either selling flowers, or who was recognized for this or that and then sat down. While the SCRWC has always been seen as important in raising money for the candidates, and being there when the grunt work was needed, they really haven’t gotten the due respect that they deserve, considering they are the largest Republican club in Delaware, and most likely second only to the Volunteer Firemen in Sussex in regards to being influential during election cycles.
So why are there so few women in leadership roles within the GOP in Delaware? In Sussex County, out of nine Representative Districts, there is only one female RD Chair person, Cathy Watts. Who by the way is a member of the SCRWC, and who has had her share of obstacles placed in her path.
I believe that there is within the Executive Committee in particular, and the Delaware GOP in general an attitude that women should be seen and not heard, that they are useful to be checker/challengers at the polls, or to run bake sales to raise money for the party, but when it comes to leadership, they are seen as second class citizens.
Mrs. Keeley related another personal example of inappropriate conduct directed towards her by a member of the committee. At one of the monthly meetings she was approached by this man, who made a point of showing her that he already had her contact information in his phone, which she had not given him, and next to her name and phone number was a vulgar word.
It would again seem as though this man also felt no fear, or shame for his behavior, and laughed it off as, “after all, I’m a guy”.
Now these examples in and of themselves are really not much. However, when put together along with the bullying tactics alleged to have been used against Vicki Carmean, and things that have been related to me by other women, then we begin to see a pattern. And this pattern if allowed to continue, will doom the GOP for sure in 2016, and the foreseeable future.
So how can we as a party remove these obstacles, how can we interrupt this pattern?
Well first of all we can shine the light of public scrutiny upon it, which is exactly what Mrs. Keeley and Mrs. Carmean are doing. Vicki Carmean was attacked as being a trouble maker, or for being a hysterical woman. It’s easy when only one woman comes forward with these types of accusations, to say she is over reacting, you know, “just being a girl about it”.
But now we have a second person willing to put her name and reputation on the line, both of these woman are accomplished within the community, and both are in good standing within the GOP, they have no obvious axe to grind. Hopefully these two women’s courage will embolden others to come forward as well, not in order to ruin anyone, but to clear the path for more women to join the party, but not to just join the party, but to take real leadership roles.
Currently there is somewhere around 34 female Election District Chair people, and that is actually a fair representation within the committee. There are a couple of problems though, many of these women are the wives of male EDs, and their names are on the roster, yet they never actually show up and participate, they are nothing more than place holders, those that do attend meetings rarely speak up. Why? Well because of the bullying attitude of their male counterparts. Opposing view points are met with loud voices and angry faces. Most of these women are of an age that they simply do not want to be abused in this manner, so they sit quietly while the old buys club struts around.
The Republican Party must grow to survive, it cannot grow if it sends subtle, and not so subtle messages to women, minorities, and young people, that while they are needed for votes, their input is not needed. We need women and minorities, and young people to come into the GOP and take on the old guard, we need new, fresh ideas on how to reach out to even more people. The current group in charge seems to be interested only in boiling down the party to their idea of purity.
There used to be a local sportsman show on local TV, “The Southern Sportsman”, hosted by a man named Franc White, and in the early days of the show he would end every episode by saying, “do yourself a favor, take a girl fishing”.
Well I say, do us all a favor, bring a woman to a GOP meeting.
I am a woman who supports Ted Cruz for President! Ted Cruz has the character and principals that makes him stand out above all the rest. I do not support Hillary Clinton because she everything that embodies the corruption of Washington D.C.
Ted Cruz is the Obama of the right. Tell him to get a real job.
Lisa Ann Palko, quit trolling everyone’s pages, you’re annoying and only hurting your candidate.
“Cindy Green is a nice lady but…”
I’m really happy that the 35th RD voted by unanimous consent that we are “exceedingly proud” of Cindy Green!
The GOP’s anti-abortion, anti-contraception agenda is a war on women, Frank.
No matter how you want to spin it.
Delacrat, for Republicans the abortion issue is a defense of life issue. And it is not anti-contraception, I just don’t think I should have to pay for it for someone else, nor should a business be forced to pay for it through insurance mandates.
