Dahlia Lithwick: The Men Just Keep Talking

[babylonsister]

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/08/male-politicians-women-voters-abortion.html

The Men Just Keep Talking
There is something happening with angry women voting on abortion. Male politicians don’t seem to have noticed.
By Dahlia Lithwick
Aug 28, 20227:00 PM


Long after the time had passed for male GOP officials to stop, to just stop, pretending they know or understand anything about female anatomy, reproductive organs, medical emergencies and basic preventative health care, they have continued to talk. They have continued to talk and talk and talk even when the massive blowback after the Dobbs decision proved it was an error; Kansas proved it was an error; and after the surprise election of Pat Ryan in a New York special election proved it was an error. Every time a Republican man opens his mouth to talk about women’s bodies, ten new female voters get their wings. Yet somehow, they cannot seem to stop themselves!

It is surely the very textbook definition of “privilege” to find yourself unbothered by protests, polling numbers, and voter registration data. Justice Samuel Alito actually laughed in the face of outraged females who called out the bad history, bad economics, and bad medicine in his leaked draft opinion—their complaints were numerous and well-founded, yet he didn’t change a thing. Instead, he smugly told women that if they didn’t like the outcome in Dobbs, they could just “seek to affect the legislative process by influencing public opinion, lobbying legislators, voting, and running for office” and that “women are not without electoral or political power.” The court’s newest approval ratings suggest the same, though I don’t think Justice Alito likes that kind of political power very much at all.

Because, Happy Women’s Equality Day, women are taking him up on the offer. One analysis of the Kansas’ voter registration list showed that in the week after Dobbs, more than 70 percent of newly registered voters in that state were women. Those numbers, according to an Upshot analysis of 10 states with available voter registration data, show consistently higher registration for women after the Dobbs leak in May. As Jennifer Rubin recently noted, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that, “62 percent of women registering since Dobbs registered as Democrats, 15 percent as Republicans and that 54 percent were younger than 25.” And a Pew Research Center poll indicates that “a majority of registered voters (56 percent) say the issue of abortion will be very important in their midterm vote, up from 43 percent in March.” Tom Bonier, CEO Of TargetSmart recently posted on Twitter: “We are seeing early signs of what could lead to a huge increase in women voting in November. …This surge is young and female.” Both Mitch McConnell and RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel are panicking about the GOP’s odds in Congress, directly connected to fundraising around abortion.

I have a lot of theories about why nobody should be surprised that women are friggin’ furious right now, which include, as Mark Joseph Stern has been arguing all summer, the increasingly horrifying tales of women, disproportionately on teenagers and victims of violence, left to suffer from sepsis, refused prescriptions and denied treatment for ectopic pregnancies, and ever more horrors. And yet, the forced birth Republicans continue to insist that none of this is happening, or that journalists and physicians are making it all up.

snip//

It’s not mere coincidence that new polling shows that “threats to democracy” is suddenly ranked as the number one issue for registered voters. It rolled in at 21 percent, this week, overtaking the economy, crime, and abortion. When you are repeatedly being told by those in power that your preferences don’t matter and when those in power believe that saying the quiet parts out loud is electorally costless, they aren’t just saying that women don’t matter. They’re saying democracy doesn’t matter either. But it turns out they don’t get to decide that. You do.

[mopinko]

1. man great quote-

Every time a Republican man opens his mouth to talk about women’s bodies, ten new female voters get their wings. Yet somehow, they cannot seem to stop themselves!

any prognosticator who is still spouting about the historical precedent should be laughed at loudly.

[mopinko]

2. my prediction-

it's gonna be a gulley washer. it's gonna be kansas everywhere.

[vanlassie]

3. And still, these asshats won't have a clue.

They are as brain spoiled as the MAGAs. They don’t listen. They don’t see. They are walking talking hunks of stinking entitlement. This is the result of a culture that puts mens wants and needs first. Today’s mothers are more clued in, I hope. I know my kids are.

[mopinko]

4. they're even pissing off the dads.

there was a poll a while back that showed a d+28 shift in dads.
they're so very fucked.

[Hekate]

14. Dads care for their wives & daughters, but this is also very much an economic issue...

Nobody in their right mind these days expects they will have to support a baby a year.

[mopinko]

5. and i have 1 fertile daughter

out of 3, and come for her and you have no idea the fury you will meet.

[Irish_Dem]

22. My daughter is thinking about getting pregnant next year.

I have already told her I will take her to Canada if she needs emergency care.

And yes when they came after her, they are going to see hell on wheels from me.

[Volaris]

12. Until they lose, and then they'll lie and say we stole it via more people voting.

And when THAT OBVIOUS bullshit is called for the nonsense it is, they'll claim we tromped all over their religious free speech and used the election to 'cancel' all those republican seats...see how unfair it all is to Us Christians?!?!

Well, ummmm..YES THAT EXACTLY, because You Fuckers are not ENTITLED to anything..let alone Rule.

[Irish_Dem]

21. It has alway been common place for men to ignore women.

It is only more recently that some men are willing to listen to females.

Old habits die hard.

[chowder66]

6. +1

[crickets]

7. "54 percent were younger than 25" -- that is huge.

They haven't just riled up women, they've riled up younger women who were less likely to vote before. Way to go. Pollsters are not taking this into account the way they should. None of them have any idea what's coming in the midterms. It's going to get interesting.

Go blue!! 💙

[James48]

8. Come on Voters!

Nice to have you here!

[czarjak]

9. America awakening to the fact that voting matters. Better late than never. Let's hope.

[Warpy]

10. Never trust any of them who say they've rethought the issue

and regret their partisan vote denying health care to half the state;s population, never mind that basic human right to one's own body.

They should have thought of all this before they voted. They just didn't consider us to be important enough to think about.

Throw them out. All of them.

[Irish_Dem]

23. If the legislation was about male penises, 100% certain they would have done their homework.

Of course, if men's bodies are regulated in any way there would be WWIII.

Women are supposed to shut up and take whatever men throw their way.

[betsuni]

11. K&R

[The Unmitigated Gall]

13. Our christo-fascist mullahs and clerics

Don’t dress all sinister-like, in black robes/turbans with snowy-white wizard beards and a crazed look in their heavy-browed eyes.
But they’re still goddamned evil.

[Hekate]

15. Well spotted

[wsulik]

16. Keep talking ....

We'll take the "angry" votes their talking generates.

[ShazzieB]

17. This should be embroidered on many, many pillows.

"Every time a Republican man opens his mouth to talk about women’s bodies, ten new female voters get their wings." -- Dahlia Lithwick

[CaliforniaPeggy]

18. A major kick for this supremely timely post!

[gratuitous]

19. "What? You don't think women want to be second class citizens?"

It's clear that you ladies just don't understand what's going on here. Let's have a succession of men who don't understand anatomy or biology or medicine explain it all for you.

[Irish_Dem]

24. They have always said women are too stupid to make good decisions.

That is why it took so long for women to get the vote or to be allowed into colleges.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

20. Women and girls are not government-owned incubators or brood slaves.

Roe, Roe, Roe your vote
against theocracy!
Republicans revoke your rights
and kill democracy!

Donate to 38 House candidates: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217067267
Stick 'em up for a blue wave: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217078977

[Saboburns]

25. You know, some of us men are just as outraged

I'm not picking a fight.

I'm just pointing out something not mentioned in the OP that I think is important and needs to be remembered.

I'm with you ladies!

[babylonsister]

26. Yes, we know and we thank you!