What Is the Women's Vote?
There are surely women who prioritize gender-specific issues such as easy access to contraception and abortions when deciding whom to vote for in a presidential election. And these are women who can be counted on to vote Democrat every time.
But there is no such thing as a monolithic women's vote, argues Ramesh Ponnuru in his latest column at Bloomberg, and the Romney campaign is making a big mistake by acting as though such a voting bloc exists.
Take the graphic at the right, for instance. Over the past week, Romney has attempted to make the case that the real "war on women" is being waged by the Obama administration, which has presided over massive female job losses. The Romney campaign has gone so far as to claim that precisely 92.3% of jobs lost under Obama's watch belonged to women.
Trying to reframe the "war on women" meme in this way is an exercise in futility. Women certainly do care about their own employment prospects and the economy at large, but these aren't strictly "women's issues." Why use language that suggests that they are? "Making an issue of the statistics about job loss by gender will come back to haunt Republicans," warns Ponnuru. He continues,
Romney claims that 92 percent of those lost since Obama took office belonged to women. Does he have any plan, as president, to ensure that women get the right percentage of jobs? Does he realize that cuts in aid to state governments -- like the Medicaid cuts that are an important part of his agenda -- would inflict disproportionate job losses on women?
Romney should absolutely communicate his plan to spur economic growth and job creation, but he's not fooling anyone, nor helping his case, when he panders to women on the basis of their gender. The sort of woman who would ever even consider voting for Mitt Romney in the first place isn't the sort of woman who responds to a candidate's appeal to her sex.
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Feb '12
Re: What Is the Women's Vote?
James- I was agreeing with your point in #6. It just kind of sounded like you and I disagreed with just how important and helpful it would be to his campaign to actually go after the women on the left by exposing how damaging the effects of the "well intentioned" policies of the left have been on American families and have limited women's choices in regards to how we manage our households.
It just seemed to me that you were making light of what I think could be a tide turner.
Apr '11
Re: What Is the Women's Vote?
Leporello: James,
What I meant was I agree with Ponnuru that, as a general matter, one shouldn't try to court "women" as a whole, but I also agree that, in this particular case, the "war on moms" approach is not courting women as a whole. · 22 minutes ago
Ramesh's chief specific focus in criticizing the campaign is its use of female job losses and the five Romney press releases (available here; go back to April 10/11, not the April 12 stuff focusing on SAHMs). He suggests that this is not a good idea unless Romney plans to specifically target female jobs going forward.
I like and respect Ramesh, but this is terrible, terrible, advice. Romney should totally point out the benefits of his policies to specific groups and specific people while designing them to have general benefit.
Apr '11
Re: What Is the Women's Vote?
Natalie: James- I was agreeing with your point in #6. It just kind of sounded like you and I disagreed with just how important and helpful it would be to his campaign to actually go after the women on the left by exposing how damaging the effects of the "well intentioned" policies of the left have been on American families and have limited women's choices in regards to how we manage our households.
It just seemed to me that you were making light of what I think could be a tide turner. ·
I did not mean to make light of it. In socially conservative states with a high unemployment rate, I think that this is likely a very big deal. Nevada, North Carolina, and Michigan all stand out as places where the message you talk about is vital. In other states, it's probably less of a big deal, but to the extent that you can target receptive audiences, well worth pursuing. It also makes a difference how well it links in with the other political struggles that are forming opinions at the time; these approaches work better in states with prominent female Republicans, like New Hampshire.
May '10
Re: What Is the Women's Vote?
THe aspect of this that I find....oh, frustrating or challenging, is two-fold. Given that men and women are different in some obvious ways, doesn't the concept of "women's issues" imply that women are more monolithic than men? And yet, if we are to buy into the whole women's equality thing, doesn't that imply that women and men are alike in having diverse interests and issues? There is a philosophical disconnect, it seems to me. Secondly, what has been the result, for Blacks, of being politically monolithic? Hasn't it been an utter disaster for the Black community? Aren't they much worse off than they were (socially if not economically) before the government showed up to help? And do women want to become the next big demographic group to move onto the government plantation?I don't know how the Republicans can get the lead on this. I definitely know that they should not allow the "enemy" to define the terms of battle. I think Newt could have framed the debate. I have serious reservations about whether Mitt will be able to do so. A hostile media is a formidable obstacle.
Feb '12
Re: What Is the Women's Vote?
