Women voters in the US Election

[rosabud]

There are a couple of articles today in the Guardian about how women overwhelmingly supported Obama in the election and how this is being viewed by many as a big "no" vote from women to the attempts by right-wing politicians to repeal abortion and reproductive rights and to the threat of cutbacks from the right to childcare grants/ after school clubs etc.

We have often despaired on here of the very right-wing attitudes of some sections of American society towards women so I feel that this election result, that ordinary women have voted for their own interests and not been swayed by the right, despite living in a very sexist society, is cause for celebration!

Yay!

I linked a bbc one onto the feminist chat thread V saying similar.

I hope this is the case, but 48% of people voted for
Romney so a fair proportion of women must have thought it was ok. Depressing.

Single women voted more for obama than married, say the stats.

Not much of a surprise there. I'm only sad it wasn't more. I'd like to say surprised, but I'm not really.

I told a male friend who lives in the US that or made me sad when I saw women saying they were going to vote for Romney. He said men should care about this shit too. Which is true.

I've heard that before, with previous American elections. The claim was that single women are liberal, but married women are likely to be much more conservative, sometimes more so than their husbands.

Who's seen articles about the state of New Hampshire? After this election, both their U.S. Senators (every state has 2) and both their Representatives (the number is based on population, and New Hampshire is a small state, with only 2) plus their Governor, are all women. It's a first.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/new-hampshire-elects-all-women_n_2086133.html

Sorry, clickable link:
www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/new-hampshire-elects-all-women_n_2086133.html

And the first openly lesbian senator, TeiTetua!

I was slightly annoyed that the BBC election coverage kept talking about 'single women', as I don't think they'd have talked about 'single men' in the same way, but clearly it is a significant psephological disparity. A majority of white women did vote for Romney, but still a markedly lower proportion than of white men.

Obviously Obama is by no means perfect (particularly in terms of foreign policy, where he is far too close to Bush for my liking) but seeing him elected by a majority of women, Latinos, African Americans and young people, as opposed to the white ageing men who supported Romney, was pretty amazing. It really is the patriarchy weakening before our eyes.

When you look at the current and projected future demographics of the US population (according to BBC R4 yesterday), the non-white proportion is due to increase hugely. The days when the Republicans could depend on a large white voting majority are numbered. Where will they go from here? Will they splinter into more Tea-Party type factions, or is there a way for them to appeal to an increasing Latino and Hispanic population?

Kim, that's one species I'm not sorry to see being "endangered!" :)

It's wonderful to see some positives for women coming from the 2012 US elections.

Unfortunately, I think patriarchy in America is not dead yet. Although the Democrats won the 2012 Presidential election, the Republican vote increased.

I was so worried Obama wasn't going to stand a chance, all you hear is the god damned tea party screaming at the top of their lungs and it's easy to think America is full of racist ignorant sexist assholes. Then you realize that the tea party aren't the majority they're just the loudest. And that most of the people who vote republican really don't know the full social agenda of the conservatives at the moment because they are so much more conservative than they have ever been in the past. They are voting for what they feel to be a safer bet for jobs (although I disagree that Romney would have been a good choice for that). I am proud of my country though after last week the true idiots have almost all been voted out. Todd "women have magic vaginas" Akin- gone Richard "when rape happens god intended it to happen" Mourdock- gone. Roger "some girls rape easy" Rivard- gone Tom "having a baby out of wedlock is the same as having a baby born of rape" Smith gone and a whole load of other cunts.. all gone. And they can fuck the fuck off.

Oh and let us not forget Paul "it's a person from conception and no I will not make and loop holes for life of the mother Ryan. And Joe "with modern technology and science, you can't find one instance where a mothers life is in danger from pregnancy" Walsh. All gone.

Fucking idiots

Amen to ^^

They can indeed FTFO

It is excellent news. I was worried for a minute though!