Women won’t be fooled!

Last week Natalie Allison of Politico wrote, Republicans thought that this election cycle would be the breakthrough with suburban women that they have been losing support with for years, but that’s not to be. A sure sign of this is Republican nominees in top Senate battlegrounds have softened, backpedaled & sought to clarify their abortion positions after the SCOTUS Dobb’s decision that overturned Roe v Wade. Another sign is that male candidates are putting their wives in front of the cameras to speak to voters. In August, Republican Senate nominees slowly started to bring out their female friends or relatives to make commercials or attend rallies touting the virtues of these candidates. It’s not working! We see what you are doing!

Polling suggests that the GOP’s struggle to attract women voters may be the obstacle standing between the party & a potential Senate majority in 2023. A Wall Street Journal poll last week showed abortion as the single issue most likely to drive women to vote even above inflation. The numbers of women registering to vote around the country is increasing & the interesting phenomenon is that these women are Democrats, Independents & Republican.

Republicans want to talk about anything but abortion. A Republican strategist recently said, if we spend the next few months talking about anything other then the economy it won’t be good. Suburban women aren’t listening to that they are completely focused on abortion, healthcare & contraception. It should come as no shock that Republican’s are scrubbing their websites & campaign materials refining their positions on abortion. Several House members have been pressed & have said, off the record that if in fact the Republicans take back the House that a ban on abortion would definitely be back in the table.

Women voters in states like mine (Florida) better think carefully about the candidates they vote for in November. Think about yourselves, your daughters, your nieces, your friends & ask yourself should these women have the right to privacy & to make their own decisions about their own healthcare. The most important thing we can do is vote out the candidates who won’t support a woman’s right to choose! Make your voices heard!

Patti Kasanow: Author. 9/8/22.