April 20, 2013 11:23 AM UTC

How To Fail At "Reaching Out To Women"

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• by: Colorado Pols

Last August, we took note of a "debate" held by the right-wing Independence Institute on energy issues, at least nominally billed for "women of all political stripes." It was by all accounts more of a Hannity and Colmes energy industry infomercial than a real debate, though that's to be fully expected. What we were struck by was the invitation graphic for the event. And above all, the all-women event's memorable title:

Hot in the Kitchen was advertised as a nonpartisan event, but we only found ads for it on local Tea Party and other known conservative locations. And something about the title of this "women's event," Hot in the Kitchen, just didn't strike us as aimed at (we hope we're saying this the right way) persons who react badly to the practice of communicating–generally but not exclusively to women–known as "mansplaining."

Last Wednesday, those clever organizers at the Independence Institute outdid themselves.

Ladies, please join us

for intelligent conversation about public policy issues of the day over a glass of wine…

You can almost hear Independence Institute director Jon Caldara right now, welcoming the ladies to Wining with Women in his most sultry Barry White voice. We haven't heard if there were actually, you know, "ladies" plural, but we'll give him the benefit of the doubt. They did have a (male) conservative speaker presenting conservative stuff to whoever did attend, but it really doesn't matter because they've already passed judgment on the audience.

And as with Hot in the Kitchen, to call Wining with Women "two clever by half" is something of a tragic understatement. Effective outreach to women voters, a segment of the electorate increasingly lost to Republican candidates, this isn't.

Seriously, we don't know who comes up with this stuff over there, but they may actually be trying for sabotage.