Hilary Rosen / Ann Romney

[Anonymous]

So what's your take on the Rosen comment and its aftermath? Here's mine:

I would not have given a second thought to what I took as a statement that it's really dumb for Mitt Romney to use his wife, who shares his quarter of a billion fortune and has never had to even contemplate being part of the work force, as an adviser on women's economic issues. And even if I were to grant that there was something wrong with what this CNN commentator said, the most I can imagine doing is asking Democrats whether they agree. They said no, but the Republicans, who slowly and reluctantly separated themselves from Rush Limbaugh's genuine attack on Sandra Fluke, act as though the whole Democratic Party is tainted by the unfortunately worded, but at worst insensitive, comment by a sometime Democratic strategist.

But worse than the Republican hypocrisy and the Democratic rush to condemn Rosen, which is par for the course in our spin-drenched political world, is the fact that so much of the press accepted the GOP spin and played this as a real scandal rather than an embarrassing example of distortion.

[jsteele]

The Republicans are experts at manufacturing outrage and the "liberal media" never fails to follow the script. Personally, I think the Democrats should have disassociated themselves from Rosen a long time ago. There are many of the left that hate her guts regardless of her position on stay at home moms married to billionaires.

[Anonymous]

I would like to know whether you agree with Hillary Rosen. That is the real question. If you do and if you are inclined to vote for President Obama anyway, then you are predisposed to defend Rosen, blame Rosen's statements and the aftermath on Ann Romney and the Republicans--and that is what you appear to be doing. Do you think that a woman who raised a household full of boys and likely speaks on a daily basis with her husband about issues and who has battled cancer and MS is somehow incapable of having opinions? A similar description could apply to a woman you undoubtedly admire. Eleanor Roosevelt was rich, raised many children, was very politically active but probably never had a "real job" and yet she is today an excellent example of a strong and opinionated woman. And I am quite sure that Mrs. Roosevelt did all that she did with the help of Nannies, Cooks, and other household staff while Ann Romney has had the help of a cleaning lady on a weekly basis and that is about it.

So what do YOU think? Do you think Ann Romney's opinions are worthless because she never held a "real job?"

[Anonymous]

Boo hoo. Democrat manufactured outrage backfires.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would like to know whether you agree with Hillary Rosen. That is the real question. If you do and if you are inclined to vote for President Obama anyway, then you are predisposed to defend Rosen, blame Rosen's statements and the aftermath on Ann Romney and the Republicans--and that is what you appear to be doing. Do you think that a woman who raised a household full of boys and likely speaks on a daily basis with her husband about issues and who has battled cancer and MS is somehow incapable of having opinions? A similar description could apply to a woman you undoubtedly admire. Eleanor Roosevelt was rich, raised many children, was very politically active but probably never had a "real job" and yet she is today an excellent example of a strong and opinionated woman. And I am quite sure that Mrs. Roosevelt did all that she did with the help of Nannies, Cooks, and other household staff while Ann Romney has had the help of a cleaning lady on a weekly basis and that is about it.

So what do YOU think? Do you think Ann Romney's opinions are worthless because she never held a "real job?"

Thank you for a great post--I agree with you! I've worked since our kids were in preschool, but I have many friends who didn't and know that their skills at running a household, fulfilling volunteer commitments, and making decisions (yes, financial decisions) with their husbands make them in no way less capable of understanding economic issues. I truly don't understand why women can't appreciate the contributions of those who choose to not work outside the home. Btw, I'm a big admirer of Eleanor Roosevelt.

[Anonymous]

This has been discussed ad naseum in the Off Topic forum.

To me this has nothing to do with the value of being a SAHM or a WOHM. I'm sure Mrs. Romney is a lovely person, a great mom, a survivor, and probably the first person I'd ask for parenting advice. Advice on how to juggle my demanding career with parenting, maybe not so much.

I think everyone is entitled to their opinions. When an individual's opinions start to form the basis for policy, that is where I get nervous. Take for example the lawmaker last week who, while repealling an equal pay law in his state, said that equal pay laws aren't needed - because duh, MEN are the breadwinners, money is more important to men. What would some old white guy know about me as a working mother and what's important to me, and how important money is to me?


I think Rosen and her statements have NOTHING to do with Obama and whether or not anyone should vote for him. Why do YOU think it's appropriate to blame him for the comments of some talking head on CNN? Should Romney be blamed for everything Glenn Beck or Limbaugh says?

I think it's questionable for the wife of a billionaire to be referred to during a Presidential campaign as a reliable source of what the average Joe or Jane Shmo thinks or feels about the economy. I think it underscores the degree to which Romney is out of touch with the reality most Americans are living. Remember, HE brought her into this discussion by saying, to paraphrase, "well all this nonsense about abortion and vaginas and menstruation and in the news is meaningless. THAT is not what women care about. My wife tells me women actually care about the economy!". Here's a tip, a billionaire stay at home mom might not understand the degree to which my uterine rights actually DO matter to me.

