Virginia Women Get Even Across the Nation

Women protest in Richmond last winter.

Virginia not only voted for Barack Obama as president and Tim Kaine to represent it in the Senate Tuesday, but its Republican House of Delegates strongly influenced a number of races at every level across the nation. In a negative sense.

Last winter's debacle in Richmond, where the Commonwealth's women were forced to gather in protest of draconian measures aimed at them, helped get blockheaded Republican misogynists and those with loose tongues--spewing things like "legitimate rape" and "god's will"--defeated. I've wondered all my adult life why a woman (or an person of any color but white, or a gay person, an immigrant or any number of other segments) would vote Republican. There's nothing in that party for them and they are, frankly, voting against their onw interests in most cases.

One of the most telling quotes from yesterday's aftermath of the electoral result was this from Republican strategist John Weaver (quoted in the NYTimes): “We have a significant problem with female voters.” No shit, John? So what will the Repubs do about it? How about a marketing campaign with some of those billions that were thrown into the River Mitt.

It would seem to me that a change of attitude, a new era of real inclusiveness, an effort to pass meaningful legislation to benefit those who are so obviously pissed off might be a better goal if you can get past the far right wing's recalcitrance. Those old boys ain't changin' nothin' for nobody. And the results will stay the same until they do.

(Photo: newspano.com)