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Slowly goal inevitably, the two major political parties have become part of the party of men – which is the one that the 2018 midterms are shaping up as a climactic battle in the war between the sexes.
This is largely the Trump Effect – his attitude and remarks towards and about women – Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Brett Kavanaugh.
Democrats were already woman-ing the barricades after Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016. But the Kavanaugh kerfuffle fired up Republicans – men and women – as well.
Republican men have been reported by Kavanaugh's treatment and are expected to be consistent with the polls. Republican suburban women, who still do not like Trump Jeff Flake, an Arizona Republican. Largely satisfied with the results, they're back on board to vote against Democrats. In other words, thanks in part to Flake, vote on the right.
These are the findings of Sarah Chamberlain, President and CEO of the Republican Main Street Partnership, a 70-member coalition of moderate GOP representatives who seek common-sense solutions to issues.
Without a doubt, women are at the center of the 2018 elections. More women, mostly Democrats, are running than ever before. Of the 56 who are challenging incumbents, 47 are Democrats and nine are Republicans. Of those Democrats, however, 31 are in solid Republican districts, six are in "likely" districts to remain Republican and seven are districts that "lean" Republican, according to CNN polling. All nine Republican women are in solidly Democratic districts.
Regardless of whether they prevail next month, women on both sides "woke," to put it in popular parlance, to the need for more women to participate in the conduct of the country. This is especially true on the Republican side, with their much smaller number of female elected officials. There are six Republican women in the Senate and 29 in the House, contrasted to the Democrats' 17 in the Senate and 78 in the House.
Why, people always ask, do not Republican women run the way Democrats do?
Partly, they are often culturally disassociated from the sturm und drang of politics. Many who might have run into 2018 ruled Rachel Pearson, a Republican fundraiser and consultant. Casting insight into Republican women specifically, she recalls being invited to several parties for a Bloody Mary before the 2017 Women's March. She laughs as she recounts herself, because "we do not march."
As in Republican women do not – though, of course, the March for Life draws plenty of conservative women. Democratic women are so much more successful in politics than their Republican counterparts. They make noise. They are scrappier and more willing to take to the streets, to shout in protest, to be agitators and activists. Plainly, it's time for women to kick off their heels, pull on their boots and get busy. But anyone hoping for a kinder and gentler country may have to wait awhile.
Things will only get worse in 2020, Chamberlain predicts. Not only is Trump running for re-election, which will excite both political bases, but the president is not likely to chill his rhetoric, which will surely be directed at many of the Democratic hopefuls female.
Democratic women, meanwhile, are light-years ahead of Republicans in organization, recruiting and fundraising, thanks in large part to EMILY's List, the political action committee founded by Ellen Malcolm in 1985 to elect pro-choice women. Malcolm's vision of supporting a pro-choice
"I'm a pro-choice Republican women have lost their voice on this issue," says Pearson.
Women in state offices tend to be more vocal on choice and other issues, says Chamberlain. "We need to bring them out of the woodwork."
One could argue that increasing the number of Republican women in Congress would be good for the country as a matter of balance and diversity. What is needed, says Chamberlain, is "[Michael] Bloomberg kind of money. "
Towards that end, surely, some wealthy benefits to you? Men, their hearts, have held the reins of power for long enough.
How about it, philanthropists? Spare a dime – gold $ 100 million?
Kathleen Parker's email address is [email protected].
© 2018, Washington Post Writers Group
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