The GOP’s strange obsession with the “war on women”

[ismnotwasm]

This article caught my attention. While sexism is sexism--and the article in no way addresses it,--the GOP is systematically attacking the fundamental human rights of women. And they don't understand that. Or care.

What to say about the list? Only one person on it is currently a member of Congress—Sen. Bob Menendez. And the linked story about him is a report about the divorced senator having, maybe, a consensual affair with a married woman. If anything that’s a “war on one poor guy.” Only two people on the list are serving in government—San Diego Mayor Bob Filner and New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. The rest of these people resigned in disgrace, often after prodding from fellow Democrats. It’s rather easy for Democrats to respond to some prodding and reject-denounce the cads, as Debbie Wasserman Schultz did to Filner.

More to the point, aren’t Republicans talking about randomized political embarrassment, not policy? Yeah, they are, which is why a look at state newspapers reveals that none of them has covered this as a news story. Typically, successful “hits” appear when a party sends out updates. No one’s really bitten on this story apart from the RNC itself, placing op-eds, and BuzzFeed, which published a story about how ”Democrats aren’t rushing to the defense of Filner, who served with many of them during his almost 20 years in the House, but they have largely avoided talking about him all together.” It was similar to stories about how Republicans, in early 2013, didn’t want to talk about Mark Sanford, butSanford was trying (successfully) to return to Congress. Not really the story the NRSC wanted.

Democrats, unsurprisingly, think this is hilarious. “No one has gotten questions and everyone is perfectly fine throwing all the d* bags under the bus,” says Matt Canter, the DSCC’s spokesman. “This whole things shows that Republicans have no idea what the hell the ‘war on women’ is all about—the voter. Protecting equal pay, birth control access, VAWA. It is about issues, not cable soap operas in New York City and San Diego.”

Maybe that’s dismissive, but the Republican line is even more dismissive. One NRSC attack lampooned Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes because her father (the former state party chairman) donated to Anthony Weiner. “When it comes time to defend real women, actual victims of harassment,” wrote the NRSC, “Grimes and her father Jerry Lundergan are empowering the same men who are assaulting women. The Lundergan family has given the maximum amount of donations allowed ($4,950) to fully support entrenched scandal-ridden Anthony Weiner.”

http://bangordailynews.com/2013/07/27/opinion/the-gops-strange-obsession-with-the-war-on-women/

[Freddie]

1. They are deliberately confusing politicians with policies

Sure there have been some prominent Democrats lately (Weiner, Spitzer) and historically (JFK, FDR) who were not the greatest of husbands. But none of them have tried to legislate restrictions on what a woman can do with her own body. Intelligent people can understand the difference, Repugs cannot.

[ismnotwasm]

4. Exactly

[nomorenomore08]

7. It's either projection or misdirection. Or in all likelihood, a little of both.

nt

[Eleanors38]

2. The obsession goes directly to coming strategy...

The GOP WILL tie in prominent Democratic candidates -- from Mass to Texas -- with the "feminazis" so thoroughly stereotyped for years by the FR. Long a staple of RW radio, the rise of the hyper-right Tea Party And its alliance with many fundamentalists WILL bring the GOPers into this strategy full-force. This is being worked up now for Wendy Davis, and there will be more to follow.

[ismnotwasm]

3. I don't doubt it

I just hope the crap they've been tossing out has gotten enough negative attention that their strategies don't completely work, it's too much to hope for that it won't partially work. Feminism makes a great scapegoat, and as you say, they've systematically demonized feminism for years. I remember when I started to see the term 'feminazi' here on DU as a pejorative.

I thought, don't you know that's a Rush Limbaugh term? But there it is, out in the general public mind as a 'thing'

[Eleanors38]

5. Limbaugh caught on to the term late in the day.

It won't work as well on Davis because she is fast on her feet and is on notice.

She also had a good 2A record.

[ismnotwasm]

6. I thought he had coined it

That was the first place I ever heard it.

I'm in the Northwest and even I get updates now from Wendy Davis-- she impressed a lot of people.

[nomorenomore08]

8. There is absolutely no reason for any left-leaning person to feel threatened by feminism.

Of course there are "extremists" as in any political movement, but they represent a tiny fringe with no real power to harm anyone.