Romney is the one who tried to reframe the discussion. Hey everybody, ignore the hundreds of laws across the country eroding reproductive rights, and please let's start talking about the economy again - cuz my wife says THAT is the real women's issue. And any reasonable person can't help but think, how is this person, Ann Romney - probably a very nice person and an experienced mom, first person you might want to ask for advice on parenting or illness or any number of matters - how is it that a candidate for President thinks she holds any authority in the area of deciding what average women really care about?

I resent him telling me what women really care about. I resent him using his wife as a citable resource for what women really care about. I resent all this crap that is going on in the year of the woman 2012. Don't tell me what to do with my vagina. Don't tell me I'm pregnant two weeks before I even have sex. Don't tell me I don't need money as much as a man does. And DON'T tell me what women like me actually care about.

If Republicans had a brain between them you would stop talking about women in ANY capacity whatsoever.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:So what do YOU think? Do you think Ann Romney's opinions are worthless because she never held a "real job?"

While Ann Romney's life experiences are much different than the life experiences of the majority of American women, individuals are capable of gaining an understanding of the lives of those whose life experiences don't match their own. Therefore, I would not base my evaluation of Ann Romney's opinions based her life experiences. Rather, I would judge the quality of her advice based on examples of the advice that she has given. Given the examples that I heard Mitt Romney cite on TV, I do not believe that Ann Romney has been giving good advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
This has been discussed ad naseum in the Off Topic forum.

To me this has nothing to do with the value of being a SAHM or a WOHM. I'm sure Mrs. Romney is a lovely person, a great mom, a survivor, and probably the first person I'd ask for parenting advice. Advice on how to juggle my demanding career with parenting, maybe not so much.

I think everyone is entitled to their opinions. When an individual's opinions start to form the basis for policy, that is where I get nervous. Take for example the lawmaker last week who, while repealling an equal pay law in his state, said that equal pay laws aren't needed - because duh, MEN are the breadwinners, money is more important to men. What would some old white guy know about me as a working mother and what's important to me, and how important money is to me?


I think Rosen and her statements have NOTHING to do with Obama and whether or not anyone should vote for him. Why do YOU think it's appropriate to blame him for the comments of some talking head on CNN? Should Romney be blamed for everything Glenn Beck or Limbaugh says?

I think it's questionable for the wife of a billionaire to be referred to during a Presidential campaign as a reliable source of what the average Joe or Jane Shmo thinks or feels about the economy. I think it underscores the degree to which Romney is out of touch with the reality most Americans are living. Remember, HE brought her into this discussion by saying, to paraphrase, "well all this nonsense about abortion and vaginas and menstruation and in the news is meaningless. THAT is not what women care about. My wife tells me women actually care about the economy!". Here's a tip, a billionaire stay at home mom might not understand the degree to which my uterine rights actually DO matter to me.

Romney is the one who tried to reframe the discussion. Hey everybody, ignore the hundreds of laws across the country eroding reproductive rights, and please let's start talking about the economy again - cuz my wife says THAT is the real women's issue. And any reasonable person can't help but think, how is this person, Ann Romney - probably a very nice person and an experienced mom, first person you might want to ask for advice on parenting or illness or any number of matters - how is it that a candidate for President thinks she holds any authority in the area of deciding what average women really care about?

I resent him telling me what women really care about. I resent him using his wife as a citable resource for what women really care about. I resent all this crap that is going on in the year of the woman 2012. Don't tell me what to do with my vagina. Don't tell me I'm pregnant two weeks before I even have sex. Don't tell me I don't need money as much as a man does. And DON'T tell me what women like me actually care about.

If Republicans had a brain between them you would stop talking about women in ANY capacity whatsoever.

I asked OP what he/she thought. I think maybe this response is from OP but I don't know. I am going to respond as if it is from OP but if it isn't, I apologize in advance for that assumption although it doesn't matter because whether this is OP or a new poster, my reaction is the same.

I think that it is actually the luxury of the well-heeled to focus on reproductive rights more than the economy. I think your views on that betray your own financial situation and perhaps you are more similar to Ann Romney than to the average voter. Reproductive rights and many other social issues are VERY important but if people need jobs or better paying jobs or are struggling to pay their mortgages, I think it is common sense that they are more concerned about the economy than other issues that may not be as immediately relevant to them on a daily basis.

You say that everyone is entitled to their opinions but that when those opinions impact policy, you don't like that. I think that you are omitting the qualifier that if you don't agree with those opinions, then you don't want those opinions to form the basis for policy. In every case the origin of policy is an opinion. For example, some people have an opinion that women should have the final say on their abortion rights. That is an opinion that has informed and shaped policy. Others disagree with that and they try to shape policy to conform with their opinions. So, I think you are being disingenuous when you say that everyone is entitled to an opinion as long as it doesn't impact policy. Either disingenuous or very naive.

