When it comes to women voters, Mitt Romney doesn't get it
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It appears Mitt Romney is waking up to the fact that threats to “get rid of” Planned Parenthood and supporting legislation like the Blunt amendment — which would allow any employer the right to deny insurance coverage for birth control based on “moral conviction” — are not exactly helping his case with women voters.
Is it any coincidence that after a USA Today poll of swing states shows President Obama with a significant lead among women, Mitt Romney would add talking points about what women are looking for in their next president?
“We have work, we have work to do, to make sure we take our message to the women of America, so they understand how we’re going to get good jobs and we’re going to have a bright economic future for them and for their kids. And make sure that these distortions that the Democrats throw in are clarified and the truth is heard.”
What are these distortions exactly? The fact that the Blunt amendment would give one’s boss the right to decide what health care they would or wouldn’t cover? The fact that the Affordable Care Act is the single greatest achievement in women’s health in a generation — providing more than 20 million women with preventive services like breast exams and Pap tests. These facts don’t need to be exaggerated or distorted to be heard loud and clear.
Mitt Romney still doesn’t get it.
Romney is trying to say that what women really care about is jobs and the economy and to be sure, they do care about those critical issues. But their ability to get affordable health care is inherently tied to their economic outcome. Not only does birth control allow women to decide when (and whether) to have children, but it has played a significant role in closing the gender wage gap by allowing women to invest more in their careers. Romney may be within the margin of error among all men, but the president leads among women by 18 percentage points. And considering women will make up half of the electorate, it’s not something to ignore.
Romney can try to run away from his record all he wants, but Women are Watching and between now and November we’re going to make sure all women voters know where he stands on women’s health.
