How can Republican and Democratic moms learn to get along, work together, and most importantly, set an example for our children and others?
Stop calling each other names, and for Pete’s sake, stop excusing those who do.
Unfortunately, this phenomenon of calling women with differing political views horrible names comes almost exclusively from the left side of the aisle. Women on the right have been called traitors, bitches, and meat bags with lipstick (just to name a few of the more charming barbs).
How is anyone supposed to have a rational conversation with all of that vitriol being flung about? Do liberals really think that Republican women are going to want to sit down and have a friendly chat about policy when they know that they’re eventually going to be called c*nts?
But, but, but ... Rush Limbaugh! Slut! Ok, that happened. The king of conservative talk radio called a woman wanting the government to subsidize her sex life a slut to make a point or a cause a media stir or for whatever reason he did, and I don’t believe he should have. But it’s hardly comparable to comments Republican women get on every day ending in ‘y.’
South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley was recently called a traitor to her gender. Less than two months later, she had her face plastered to a piñata before it was between with a stick by a union group. Commentator S.E. Cupp had her face photo shopped in a lewd act that was published in Hustler.
Potential First Lady Ann Romney, one of the sweetest, most motherly women married to a politician that still calls her his soul mate, has not escaped the attacks. If people are going to call a woman with MS that has survived cancer and raising five boys into upstanding men nasty names, what hope is there for the rest of us conservative mamas?
The list goes on and on.
This practice of bashing conservative females has gotten so out of hand that one GOP spokesperson snapped in an online rant that we should “hurl some acid at those female democratic Senators who won’t abide the mandates they want to impose on the private sector."
By the left’s own rules according to Bill Maher, this shouldn’t bother anyone, because he excused his own attacks on Sarah Palin by pointing out that as a public figure, she’s fair game. Last time I checked, Senators were public figures. So either the left is going to have to condemn Maher calling Palin the grodiest name in American insults, or calm down about the right potentially doing the same thing.
Republicans and Democrats will never see eye to eye on everything, but one thing I hope we can agree on is to stop needlessly insulting each other. Capishe?
This post is part of a weekly conversation with our Moms Matter 2012 political bloggers. To see the original question and see what all the bloggers had to say, read Can Moms Set a Higher Standard When It Comes to Talking Politics?
Image via Cristian_RH7/Flickr
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Comments 52
Many of the CafeMom Leftist posters/commentators don't realize they are merely tools being used by their "leaders". Saul Alinsky, a radical progressive who wrote a book titled "Rules for Radicals", was much-admired by Obama, for example, and others from the far left. Obama looked upon Alinsky as a mentor and taught his concepts and methods in workshops. It shows.
Rule No. 12 from "Rules for Radicals":
"Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it." Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions. (This is cruel, but very effective. Direct, personalized criticism and ridicule works.)
This tactic has been used against conservative women again and again (Palin? Bachmann? Kleefisch? for only 3 examples). It is commonly seen here in the name-calling and personal attacks upon posters who simply disagree about policies, agendas, etc.
Straight out the Democrats', Left's playbook: "Rules for Radicals"
Lexi Jordan: "Shit like this is why the rest of the world support the Democrats, cause bat-shit-crazy, rude, awful and disgusting Republicans like yourself give the entire party a bad rep."
Case. In. Point.
Lexi, do you think Obama should return the $1,000,000 Bill Maher gave him?
Maher, via his t.v. show and other venues, has described conservative women with exceedingly vile language. Shouldn't Obama set an example, take a stand on this issue and refuse money from one of America's most out-spoken misogynists?
LMAO @ Lexi Jordan and "Shit like this is why the rest of the world support the Democrats, cause bat-shit-crazy, rude, awful and disgusting Republicans like yourself give the entire party a bad rep."
Oh. The. Hypocrisy.
I'm a liberal and I agree that the name calling has to stop. The type of nitpicking and anger and attacks like the ones in this comment section must stop. I think that if we're calling for it to stop, we shouldn't keep a tally of who said what to whom and which instance was worse; it doesn't matter. It happens on both sides, so let's acknowledge that both sides are guilty of it and start fixing it. Let's stop calling each other names and generalizing and attempt to have some constructive conversations.
"Aw, you poor poor conservative women. You're totally right. Liberals are never called any names at all."
Sometimes liberal women are called names. There's no dispute about that. For one example, wasn't it Hillary Clinton supporters who were so up in arms over the sexism of her opponent, Obama?
Is there any conservative who stoops to the level of depravity of nationally known figures like Bill Maher (HBO), Ed Shultz(NBC), LouisCK, David Letterman (CBS), etc.? Guys that repeatedly use words and other vile descriptions I won't repeat here to describe conservative women (and their children)? And use broadcast air waves to do so? The head of the DNC, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, and Obama's "strategist", Axelrod, defend Bill Maher. Obama keeps the $$ Maher gave him. Liberal Tamara Holder (FNC) says that being called a "MILF" is a compliment. No Democrat female (or male) politician has condemned any of these people or their comments. Silence. *crickets*
And there's the whole disgusting "teabagger" thing - Anderson Cooper (CNN).
These few examples are just the tip of the iceberg. There is no contest: the Left wins w/over-the-top levels of hate, vitriol and misogyny.
Double standard to the max.