The reason behind the Republican's ALEC-prescribed War on Women is obvious.

[Scuba]

They want to end women's suffrage. I can think of no other reason that serves their purpose.

[madrchsod]

1. seems like that guy in wisconsin wants to keep women suffering

stay married to the guy who beats you?

[nxylas]

2. I did once see a Freeper call for the repeal of the nineteenth amendment

On one of my occasional visits to that cesspool, I saw a Freeper claim that America would be so much better if we repealed the fifteenth and nineteenth amendments. He later backtracked on the former, claiming he meant to say sixteenth (authorising federal income tax), but held firm on the latter.

[Cosmocat]

3. It is the scorpion and the frog

Just their nature.

It started with them just recycling the culture war BS that has worked for them in the past.

Then, when they got blowback on it, they did what they do when they are wrong about something - double down on it because they can bully the press into backing their play.

The problem is, women has exponentially grown as a political force in this country over the last decade.

I think sometimes people want to think that they have a lot of strategy to what they do, but as a party it really is short terms cycling of the same political plays. They just cycle through the same crape until something gets traction.

[stillwaiting]

4. I feel like the elite just want us to engage in full out war amongst ourselves on...

... social issues.

Keep us fighting to retain the rights and dignity of women (and for the rights and dignity of GLBT) so that they can have more cover to continue their economic onslaught. They have certainly ramped up their attack via legislative efforts.

It's the only thing that currently makes sense to me.

[Scuba]

6. That also makes sense to me. Now I have two theories. Thanks.

[freshwest]

8. Keeping our minds off of Citizens United. See this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1105227

It should be on every newspaper and media outlet but instead we have the culture wars. The baggers were rolled into office by appealing to the lowest emotions possible, fear and hatred. \\

But it was for a similiar money related purpose, just like this, to deny moderates and Democrats the numbers to allow the Bush Tax Cuts to sunset, as intended. While these issues truly do cause the objects of hatred and scorn lifelong damage, that's just part of the price the 1% is glad to inflict to get their way.

[onlyadream]

7. Ding ding ding

We have a winner!

[elehhhhna]

12. you win the thread.

thank you.

IMO, this is all kabuki shit wherein they ask for the moon and we give them the stars. outrageous dcemands make less outrageous demands look less, well, outrageous. ask to end birthcontrol, receive capitulations on abortion.

wait for it.

we're being played.

[Quantess]

16. Yes, I fully agree.

[midnight]

5. Anyone wondering why the most affluent, technologically advanced dem. on Earth is still struggling

"Can you imagine the results of a similar survey in major urban centers on the American East and West coasts? Anyone wondering why the most affluent, technologically advanced democracy on Earth is still struggling to provide equal rights and equality in human services to all of its citizens need look no further than these responses."http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/03/12/survey-results-reinforce-stereotypes-about-folks-in-alabama-mississippi/

[hfojvt]

15. Why should we have to imagine it though?

Why not take the same survey in California, NYC, Connecticut, and then also London and Berlin and Paris?

But then do it for the whole population, and not just Republican primary voters.

Nice that that blog brings back the old divisive Jesusland map from 2002. Never mind that Obama carried states like Nevada, Iowa, Virigina, Ohio, Indiana, North Carolina, Florida and Colorado. Toss them into Jesusland too!

[GeorgeGist]

9. The operative word ...

is REASON. Try again?

[uponit7771]

10. They have NOTHING to rile their base on, they're desperate

[EC]

11. All they will accomplish

is a Dem controlled Congress, Senate and Exec and a re-introduction of the "Equal Rights Amendment" and maybe this time we'll get enough states to ratify it.

[hifiguy]

13. This will be raised first by the fringe of the fringe of the far right

And within a few years it will be a "mainstream" reichwing talking point. That is the strategy the neo-fascists have used with each and every one of their "ideas" for the last thirty years. You can take it to the bank.

[hfojvt]

14. You can't? Seriously?

Go back to the very beggining.

First, these people (ALEC) are not stupid. They are not insane. They also do not give a rat's a$$ about any social issue. They don't care about birth control. They don't care about gay marriage, or gay abortion, or gay military service. They don't care about prayer in the schools. They care about one thing. And only one thing. Okay, maybe not only one. Really billions of things, that are all the same thing - $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

Dollar frigging bills.

See, they might yell about, say, the Death Penalty. But they only do so, because they are like the pick pockets who can make more money when their victims are all concentrating on the spectacle of an execution.

The death penalty is not a real concern though. It is just a squirrel that is supposed to distract us dogs.

The robber baron Jay Gould famously boasted that he could "hire half of the working class to kill the other half."

Not that "the 99" was ever really united. But issues like birth control and abortion are there to keep us divided. Suddenly we are not talking about, or thinking about economic issues. Nope, it is now all birth control and all Limbaugh all the time.

Here's the thing. Both major parties really SHOULD represent the 99%, or even the 80%. That is clearly a vast majority. And yet neither party does. Why not? Because of all the discussion about abortion. There's a pro-abortion party that doesn't represent the working class and an anti-abortion party that doesn't represent the working class.

Yet, books are written asking "gee, why doesn't the working class vote for us"? Maybe because it is pretty obvious that we are not the party of the working class. We put abortion and birth control and minorities and a million other issues ahead of the working class, which is expected to sit at the back of the bus and be insulted. "Vote for us, ya racist, sexist, homophobic morons, we care about you!"

But that is the obvious reason - to put working class issues behind the issue of birth control. Now the parties can be different on the issue of birth control. That keeps both of them from having to represent the bottom 80%. Because here is what the bottom 80% should be demanding. First, we - SQUIRREL!!!

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. Ding, ding, ding

I posted this a couple months ago...fully agree with you.

ALEC, when you look at it ideologically, is anywhere from fascist to theocratic.