Moms Matter

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