I’m asking out of genuine curiosity about the opinions when it comes to 
Republican women and the birth control brouhaha. Short of The Distinguished Ladies From Maine wanting to see “final details” of President Obama’s rule changes to provide contraception coverage through insurance companies, I’ve heard basically nothing from prominent conservative women this week on, as Emily said below, the GOP’s trip back in time. It’s mind-blowingly obvious as to what I think about the sheer horror of it all, but I’m seriously trying to figure out if it’s silence that implies support (or silent rage), if it’s none of my damned business, or if I’m just completely missing something.
And as Charles Pierce notes, at least one GOP woman candidate is running on the whole thing being nothing more than a First Amendment issue, like the campaign of Sarah Steelman in Missouri.
People living in these states are going to hear, over and over again, on free and paid media, through an entire primary season, that the real issue here is religious liberty and Obamacare. (What Republican candidate is going to come out and argue that it’s an issue of women’s health care? Anyone? Bueller?) This will continue into the general election cycle. By then, this ludicrous position will be set in concrete as a legitimate part of the electoral dialogue. I’m not optimistic at all that enough people will see through it.
Pierce has a point. I fully expect Republican women to start coming out and saying that this idiotic position really has nothing to do with birth control, or women’s control over their bodies, or institutionalized misogyny on a scale involving tens of millions, but whether or not President Obama is being mean to old white men in frocks. That’s what I expect to happen, but I want to know what the actual response is.
It’s not like Republicans haven’t had recent success running on “tyranny of the majority” over the last ten years, either. Consider the number of states who gladly had mob rule contests to remove rights from LGBT friends and neighbors under the guise of “protecting the religious freedoms of marriage.” The whole thing seems aimed not at swing voters, but conservative women themselves. They’re the ones most likely to defect to the Dems at the polls, and this entire bizarre anachronistic antagonism seems designed to shame them into standing by their men.
How well it will work, only time will tell. So I’m asking you guys what you’re heard and seen from Republican women in your area. Basically, I’ve heard plenty of comments from women on the left and the middle ranging from disbelief to outrage to semi-amazed glee that Republicans could be this dense, but what I’ve not heard is from women on the right, and especially elected Republican women. I’m honestly interested in their opinions on this, because frankly I want to know if there really is all but silence, or if I’m just completely missing their responses in the noise. I can’t understand how anyone could remain silent throughout this, and that’s my opinion, but I want to hear others. Republican Roy Blunt made this about all Americans and all employers having the “right” to deny coverage based on moral objections for any procedure.
So yes, I want to know.
Conservative women, I’m guessing, are “submitting” to their husbands… otherwise, they no longer identify as “conservative’…
Speaking of the birth control wars… you all need to see this:
VIDEO: “Bishop Wants Violent Opposition to Contraception Mandate”:
http://freethoughtblogs.com/dispatches/2012/02/15/bishop-wants-violent-opposition-to-contraception-mandate/
Kentucky fried crazy.
Now have a look at this:
http://freethoughtblogs.com/dispatches/2012/02/16/a-picture-is-worth-1000-words/
Come election 2012, Dems had better be prepared to vote out the tea bag Christianistas en masse… and make damn sure that no Republican comes within spitting distance of the White House.
Forget the conservative women… there’s no longer such a thing.
Whenever I listen to these conservative women, particularly the ones who are “pundits,” I’ve always wanted to say to them: “How cute that you think you have an opinion! It’s really sweet, now go get your husband so I can talk to someone who matters.” Hey, if they’re going to cater to the misogynistic idiots, I can work with it.
Even my uber religious (future) mother-in-law and hellfire and brimstone preacher aunt would agree that though they’re not fan of abortion – sticking an aspirin up the ‘happy trails’ to prevent pregnancy is up there with having sex under water. Of course, they are an inner city school teacher and a community organizer respectively, as well as being proud black women, so no, they’re not falling for this angry white man BS.
The tag “conservative women” is now reserved for the most repressed or the most cynical of women folks.
Women of America your choice is clear in 2012 – let the GOP take over, and say good bye to the rights over your own body.
On the Book of Faces, I saw a rather incoherent defense as to how public monies shouldn’t pay for abortion and not all Republicans were Christians and it’s ridiculous to say the GOP hates women what hyperbole that is (though I’m pretty sure she didn’t say hyperbole)! It was pretty pathetic, actually, but yeah – birth control mandate was taken to mean ‘loose liberal ladies wanting to get their damn abortions for free!’
I realized this morning that their silence on allllllll of this actually makes me even more angry than the men pushing it. I expect this shit from the Santorums (et al) of the world — but when it gets this bad, I thought I should be able to expect women to have each other’s (and their daughter’s) backs.
Republican women march lock-step to the Patriarchy, because in a limited scope they are given extreme powers in the patriarchy for the understanding their job is to ensure all other women are kept docile and sevile.
Also ask why the following was not represented at the House Hearing.
Republicans did not invite any of the religious organizations that have applauded Obama’s exemption and applauded the mandate for contraception.
Many of the non-Catholic churches/organizations that have railed against the false religious liberties claim are doing it because they are anti-Obama. Some of the have been very active in anti-Obama actions since 2007.
Why didn’t they invite any of the following:
Includes Catholic Organizations http://www.faithinpubliclife.org/blog/prominent-faith-leaders-theologians-celebrate-common-ground-solution-on-contraception-religious-liberty/
http://www.umc-gbcs.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx? c=frLJK2PKLqF&b=4909851&ct=11627315
http://thinkfaithfully.blogspot.com/2012/02/birth-control-and-catholic-church.html
In contrast, 24 religious leaders, representing Protestant,Reform and Conservative Jewish, andMuslim faiths, issueda joint statementfrom the Religious Institute on Feb. 8 stating, “We respect individuals’moral agency to make decisions abouttheirsexualityand reproductive health without governmental interference orlegal restriction.” Andthe public policy office of the United Methodist Church, which also runs hospitals anduniversities, applaudedthe mandate to cover contraception.
Another statement agreeing with Obama’s mandate was signed by:
Catholics for Choice; the Central Conference of American Rabbis; Concerned Clergy for Choice; Disciples Justice Action Network; Episcopal Divinity School; Episcopal Women’s Caucus; Hadassah; the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation; Jewish Women International; Methodist Federation for Social Action; Muslims for Progressive Values; the National Council of Jewish Women; Planned Parenthood Clergy Advisory Board; the Rabbinical Assembly; the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice; the Religious Institute; Society for Humanistic Judaism; The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism; Union Theological Seminary; Unitarian Universalist Association; United Church of Christ; and Women’s League for Conservative Judaism ” The unity of the religious leaders contrasted with the partisan divide among lawmakers”
I’m not expecting much from them after all these years. After hearing them demonize Planned Parenthood there isn’t much to say.
Ole Dana “R kelly” Loesch says its just like sex, so whats teh big fricken deal
http://www.israelforum.com/blog_article.php?aid=3941404
These people are fucking nuts
I’ve asked this question on facebook myself, knowing that I have a number of Republican friends and family. None of them have 8 plus children and I know for a fact that more than a few of them were sexually active before marriage. What response did I get? Crickets. I guess it’s hard to hear questions when your head is buried in the sand…