But you and anyone are welcome
To use as much contraception as you can afford or simply abstain. Your issue is that you want to force others to pay for someone elses mistakes.
And save the rape and incest argument, most conservatives have conceded those, except for the most hard line religious right.
“for Republicans the abortion issue is a defense of life issue” – Frank
Like I said, you’re spinning, Frank. Think about it. If Republicans really cared about life, they would not be so favorable to life ending agendas like war and guns.
Cindy is a nice lady that supports a dude that had unlawful sexual contact with a minor. Fancy.
Delacrat, how is declaring my view on an issue “spinning “?
Individuals do not declare war, but they are guaranteed the right to own guns.
Who’s spinning now?
You’re spinning, Frank. Being smarter than Don Ayotte but still dumber than everyone else is nothing to brag about.
You call it a right to life issue. So what? Women aren’t incubators, and so they see it as a war on women, or more accurately, a war on their reproductive rights. You don’t get to decide what other people call it.
Nor do you
The GOP’s anti-abortion, anti-contraception agenda is a war on women…
And the Socialist-Democrat war on African Americans is racist. Over fifty-percent of black babies are aborted in the inner-cities. This is a higher rate than could be dreamed of by the KKK or white eugenicists like the founder of Planned Parenthood, Margaret Sanger. From the perspective of a pure racist, isn’t it more cost effective to affect the desired result in the womb rather than in the streets, prisons and so forth?
“The KKK and eugenicists everywhere would like to thank the Socialist-Democrat Party and Planned Parenthood for their work at reducing our racial “problem.”
“Nor do you.”
I’m not the one doing so. You are. And here I thought you were an alternative to the morons at Delaware Politics. You’re just as stupid as they are.
Geezer, you said,”You don’t get to decide what other people call it.”
So why do you get to decide what I should call it. Calling me names makes you DA.
Frank, if you, and your sexual partner, decide it’s a “right to life” issue then the two of you can act on those beliefs. I, along with many other women and men, do not share those beliefs so why should we follow your religion (which is really what you’re saying).
And can you explain how someone (you) can claim to want to end abortion, but doesn’t want contraception affordable? That seems quite contradictory. It also makes it extremely difficult to take your “right to life” views seriously, since the best way to reduce the number of abortions is to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies. The way to do that is through affordable/accessible contraceptives.
And what about supporting all those unwanted babies once you’ve forced them into the world? Do you support programs to help these women you’ve forced to become mothers? Do you support helping the babies that now exist? Head Start? SNAP? Or does your “right to life” advocacy end once a life actually exists? Basically, does your concern for life last longer than 9 months? Or does the pregnant Madonna morph into a welfare queen the minute the baby is born?
What it seems like, is that you’re more interested in punishment for sex, rather than preventing unwanted pregnancies. It comes across that forcing birth onto a woman is the price that must be paid for sex.
Welcome back Pandora. First of all where did I mention religion? I never mentioned religion. I do believe that life begins at conception. But that is a scientific belief not a religious belief.
And where did I say I didn’t want contraception available? Or that it should not be affordable?
What I said was that a private business owner should not be forced to pay for it through mandated insurance laws.
And I believe contraceptives are readily available.
Okay, let’s call it your morals (altho, I do believe your beliefs are religious based, but whatever). My, and other people’s, morals are not the same as yours. Why should we be held to your moral standard? Would you be okay with being held to other people’s moral standard? If not, why should your standards be given credit?
As far as affordable and accessible birth control, you are being ridiculous… or, shall I say, spinning. You can’t have it both ways. You can’t say I want abortion to go away, but I’m fine with businesses denying birth control coverage… because, you know, that equals more abortions. So, is this really about abortion to you? I have my doubts.
And I noticed how you ignored this part of my comment:
Please answer.
The truth is you think you are right and everyone who doesn’t agree with you is wrong. Fine. Just say that and we can all move along.
And here I thought you were an alternative to the morons at Delaware Politics. You’re just as stupid as they are.
Look who’s talking…the human blimp.
