On November 2, California bucked a national trend and elected pro-choice, pro-women leaders. The results from California should teach candidates around the nation an important lesson: if you want women to vote for you, you must be willing to speak honestly and directly about the issues that women care about. Contrary to what Carly Fiorina claimed during her campaign, reproductive health still matters.
Much has been made of the fact that in nationwide exit polling, Democrats lost the women's vote by just one percent. However, these nationwide numbers do not tell the whole story --there were several key statewide races in which the Democratic candidate highlighted their pro-choice credentials and won. In these races the gender gap was significantly larger, with women voters supporting the pro-choice candidates by double-digit margins. Among the candidates to tout their pro-choice credentials and win were Sen. Boxer (CA) who won the women's vote by 16 points, Sen. Murray (WA) who won women by 12 points, and Sen. Bennet (CO) who won women by 17 points.
In a number of statewide races in which women delivered a significant margin, candidates and independent organizations made choice part of the winning argument, inserting it into debates, focusing on it in paid TV ads, and hammering it home in mail and phone calls targeted at women voters. That was certainly the case here in California, where Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California educated women voters about the positions of the Senate and Gubernatorial candidates. Through mail, phone calls and radio ads, we set out to ensure that women were making informed decisions when they cast their ballots -- based on our belief that a candidate's position on access to reproductive health care matters. The results were astounding. Every night our volunteers had conversations with women voters who were disengaged and undecided -- and largely unaware of where the candidates stood on choice. Over brief conversations, minds changed quickly. Women up and down the state told us that they could never support a candidate who opposed legal access to abortion services. In the governor's race -- where Meg Whitman could only awkwardly explain her position on choice -- women voters were swayed by Brown's long-standing commitment to affordable preventive care, including cancer screenings and contraception, and teen pregnancy prevention.
Women are the primary health care decision makers in most homes -- and the majority of care that women seek is reproductive. Put simply, candidates can't pretend that they're engaging women voters without discussing health care -- and they can't pretend that they're discussing health care without addressing reproductive health. No one would claim that this is easy to do -- certainly no one at Planned Parenthood. It requires nuance, a willingness to dive into the details and, most importantly, acknowledgment that political decisions directly impact real women's lives. It shouldn't be a philosophical debate or political shorthand -- women deserve an honest conversation about access, affordability and quality that too few candidates are willing to have.
The mid-term elections are over, but it's not too late. In the best case scenario, the federal health care reforms passed earlier this year create an opportunity to have a national conversation that adequately addresses the importance of women and our health. In the worst case scenario, we'll see renewed attacks against basic access to birth control and other women's preventive health services. More than ever we'll need women's voices to sustain the victories that we've had in the Obama administration's first two years. As advocates, it is our job to create the space for and elevate this dialogue. It's never too late to begin.
My proposal is this...every male who gets "excited" must receive counseling then wait 24 hours before being able to "relieve" any pressure. I know it sounds a little evasive, kind of "big" government but consider the reduction in abortions if men had to have counseling and a 24 hour waiting period. It's time that men were held to account because there would be no abortion without men.
The right wing knows all about coersion.
I am a woman and I certainly don't vote solely on women's issues, but why are you targetting your comments towards the left? How about the anti-abortionists who only vote for anti-abortion candidates without looking at anything else? Isn't that voting solely for a special issue? And what about that McDonald's manager who told his employees that they wouldn't get raises until they voted Republican?
www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/06/preliminary-report-clears-acorn/ -
The vast, VAST majority of women in this country are against abortion on demand, third trimester abortions and partial live birth abortions,,,,most MOST GOP stand for exceptions in cases of health of the mother , rape and incest ,,,,,
The pro abortion crowd however are adamant in their stance on termination of unborn
And despite what you say, the VAST majority of Americans still believe in access to abortion, but with some restrictions.
in Louisiana, we have the same problem w/ conservadems. It's really depressing. I wish women all around the country would embrace liberation.
Here is a link to a couple polls
http://www.pollingreport.com/abortion.htm
Besides, these figures have fairly consistent over several years and really don't show any real change of support for either the pro-choice or anti-abortion camps.
Anyway, the anti-abortion movement is a ruse for conservatives more concerned with deregulation. Abortion is a wedge issue that convinces people to vote against their economic interests...end of story. Maybe if economic conditions improved then the incentives to get abortions would decrease? Or maybe if contraception was more readily available, then the need for abortions would also decrease? But, as usual, the anti-abortion movement doesn't think along these lines. It would just make too much sense.
The anti-abortion movement is so busy being concerned about the lives of the unborn that they could care less about making the lives of the born better (including themselves).