The Battle Over Women Voters
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-03-12/battle-over-women-voters
Women cast nearly ten million more votes than men in the last presidential race. Their traditional preference for Democrats helped put President Obama in the White House. but the female vote swung to the GOP in 2010, giving Republicans congrol of the House. Now there are signs of another shift. Recent polls show Republicans have been hurt by the current focus on contraception, abortion and women’s health issues. This week the President’s re-election campaign plans to launch an intensified effort to mobilize female voters. Karen Tumulty of the Washington Post, Terry O'Neill, president of the National Organization for Women and Phyllis Schlafly, founder and president of the eagle forum, join Diane to discuss the battle for and about women.
Guests
Terry O'Neill
president, National Organization for Women.
Phyllis Schlafly
founder and president, Eagle Forum
Karen Tumulty
national political reporter, The Washington Post.
Comments
Please familiarize yourself with our Code of Conduct and Terms of Use before posting your comments.
Phyllis Schlafly is a joke
What does Ms. Phyllis Schlafly have to say about Indiana's law that A Dr. must read a statement to a woman prior to doing an abortion? The legislature stripped from the bill an amendment that that statement must be factual.
Birth controls prescriptions are not given for the sole purpose of birth control. Has anyone addressed the fact that some women do not have periods without birth control pills? Isn't that a health issue?
Schlafly keeps wasting out time with her canned responses and blaming the media.
I'm used to thoughtful conversations on Diane's show, but Schlafly is not contributing anything new in the least...
Every time Phyllis Schlafly opens her mouth, she takes us on a dark journey into another century's mores and values. She is Rush Limbaugh with a vagina. But kudos to you, Diane for including that rusty old voice in this discussion. It gives contrast to an otherwise intelligent panel. Good show.
Kudos to Terry O'neill for not piling on to PS. she is after all almost 90 and she is just spouting the same thing she has spouted for 45 years!
ugh. i can't listen to this any longer. Phyllis is ridiculous. Please don't ever have her back on this show for any reason.
If the republicans don't want to pay for contraception and birth control, why do they want to pay for fertilization procedures? Without contraception/abortion, the number of unwanted children and back street abortions would increase- do they want to increase the welfare case load and an increase in child abuse.
Mrs Schafly needs to realize that single women today are often financially capable of raising their children, a lot of women today DO NOT DEPEND UPON A MAN TO TAKE CARE OF THEM! Many MARRIED women can not afford the children that they have.
As to the right objecting to paying for "THINGS THEY DON'T LIKE" I HATE WAR AND I HAVE TO PAY FOR IT!!!!
Birth controls prescriptions are not given for the sole purpose of birth control. Has anyone addressed the fact that some women do not have periods without birth control pills? Isn't that a health issue?
I think it is important to point out the economic connection to having control over the number of children a family has. As a nation we have been able to rise to the level of economic power we have enjoyed due to being able to make choices about how many children we have.
With all due respect, I think Phyllis needs to rethink her point of view. If we deny women birth control, how much is going to cost us in unwanted pregnancies, welfare, Title 19, etc? How can she keep such a narrow-minded view when she clearly does not understand the collateral costs associated with unwanted pregnancies?
Republican males want women to get back to bare foot and pregnant. They want as many babies as they can get and all women at home begging their men for $20 to buy groceries. They want women on all four's scrubbing, washing and yes giving them what they want and how they want it. They want the good old days, Ozzie and Harriet, etc. There is an all out assault on women by these crazy men and yes ... some crazy women too. If intelligent women do not stand up to this craziness we are doomed. Do not be fooled into thinking this is about contraception so it does not affect you. They have an agenda and it will not stop at contraception. I am too old to get pregnant but even I can see that if we allow them to take away any rights that women now enjoy they will not stop there.
Dear Phyliss
You're paying for viagra. You're paying for antibotics. You're paying for experimental cancer treatments whether they work or not. So, let's drop the 'I shouldn't have to pay for it'. Lots of us pay for things that we don't like such as the Iraq war. Get over it.
When birth control is not globally available for free or very minimal cost, be sure that we will be paying SEVERELY for welfare, WIC, etc... to take care of the unwanted or unplanned for children which are the consequence of such a system on an already overburdened ecomony. Prevention is always a more viable and efficient method than post event fixes.