James-
I think it's a point that one would have to make during a live debate, a forum where there is no teleprompter and no script to follow. The thing is to sell it you have to believe it, it can't just be an angle. If it was me and I was going to make the point in an ad campaign, I would let Ann make it. And figure out a way to make "Pro-choice" about something other than abortion, make it about choosing a career or staying home with your kids, choosing to get married because you want to, choosing to stay at home because you see the value in it, choosing where your kids are going to go to school, choosing the neighborhood you get to live in...that way when people hear pro-choice "abortion" isn't the default topic. It sends the message that it is understood, by at least the Romney campaign, that women's issues are deeper than birth control and abortion rights.
Apr '11
Re: What Is the Women's Vote?
Natalie: James-
I think it's a point that one would have to make during a live debate, a forum where there is no teleprompter and no script to follow. The thing is to sell it you have to believe it, it can't just be an angle. If it was me and I was going to make the point in an ad campaign, I would let Ann make it.
There aren't a lot of high audience live events that aren't prepared speeches for Ann to sell this on; mostly, you need to be looking out for opportunities. The War on Moms was a pretty good one, and one that I think they used well. We've got 6.5 months, and there'll be a lot more hooks for different messages arising. Lets hope that there's a good one for the message you're talking about.
In the meantime, if you're wanting to maximize the chance of that happening, I'd say the most useful thing you can do right now is support Scott Walker in the Wisconsin recall election. We need gaffes and unions will make more gaffes if they're angry and poor.
Apr '11
Re: What Is the Women's Vote?
There's a great section on gender differences on page 15 of this poll. The 40% of chicks who think that contraception is an important Presidential election issue are only 4% behind the 44% who think abortion is. This reminds me that I should have mentioned the HHS mandate, which I strongly hope sees us narrowing the gap in November; women turned out by the Church are more likely to vote.
Dec '11
Re: What Is the Women's Vote?
Diane Ellis, Ed.
What does it mean for a woman to vote on identity? Are we reducing the women's vote all the way down to the single issue of abortion?
Great point! I certainly hope not, because women have the same issues as men in this United States- the making of the donuts, the spending of the donuts, and the taxation of the donuts.
Apr '12
Re: What Is the Women's Vote?
There was a Harvard study showing that the more successful a woman was, the less she was liked which is perhaps why Hilary was messing up Clinton's campaign. Then Jennifer Flowers came out and Hilary defended Bill. He seemed picked upon and she seemed decent to stick up for him. Female voters did not know what was to come later with Monica, but I remember thinking these women claiming affairs were all mad. When Rosen attacked Ann, it seemed to be a similar scenario and Romney soared in the polls. Women are far more about what glues together couples and communities and they like to assess and analyze that glue. Michelle hid her work success and played up sexy mom. Ann does not need to pretend to dress down. Ann could wear Lands End because it is made in America quality. James of England, your new Princess dies the high street thing well. Women pull apart the details. Too bad Mitt had not had a drunk period where Ann rescued him and he had climbed back to victory.
Dec '11
Re: What Is the Women's Vote?
Michelle hid her "work success'' because frankly, it was all about affirmative action and that wasn't going to poll well among many demographics the Os needed to win the 2008 election.
Ann doesn't need to pretend to be anything other than what she is - a true lady.
Apr '11
Re: What Is the Women's Vote?
Alainnah Robertson: There was a Harvard study showing that the more successful a woman was, the less she was liked which is perhaps why Hilary was messing up Clinton's campaign.....
When Rosen attacked Ann, it seemed to be a similar scenario and Romney soared in the polls. Women are far more about what glues together couples and communities and they like to assess and analyze that glue..... Women pull apart the details. Too bad Mitt had not had a drunk period where Ann rescued him and he had climbed back to victory. · 2 hours ago
I agree that the dislike of female success is a strong feminist trope, although I think it contains limited truth; people seemed to like Oprah, Barbara Bush, and Liz Dole just fine. Thatcher, Merkel, Mary Robinson, and Evita polled pretty well.
Mitt has many videos addressing the chemistry (probably the best one) you describe. It really is, though, something that requires a friendly media, to an extent. Ann's good, she's suffered and been supported by Mitt, and she's loving and virtuous, which should dent attacks against her, but she won't get Duchess of Cambridge/ Michelle style kid gloves.
Oct '10
Re: What Is the Women's Vote?
the romney campaign is just trying to blunt the rhetoric in popular culture that the GOP is anti-women. nothing wrong with that.