I did not blame President Obama for Rosen's statements. I just said that if you are inclined to vote for him and if you agree with Rosen, then you will defend her. Reread my post and you will see I am correct and that you are mischaracterizing my statements.

I resent that you believe that your opinions are the final word on what women want. You lack any respect for democracy because you believe you are right and that the voice of the people as expressed through voting is unnecessary because you have it all figured out. I am a woman, a lawyer, a mother, a volunteer with disabled and children, an abortion veteran and thus pro-choice, and a Republican. Don't dare to pretend that you can speak for me. You are arrogant and self-centered and I thank God (that I do believe in) that we live in the USA where people like you only get one vote. I know that if we didn't have as strong a government as we do, you and your kind wouldn't think twice about taking away my vote because you believe to your core that you know better than me.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what do YOU think? Do you think Ann Romney's opinions are worthless because she never held a "real job?"

While Ann Romney's life experiences are much different than the life experiences of the majority of American women, individuals are capable of gaining an understanding of the lives of those whose life experiences don't match their own. Therefore, I would not base my evaluation of Ann Romney's opinions based her life experiences. Rather, I would judge the quality of her advice based on examples of the advice that she has given. Given the examples that I heard Mitt Romney cite on TV, I do not believe that Ann Romney has been giving good advice.

You're life as a woman must give good insight

[Anonymous]

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I resent that you believe that your opinions are the final word on what women want. You lack any respect for democracy because you believe you are right and that the voice of the people as expressed through voting is unnecessary because you have it all figured out. I am a woman, a lawyer, a mother, a volunteer with disabled and children, an abortion veteran and thus pro-choice, and a Republican. Don't dare to pretend that you can speak for me. You are arrogant and self-centered and I thank God (that I do believe in) that we live in the USA where people like you only get one vote. I know that if we didn't have as strong a government as we do, you and your kind wouldn't think twice about taking away my vote because you believe to your core that you know better than me.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

See, you were doing just fine, being reasonable.... and then this is the part where you go batshit crazy. Taking away votes? Don't respect Democracy? Bringing in God? Think we're "better than you"?

Psycho much?

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:You're life as a woman must give good insight

I actually don't have a life as a woman. But, 10 years of reading the postings of women -- with almost not a single day missed -- has given me a lot of insight.

But, what is your evaluation of the advice Ann Romney has been giving her husband?

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're life as a woman must give good insight

I actually don't have a life as a woman. But, 10 years of reading the postings of women -- with almost not a single day missed -- has given me a lot of insight.

But, what is your evaluation of the advice Ann Romney has been giving her husband?

Sorry but I have to disagree. The viewpoints on DCUM are not the generalized view point of the general population of women so your analysis based on this website will produce results that are inaccurate. This is akin to men talking about abortion and making rules up for women.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I resent that you believe that your opinions are the final word on what women want. You lack any respect for democracy because you believe you are right and that the voice of the people as expressed through voting is unnecessary because you have it all figured out. I am a woman, a lawyer, a mother, a volunteer with disabled and children, an abortion veteran and thus pro-choice, and a Republican. Don't dare to pretend that you can speak for me. You are arrogant and self-centered and I thank God (that I do believe in) that we live in the USA where people like you only get one vote. I know that if we didn't have as strong a government as we do, you and your kind wouldn't think twice about taking away my vote because you believe to your core that you know better than me.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

See, you were doing just fine, being reasonable.... and then this is the part where you go batshit crazy. Taking away votes? Don't respect Democracy? Bringing in God? Think we're "better than you"?

Psycho much?

I am not crazy and I don't need your approval. The poster to whom I was responding cannot fathom that someone like me exists--educated and having faith, pro-choice and Republican. She thinks she has it figured out and that her beliefs are right--no debate or vote necessary. Her tone indicates she doesn't see any need for people like me to participate in the political process. It was her--not me--that said an entire political party should stay out of women's rights--a party that does count women as members. I think that smacks of anti-democratic leanings and I called her on it. Yet, you say I am the one who is crazy. How does that make sense?

Kudos to you, though. Your response was very well thought out--the ad hominem attacks really elevated the discourse. Nicely done.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're life as a woman must give good insight

I actually don't have a life as a woman. But, 10 years of reading the postings of women -- with almost not a single day missed -- has given me a lot of insight.

But, what is your evaluation of the advice Ann Romney has been giving her husband?

Sorry but I have to disagree. The viewpoints on DCUM are not the generalized view point of the general population of women so your analysis based on this website will produce results that are inaccurate. This is akin to men talking about abortion and making rules up for women.

How is reading what women write similar in any way to men talking to men?

What do you think is the best way to learn about women's viewpoints?

Since you have not yet answered, what is your opinion of the advice Ann Romney has been giving her husband?

[Anonymous]

as the country teetered on the edge of economic collapse....politics were dominated by nonsense. rediculous issues like mommy wars..."climate change"...stand your ground laws...dominate. The real issues of nuclear terrorism and economic collapse are ignored. we are biding our time with babytalk.