I totally agree with you, Shaun!
Ask yourself what is the real Questions????
Hitler was able to through his words twist a nation into killing people.
Should women have a choice? YES!!!
Should people who want contraceptive take ownership of securing it and paying for it? YES!!!
Are you hard working women willing to pay for the women on the street's contraception?? Ask yourself this question.
ARE YOU WILLING TO GIVE YOUR MONEY TO SOMEONE ELSE?
can Schafly explain her feelings regarding say employers who are Jehovas Witnesses opting out of covering blood transfusions,or Christian Scientists who opt out of perhaps most customary coverage, for "religious reasons"
One other comment I feel I must make about this show is that Phyllis Schafley seems to be on the panel to take Rush Limbaugh's place and I have just turned off the program. I don't mind people disagreeing with my opinion or anyone else's but "obnoxious" is not something I want to spend my morning listening to.
Right on. Phyllis, would you allow me to withhold my federal tax payments in the amounts that correspond to the greatest insult to any "pro life" taxpayer: our trillion-dollar wars abroad?
George Carlin was right, the well organized "pro life" PACS and other pressure and PR groups are not pro life, but any woman, anti-gay, anti any viewpoint (and those who hold them) that questions their narrow ideology. Seems that these groups think one´s human right is sacred until one is born... then no health care for you if you can´t afford it.
Mrs. Schlafy does not seem to understand how health insurance works. We all pay for everyone else's health care when we are members of that insurance risk pool. I pay for all the smokers and non-healthy lifestyle people whether I disapprove of their habits or not. If she thinks we should not include contraception, then why not refuse to have benefits for lung cancer treatment or smoking cessation classes or high blood pressure from being overweight, etc., etc. And I don't understand why she seems to think government pays for abortions. It does not. Medicaid does not pay for abortion. Please have guests who are knowledgeable and base opinions on facts not fantasy.
Phyllis needs to stop being so inflammatory!
For example, she like most republicans know darn well that calling the law, "Obamacare" and not its actual name is inflammatory - tell her to GROW UP!
Diane, please challenge your guests more when they make obviously misleading comments.
This issue purely about WHO PAYS FOR CONTRACEPTION, not who has access to contraception.
It is disappointing that you don't try to clarify the actual issue for your listeners.
Diane, please challenge your guests more when they make obviously misleading comments.
This issue purely about WHO PAYS FOR CONTRACEPTION, not who has access to contraception.
It is disappointing that you don't try to clarify the actual issue for your listeners.
I am a homemaker and a feminist. These two things are not mutually exclusive. I find comments made on today’s show offensive. I am raising two daughters to believe that woman have a voice in our political world and government.
PS, You have the current president of NOW as the voice of the left but Phyllis Schlafly (the voice of conservative women of...the 1980s?) as the voice of the right?? Does that seem like an even playing field?
Mrs. Schlafy does not seem to understand how health insurance works. We all pay for everyone else's health care when we are members of that insurance risk pool. I pay for all the smokers and non-healthy lifestyle people whether I disapprove of their habits or not. If she thinks we should not include contraception, then why not refuse to have benefits for lung cancer treatment or smoking cessation classes or high blood pressure from being overweight, etc., etc. And I don't understand why she seems to think government pays for abortions. It does not. Medicaid does not pay for abortion. Please have guests who are knowledgeable and base opinions on facts not fantasy.
Anne Smith from Jefferson City, TN
Birth control, which is a hormone therapy, is prescribed for uses other than birth control. How would that affect coverage?
What about other potential issues that, under the guise of religion, can become points of contention? Isn't USA founded on separation of church and state and individual freedom of religion? Is this setting a dangerous precident?
Does this mean we can choose not to pay taxes to support war, to subsidize corporations, and, in the case of libertarians or Grover Norquist followers who are against most forms of government, not pay most taxes?
Sigh...sadly, the Limbaugh's and Schlafly's of the world only hear what the little red men in their heads whisper to them. They are incredibly, sadly, out of the mainstream and living in another century. Sad for them, scary for the rest of us.
SHAME ON YOU PHYLLIS SCHLAFLY!!! You have benefitted from the feminist movement in the fact that you are a lawyer. It is unbelievable that you can spew the nonsense that you do. The only reason you have the forum you do is that you are willing to promote a view that is against your own and the general population's interest.