Democrats see Women as Victims Not Champions.
By Cari L. Christman
It seems that every political campaign in Texas is targeting women in 2014. But theyre not all succeeding. What drives us to the polls?
Watching state Sen. Wendy Davis campaign target women is like watching a bad pickup artist at work. Their game is to drop a few baseless clich lines about unequal pay contraception and abortion in hopes that
anger will inspire long-term commitment.
But what issues move us? What messages will swing us?
In the 2012 general election women made up about 55 of the vote in Texas. Women also outpaced men in voter registration. Its no surprise that nearly every campaign is reaching out to us.
Democrats hope to divide and define women using these wedge issues in order to cloud the bigger issues facing Texas women their careers education families and aspirations.
But Texas women arent buying it anymore.
- Since 2008 Texas Democrats have driven a million female voters away.
- Davis appearance on the primary ballot in 2014 didnt stop the bleeding.
- Only 360473 women voted in this years Democratic primary a dramatic drop from the 1.5 million who voted in 2008.
The Davis campaign this year has dusted off the war on women" meme used by national Democrats. But that message isnt working nationally and even less so in Texas.
As a Democratic pollster recently told National Journal
Saying Republicans are waging a war on women actually doesnt test very well. Women find it divisive political they dont like it.
The biggest problem President Obama and the Democrats have with women is simple: the lack of promised economic improvement under his administration. And the disillusionment with Obama includes many of the same Democrats who supported him.
In last weeks gubernatorial debate in Edinburg Davis dodged the question of whether she regretted voting for Obama. Voters know that if you cant defend your past decisions your future decisions are suspect.
Rather than focus on key priorities for all Texans such as immigration energy health care or job creation Davis has resorted to tired divisive ineffective
rhetoric. Instead of driving a political wedge between Texas women its time to come together build up one another and stop putting women in a box.
This is the inspiration for
Red State Womens new Female Facther" campaign. In contrast to Davis failed rhetoric
FemaleFactHer.com highlights womens progress in six categories:
- Political influence
- Educational influence
- Professional influence
- Security influence
- Health care influence and
- Economic influence.
Women play a powerful leading role in todays world and treating them as victims is both an insult and a step backward.
With this project Red State Women hopes to contrast the Democrats push to make women dependent on big government with Republicans empowering message of independence and opportunity. We want to encourage women to continue shattering glass ceilings. Thats accomplished with policies that give women additional economic opportunities better educational options and more freedom from burdensome regulations.
Texas women have never been willing to be defined by the narrow set of issues on which Democrats continue to focus. We dont want special programs hollow laws or cheap handouts. We want the freedoms specified in the Constitution. These inspire and empower us to become fighters mothers teachers lawyers and leaders.
The Democrats see women as victims not champions. The Female Facther campaign is here to challenge that.
Were here to set the record straight and share the positive message that brings more opportunity to all women in Texas.
Cari Christman is Executive Director of Red State Women. She and her husband Chris Ott live in Austin Texas with their five-year old son while their 18-year old daughter attends Texas Tech University.
