Breaking barriers in radio silence
That shattering glass sound you probably didn’t hear was that of ceilings broken by several Republican women winning important elected offices. There has been radio silence from the media coverage of their victories. It’s almost as though conservative women aren’t worthy of acknowledgment, or something. The liberal women are all over the headlines and on the receiving end of slobbering magazine stories because they are kindred spirits of those covering them.
The most exciting victories for me, as a conservative, are the ones at the state level. Governors and Lt. Governors play such important roles in the political system that I am particularly pleased to see these victories. With another census coming in 2020 plus the presidential election, the stakes are high.
First up are the gubernatorial victories. Kay Ivey became the first Republican woman elected governor of Alabama. Kim Reynolds became the first woman elected governor of Iowa. Reynolds assumed the governorship when Governor Terry Branstad was appointed as ambassador to China by President Trump. Kristi Noem was elected the first woman governor of South Dakota.
The Lt. Governor victories include Jeanette Nunez who was elected in Florida. She becomes the first Latina Lt. Governor and the highest ranking Hispanic public servant in Florida history. Janice McGeachin was elected the first female Lt. Governor of Idaho.
Turning to the U. S. Senate, Marsha Blackburn defeated the very popular (we were told over and over again) former Governor of Tennessee to become the first woman elected to represent the state in the U. S. Senate. The biggest loser in this contest, though, was singer Taylor Swift who endorsed the former governor. It was her first venture into the world of celebrity political endorsements and she landed with a thud. No doubt the experience will provide an idea for a song for Ms. Swift soon.
I expect Cindy Hyde-Smith to win her run-off election and be seated from Mississippi. She was appointed to fill Sen. Thad Cochran’s seat when he resigned earlier this year. And, at this time, I hold out hope that Martha McSally, the first woman to fly in combat will become the first woman elected to the U. S. Senate from Arizona.
Carol Miller was elected to represent West Virginia’s 3rd district.
The most egregious omission from national coverage, in my humble opinion, was the Congressional race of Young Kim. She becomes the first Korean-American woman ever elected to Congress. If she was a Democrat, you can believe that she would have rivaled Beto O’Rourke for slobbering attention paid to her race from the national media. She replaces Rep. Ed Royce from California’s 39th district. She emigrated from South Korea and lived in Guam and Hawaii before working in Royce’s congressional office for more than 20 years.
The liberal women’s magazine, Marie Claire, published an article just before the election that provided 50 women the opportunity to state why they were voting. Of the 50 quoted, only two were conservative voices and those two are often questionable conservatives, in my opinion. Are Jenna Bush and Gretchen Carlson really considered conservative voices these days?
The popular narrative from the left right now is to blame white women for losses that Democrats suffered. Though Democrats took back the House of Representatives, the Senate is more strongly Republican now. Democrat women, in particular, hold white women responsible for the election of Donald Trump and still don’t understand why we don’t vote as a block with other women. Identity politics has completely consumed the Democrat party and they can no longer win elections without black Americans, for example, voting as a block for Democrat candidates. They expect the same loyalty from white women and that is not going to happen. While some support has eroded in the Trump era, women will continue to be swing voters in future elections.
The fact remains that any candidate that can reach out and speak to white women if we are to continue on the racial division, on issues important to their lives will win their vote. President Trump spoke to national security, job creation, fewer government regulations on small businesses, and supporting law enforcement. All of these issues are important to women as the caregivers of their families and small business owners. Hillary Clinton was a terrible candidate and offered nothing inspirational for women voters other than her gender. I look forward to the first woman president but I will never vote for a Democrat for that job, especially Hillary Clinton.
@NFRW is celebrating the historic elections of several Republican women to federal and statewide office on Tuesday. https://t.co/Jr8hz76ZZy… #RedWave18 #NFRW #GOPWomen #RepublicanWomen #WomenRepublicans #RepublicanWomenRock #MAGA pic.twitter.com/uBBOIoxiZb
— NFRW (@NFRW) November 8,2018
Congratulations, ladies.