Pandora, are you saying that you are okay with killing an innocent person? Life begins at conception, that is a scientific fact, so when a mother and a doctor conspire to “abort” that life, it is murder according to the law.
As for something being affordable? You seem not to be talking. About the price of contraception, you seem to be saying that a private company should have to make it available for free. Why? How is the company accountable in the pregnancy?
Free contraception has been available for quite some time now and still we have abortion.
Maybe that is a morals issue as well.
We are already forced to “support” the things you listed, even with free contraception available, so explain how having businesses pay for it will change anything. And are you suggesting that the majority of abortions are working women with jobs that have health plans?
Really? Who be spinning now little mamma?
I am 100% okay with abortion. Now what do you do, Frank? Say that I, and everyone who agrees with me, should live by your rules because you are the one who is correct? You are the one who knows better? You get to make decisions concerning women’s bodies? Oh, but those bodies don’t belong to the women, right? Women lose all autonomy and rights once they become pregnant – once pregnant, women are merely incubators, they no longer exist as individuals. And… once the baby, you forced them to have, arrives then your work is done. That isn’t caring about life, Frank. Not. One. Little. Bit. It is, however, very Sharia Law like.
But this isn’t about the “unborn” to you, if it were you would be demanding free birth control for everyone and a huge safety net for women and their unwanted babies. But you aren’t. You, as well as Republican policies, are concerned with women’s sex lives (a GOP obsession) and controlling women. That’s it. And you wonder why Republicans have female problems? Your comments on this thread demonstrate why you guys will lose the women’s vote… again.
Given your last comment it’s clear you do not know who has abortions and why. It’s also clear you don’t understand the cost and access to contraceptives prior to the ACA.
Women do not want you, or the Republican party, making decisions for us. We are more than capable of making decisions. And if you, and other conservative men, don’t want to risk your partner having an abortion just keep it in your pants… or better yet, hold an aspirin between your knees.
Pandora, I was going to respond to your entire comment, that was until I got to your last paragraph.
“And if you, and other conservative men, don’t want to risk your partner having an abortion just keep it in your pants… or better yet, hold an aspirin between your knees.”
So in your world it only takes one to become pregnant? How about you and all of you Democrat women hold an aspirin between your knees. And technically what you are suggesting is abstinence.
And we are not just talking about the woman’s body, but that of the unborn child, or does that life not matter to you? Why are you only concerned with the body of the mother but not the child?
Who is really the non caring one here darling.
For a political blogger who claims to be concerned/following the abortion/contraceptive debate I am stunned that you didn’t get the aspirin reference.
You are the abstinence guy, and if women (and you guys only ever deal with women) don’t abstain than forced birth is their punishment.
And the idea that this post is about attracting women to the Republican Party is laughable. This post is the equivalent of a high school burn book. You reflexively take the opposite side of those on your enemy’s list. The point of this post was about calling out people you don’t like, or who you feel have done you wrong. It sure as hell wasn’t about women. Your “enemies” were the subject of this post, and women were merely the objects you used to go after people you don’t like.
And it does take two to become pregnant. Perhaps you can explain to me why you and your party only wants to legislate and control only one half of that equation?
It’s fairly obvious to anyone willing and able to employ critical analysis that most of the republican party is totally obsessed with sexual issues above all else in a way that adversely impacts women and individual rights. Why should an employer have to pay for heart surgery for fat people? You people want to punish wormen with forced births. The talk radio leader of your party called womens sluts and insulted women in a very coersive way that I believe is very reflective of the uneducated, sociopathic, angry, inmature white man crowd. It’s sickening to anyone with true moral and intellectual development. The GOP couldn’t exist without these manipulative cultural/race/sex resentment to ride up the self righteous hate obsessed rubes.
Where is the republican concern for life that snuffed out by gun violence each and every day? How about the angry white republican men demand that males use birth control with every sex act and if the birth control fails, the angry white republican male is responsible for the financial well being of the clild for its whole life? A mass of cells that must be incubated for 9 months is only a child if the woman who has to carry it decides it’s a child. You people are a f-ing fraud. Its all about your manly macho entitled view of the world where angry white trash men create all the rules and control women to benefit yourselves. You people could give a damn about life unless its something you want to control. The next generation will snuff you people out politically like cockroaches!!!!.
