October 15, 2007 11:53 PM UTC

Candidate versus candidate, or boys versus girls?

• 2 Comments
• by: GrandOlArapahoe

A recent “analysis” by Cara DeGette states that Rep. Stafford’s party flip-flop “underscores a patriarchal reality for women of the Grand Old Party: Once again, men rule.”

In reviewing Stafford’s comments and news release, nowhere did she specify she deserted the party because it mistreated her as a woman. In fact, she cited policy differences and “values” she said separated her from the party. Gender issues failed to appear.

From my perspective, the only people keeping GOP women out of the statehouse are Democrats. Back in 2004, Rep. Pam Rhodes was an incumbent running in Thornton. The GOP worked hard to keep her seat and so did she, even though her pregnancy slowed her ability to reach voters. Rep. Rhodes was hammered through the mail and the radio as an extremist and a gay basher and eventually lost the race.

I’ve heard from numerous women, who would be great candidates, that they would never subject their families to the abuse of campaigns. I don’t blame them. Of the women GOP legislative candidates in 2004, we won 22% of the races. In 2006, we won only 19% of the races where we had a female candidate. Compared to the Dems, they won 44% of the races in 2004 and 52% in 2006.

Let’s face it, GOP women are the number one target for the Democrats primarily because their own platform specifies they are the party of “women’s issues.” According to the Democrat’s messaging, Congresswoman Musgrave, Rep. Stafford and former-Rep. Rhodes are opposed to women’s issues. How can that be?

As we all know, “women’s issues” is code for pro-choice. In order for the Dems to avoid talking about abortion, they use terms like protecting women’s health and privacy for women’s health issues. Having pro-life (or even pro-choice) GOP women as candidates, it forces the Dem’s to peel back their carefully crafted, focus grouped messaging about abortion. So, at a debate when the moderator asks a Dem female candidate, “What is your stance on abortion?” She will look rather silly saying, “I am completely for women’s healthcare issues.” The female GOP candidate will respond, “I agree with my opponent, I too am for women’s healthcare issues. And, to answer your question directly, I’m pro-life (or pro-choice).”

Yes, the Democrats have more elected female legislators than the Republicans. But to say that Republicans are actively preventing women from running is blatantly false and is actually the opposite, women are being heavily recruited. The challenge now is getting them into the arena.