Do Democrats Have a Woman Problem?

[ESF]

www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/02/02/democrats-women-problem-ross-baker/22695409/%20

Do Dems have a women problem? Column
Ross K. Baker 1:27 p.m. EST February 2, 2015

Powerful figures like Clinton and Pelosi may be scaring off good male candidates.


One might assume that if any political party had a women problem it would be the Republicans. With influential abortion opponents pressing hard for more restrictions on the procedure — most recently favoring an absolute ban after 20 weeks of pregnancy even after rape — the GOP's standing among women has been badly battered.

For Democrats, on the other hand, at no time in the last 30 years has the percentage of women identifying themselves as Republicans exceeded the percentage identifying themselves as Democrats, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. The gap has been as large as 24 points.

Still Democrats do have a gender problem — but it's not in the electorate, but at the party leadership level where two women have assumed dominant positions and have scared off serious male challengers.

Take Hillary Clinton and Rep. Nancy Pelosi. Both are towering and intimidating figures, who have sucked the oxygen out of the spheres they dominate.

First, let's look at the Democratic presidential sweepstakes. At this time, the only two prospective challengers are a former Maryland governor Martin O'Malley, not exactly a household name, and Vermont Sen. Bernard Sanders, who would sail into the maelstrom with the word "socialist" flying from his masthead. The one candidate who generates any enthusiasm at all as a challenger to Clinton, is another woman, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who has repeatedly disavowed any interest in running.

When is the last time a Democratic hopeful secured the presidential nomination without a major opponent? The only time this has happened is when incumbent presidents seek an additional term, and even President Carter drew a big-name opponent in 1980 in Sen. Ted Kennedy. Otherwise, the answer is that since 1912 no Democrat has waltzed to the nomination without a fight. Clinton is on track to do just that.

In Congress, the colossus is House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a tough, resourceful politician. A recent article in Politico suggested strongly that there was discontent in the ranks of House Democrats over her leadership. However, no Democrat was willing to go on record with comments critical of Pelosi. And when the new Congress convened in January, no one challenged her position as minority leader.

But that's a problem for Democrats. True, they have successfully promoted the candidacies of women, championed issues that appealed to women, and generally been rewarded with their support. But the very elevation of these extraordinary women has placed male Democrats in the position of being unwilling to challenge them. The mantra "it's her turn" has broad appeal among Democrats.

But wasn't Sen. Barack Obama successful in defeating Clinton for the nomination in 2008? Yes, but he also represented a core Democratic constituency that also enjoys favored status in the party and rewards it in return with overwhelming support.

While the Democratic bench isn't as full as it has been, there is still no shortage of qualified male candidates who will probably not step forward in 2016. In the Senate there are potential hopefuls who could win the hearts of the very people who consider Clinton too middle-of-the-road: Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, and Jeff Merkley of Oregon. There are well-regarded governors such as Jack Markell of Delaware and Andrew Cuomo of New York or former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick. None of them has given the slightest hint that they might consider a run.

The advancement and championing of women has been a source of justifiable pride for Democrats since they put Geraldine Ferraro on the ticket as a vice presidential candidate in 1984. But their very success raises the question of whether it has saddled them with the burdens of political deference to women in leadership positions.

To back off from going toe-to-toe with a powerful woman is, in the final analysis, a form of patronizing that ill-becomes a party that has stood so steadfastly for women.


Ross K. Baker, a political science professor at Rutgers University, is a member of USA TODAY's Board of Contributors and the author of the new book Is Bipartisanship Dead?

[josieposy]

Ummm....

[charminglife]

oh noes, won't someone think of the men?!

[ijack]

Keep on sucking that oxygen ladies!

[andrealynn]

I read the first line and my eyes rolled so hard I am now physically incapable of reading the rest.

[Velar Fricative]

Poor Democratic men. They just can't ever become President.

[darnkatz]

Oh, poor white men. I feel so fucking bad for them.

[laurenpetro]

oh hey look, a dude wrote this.

[darnkatz]

Maybe someone should buy this douche bag a pair of balls for his truck so that he can feel a little less emasculated.

[rootbeerfloat]

[aurora]

Feb 4, 2015 16:03:27 GMT -5 laurenpetro said:

oh hey look, a dude wrote this.

Looks like he must have accidentally switched the article he meant to write for the Onion with this USA Today one.

[IIOY]

Feb 4, 2015 16:09:49 GMT -5 asdfjkl said:

I'm not sure if Democrats have a woman problem, but I'm pretty sure USA today has a problem with women. Holy shit. How did this get out of editing in this shape?

I would not at all be surprised if he was asked to write this by the editorial board to stir the pot and generate buzz for McNewspaper.  

Otherwise I refuse to believe this isn't parody.

[pixy0stix]

[smock]

Alternate title: "Won't someone save us from all these powerful women?!?!"

Or maybe, "It's NOT her turn: How to take back the white house from the women."

[darnkatz]

[josieposy]

Now how can anyone not just love the idea of Bill becoming the first ever First Lady.....ummm....Man....um....Ladies Man?

[ESF]

By the way, the comments are utterly terrifying.

[One Girl In All The World]

[taratru]

After the bolded part I said OMG so loud people came into my office to see if I was okay.

[mbcdefg]

[2curlydogs]

[omgzombies]