Pandora honey, the post was not about abortion. Learn to read and read to learn. Delacrat brought that subject up.
I had heard the old joke about the aspirin, dial down you superiority complex.
Also, I did not bring abstinence into the conversation you did. We were talking about the availability of contraceptives and how you would force private companies to pay for them.
Either be able to follow your own train of thought or admit you have non, you are simply agenda hunting.
Mouse, you are correct, the GOP has allowed itself to be distracted both from within and form without, by social issues, and if folks like yourself and Pandora are actually reading all my post and not simply agenda hunting, then you know that I have written about the need to ignore the bait offered by the left.
Shorter Frank Knotts: I got nothing.
I know what the post wasn’t about, Frank. It wasn’t about women. You would have been better off starting this post with the words, Dear Diary.
Pandora, if you actually read the entire post, and did not simply scan for agenda items, then you would see that the post was my perspective about what Mrs. Keeley had to say on the subject. And to point out what I see as a real attack on women right here in Sussex, not the agenda driven political rhetoric that the Democrats have been trading on.
Everyone see this: “And to point out what I see as a real attack on women right here in Sussex, not the agenda driven political rhetoric that the Democrats have been trading on.”
Frank Knotts gets to decide what matters to women. Got it – good luck with that. Frank gets to say that Delacrat brought the subject up, but then ignores the fact that he responded to Delacrat’s comment and sent this thread down this path. Frank pretends he’s the only one who doesn’t have an agenda, but everyone can see he does.
And I stand by my claim. This post is a way for Frank to call out his perceived enemies. It has nothing to do with women. I did read the post and your targets were quite clear – and it had nothing to do with women issues and everything to do with you scoring points against people you don’t like.
One more thing… Don’t tell me how you feel about abortion (or go ahead, knock yourself out), I don’t care how you feel about it. Just like you don’t care about how I feel. The difference between us is that I’m not the one who is asking the government to regulate women’s reproductive systems. Frank, you do not believe in small government when it comes to women. You don’t believe in life, or rather, you only believe in certain lives. I was correct. Your pregnant Madonna morphs into a welfare queen the minute after you force her to give birth because you don’t give a damn about all these precious lives once they exit the womb. Just own it.
Pandora, baby girl, I know you are smarter than this, you quote me as saying, “And to point out what I see as”, and then you make the claim that this in some way forces everyone to believe as I do.
So, please enlighten us how the way I see an issue forces you to see it that way? Are you weak? Do you not have a brain? Can you not think for yourself. Or do you just think that no one else can?
And yes, Delacrat did bring abortion into the conversation, and unlike other bloggers I am not afraid to go with the flow, and I will not delete you for having a differing view, I enjoy the conversation, even with people who seem to have a chip on their shoulder.
You then say, “The difference between us is that I’m not the one who is asking the government to regulate women’s reproductive systems.”
Uh! Please point to where in the post, or my comments I asked for government to regulate a women’s body. I did say that I don’t feel that government should regulate a private business into paying for contraception. You know, like a person who is for limited government would?
I notice that you too avoid answering questions, still waiting on you to tell us why the body of the mother is more important than the life of the child.
The so called “welfare queens” as you call them, had a hand in becoming pregnant, did they not? Guess we are back to the aspirin Sugar.
Where are the jobs? When is the Republican congress going to do something besides pander to angry white bigots?
Why doesn’t the republican congress stop the outsourcing of jobs to child labor in China? When is the Republican congress going to have the job creators who crate jobs for illegals arrested? When is the Republican congress going to solve the debt crisis by raising taxes on the wealthy before the nation’s infrastructure crumbles? The only issues are fear, hate, paranoia and sex of course
Mouse, it seems that what you are asking is when are the Republicans going
To become Democrats?
Again, look back at recent post and you will see I have advocated for the GOP to focus on fiscal issues and to leave moral issues to the individual. I have never believed that you can legislate morality.
As for illegals? I have also pointed out the fiscal benefit of immigration, however it needs to be done within the law.