GOP war on women is real

If there are any female voters out there still thinking about voting for Mitt Romney and his fellow Republicans, I have a binder for you. Not the one Romney mentioned during last week's presidential debate at Hofstra University. No, my binder is full of examples of why the GOP war on women is real. 

If you consider each of them on a stand-alone basis only, then you'd be right to conclude the Republican track record on women's issues is merely pathetic. However, when they are lumped together, one after the other, they should make make a grown woman blush or angry. Or both.

Here are the unvarnished facts:

 

Back in February, one of the most conservative board members of the Susan G. Komen Foundation wildly applauded the organization for cutting off funding to Planned Parenthood. That was until public opinion swamped Komen and the board member in question resigned.

Shortly afterwards, a GOP Indiana state lawmaker publicly attacked the Girl Scouts, claiming that organization was a tactical arm of Planned Parenthood. Wow. I'll bet the millions of former scouts, many of whom are lifelong Republicans, never dreamed they were doing anyone's political bidding when they were 12. 

These are the same mothers who, for the last decade or longer, have encouraged their daughters to play Little League baseball. Should that organization be worried? 

A little less than two months ago, Rep. Todd Akin, the GOP Senate candidate in Missouri, made his indefensible, reprehensible comment about "legitimate rape." He hardly finished his sentence before leaders in his own party, including House Speaker John Boehner, urged him to quit from the race.  His opponent is incumbent Claire McCaskill.  

Sadly, several prominent conservatives, like Jim DeMint, Roy Blunt, Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum, have stuck by Akin. It makes me wonder, how could a Romney-Ryan-Akin ticket possibly help women?

Lastly, Republican Joe Walsh (Ill.) inaccurately announced last Thursday that abortions are "absolutely" never necessary to save the lives of pregnant women.

"With modern technology and science, you can't find one instance," Walsh said. His opponent is Tammy Duckworth.

As these examples demonstrate, the Republican attacks on women are not isolated, one-of-a-kind events.  They are national in scope. What's clear is this: These chilling attacks are meant to demonize women, regardless of age, ethnicity or geography.  Is this really a winning strategy?  If it is, who's next ... Barbie?

Women make up more than 50% of the electorate. When you consider how close the race for the White House is right now, the GOP clearly needs them to vote Nov. 6. Given all that's happened in 2012, I'm pretty sure women will. Only trouble is, I don't think they will vote Republican. Why should they? 

First, one of the nation's leading sources for breast cancer research was dragged into the mud. Then, young girls selling cookies were viciously attacked. The GOP platform from this summer's presidential nominating convention makes it clear where the party stands on abortion. So do Reps. Akin and Walsh.  

No, these attacks are not random kid games. To a certain breed of Republican, they are a matter of national pride or divine intervention. To the rest of us, they are politics gone wild. 

Are there any women voters out there who need an extra binder? 

A former congressional staff assistant, Freidenrich is the founder of First Strategies consulting in Laguna Beach, California. Follow him on Twitter @freidomreport.

 

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