GOP War on Women?

As the GOP nomination enters its final stages, the battle for the General Election is clearly heating up.  While Republicans have been squabbling over the nomination process, Democrats have been attempting to stake claim on one particular demographic--the women.

For the past several months, the Democrats have engaged in careful planning, strategy and I would argue, outright, manipulation for the conquest of the female vote.

Image from angryblacklady.com

In the last few years, President Obama's voter base has been demoralized.  He has not lived up to expectations. The excitement surrounding his election has all but evaporated.  The bumper stickers have faded and the "Hope" he promised has never been realized.

This president has been desperate to win back the loyalty of his faltering supporters.  It is a tricky dance, because in this re-election year, the last thing the White House wants is to focus on what President Obama has been unable to achieve.

A diversion has been needed for the following reasons:

1.  This president can't afford to have anyone highlight his astronomically expensive stimulus that didn't stimulate.  
2. This president can't afford to have election discussions revolve around the unemployment rates which shine light on the fact that millions of Americans are still out of work.  
3. This president can't afford to talk about how he quadrupled the national debt.
4. He can't afford to have anyone reiterate the fact that America is currently more dependent on foreign money than any other time in history.  
5. This president doesn't want anyone to remember that America experienced the first ever credit downgrade under his watch. 
6. This Administration does not want anyone to remember that 2.6 million Americans have dropped out of the middle class and are now living below the poverty line.
7.  Lastly, this president can't afford to remind people of our crippled housing market and how millions of Americans continue to lose their homes.

President Obama has a dismal record and his approval ratings have reflected the sentiment of a frustrated nation.  The White House needed a diversion.  They needed to change the conversation and fast. 

They identified the perfect rallying cry. 

***

After the controversial HHS ruling in January to Obamacare which required non-profit organizations--including those owned by the Catholic church, to cover all forms of birth control, including contraceptives, morning after pills and abortions--the public backlash was relentless.

Criticism was sharp.  Public outcry was fierce and many vocalized fears of our government's ability to force non-profits to pay for services that are doctrinally contrary to the doctrines of their faith.

It felt like an infringement on matters of conscience and many questioned if the HHS ruling was even constitutional. The first amendment states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibit the free exercise thereof."

The backlash clearly took the Administration by surprise.  Last minute adjustments were made.  The ruling was altered.

***

This controversy could have been catastrophic for the sitting president.  The White House however, saw the controversy as the perfect opportunity to create the perfect diversion.  

A gradual shift in conversation began.  Rather than focus on the controversial HHS ruling, discussions began to swirl around the availability of contraception.   It was all disguised nicely under the mantle of "Women's Health."

Suddenly discussions circled about the availability of contraception in America--a complete non-existent political issue.  No one in the GOP has any plans to take away contraception, but conservatives only made matters worse.

Conservatives have exacerbated the controversy.

For example, Rick Santorum fueled the fire with his ridiculous comments about contraception.  Conservative legislators in Virginia threw gas on the fire with their questionable legislation which would require doctors to perform a vaginal ultrasound for all women seeking abortions.  And finally, Rush Limbaugh dropped the bomb with his derogatory, offensive and inexusable comments about Sandra Fluke--an advocate for contraception.

A war on women was declared--albeit, a completely bogus and artificial war--a war was declared.  It got ugly fast.  Women were nervous and protests started.

Tom Williams / Roll Call / Getty Images

Republicans appeared as the "Crazies" who wanted to take a way reproductive freedoms, while Democrats sat back and reveled in their ability to be perceived as the party that defends Women's Health.

Voila, the perfect diversion.

The media played right into it.  And worse yet, this manufactured "diversion" appears to be working.

According to the most recent USA Today/Gallup Poll, President Obama leads Romney among women 54 to 36 percent.  This widening gender gap has surged the president to his biggest lead in national polls.  He currently leads Romney 51 to 42 percent.

A War on Women?

I'll be honest, as a woman, all of this feels contrived.  And as a conservative woman, it is feels manipulative.

In many ways, this does not feel like a war on women but rather a blatant use of women in the White House's political war.  There is a difference.

***

So how does Mitt Romney address it and can he close the gender gap?

I would argue, yes because he has the right experience for our troubled economic times.

So what does he do?  He needs to simply and frequently remind Americans (obviously women) of the issues that have dominated dinner table discussions for the past few years, namely, the complete and utter lack of economic stability in America.

I would never argue that health issues are irrelevant.  They aren't.  However, the financial anxiety that is drowning millions of Americans is the real and pertinent issue for this election cycle.

We need a president who can address it and more importantly, we need a president who can fix it.  No more trillion dollar bets.  No more empty promises.  No more fingers crossed.  President Obama has had more than enough time to demonstrate that he does not have a clue how to legitimately restore prosperity and stability to this country.

We need a leader who does.

As a woman, I would like to invite the White House Administration to stop acting under the assumption that they speak for all women.  They don't.

The site Smart Girl Politics has recognized the manipulation and they have reacted to the White House's attempt to create a diversion to the real issues.  Click here for a link to the video.

Mitt Romney has dedicated years of his career to making weak things stronger and he has been successful time and time again.   No wonder the White House needs a diversion...