Monday, May 11, 2009

Women and the Republican Party

Politico has a provocative article on women in the Republican Party, a "minority in a minority." As such, the party contains a diminished number of female leaders - only 4 women Senators and 17 Congresswomen! According to the article, there is a geo-cultural component at work here - the South, the remaining Republican stronghold, is traditionally not as receptive to female candidates - and, naturally, this gender disparity has strong political implications:
According to the center’s analysis of exit-polling data, women backed Democrats Barack Obama and Joe Biden over Republicans John McCain and Sarah Palin 56 percent to 43 percent. Male voters split their votes much more evenly, with 49 percent voting for Obama-Biden and 48 percent choosing McCain-Palin.

Snowe says there’s also a political dimension. As the Republican Party sheds moderates, it also sheds women.
[...]
“It is going to be critical,” [McMorris Rodgers, who is helping lead the NRCC’s candidate recruitment team] said, “that the Republican Party has a face that includes women of all ages and backgrounds and experiences.”
Democrats, traditionally, have been better at recruiting and training women candidates, and the Republicans, for the growth and future of the party, must learn to better develop female talent and be more inclusive in their candidate searches.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

If the Democrats truly can uphold equality for all, and if the true equal rights of women are seen as a bedrock issue for the Democrats, the GOP will dry up even in the South. My experience in the deep South is that men can say that women are inferior, but they have to get their grandmother's, mother's, sister's and wife's permission to say it in public. Such permission is rarely given, and the statement is never believed or upheld as fact.

Katie said...

Not to mention, of course, that we lady Democrats are much cuter than our Republican counterparts, and have better hair. Trust me; I've done the research.

That's the point, right? Right?

;-)

A Faithful Reader said...

Don't forget smarter and better informed.