I was surprised too,and disheartened.
I am dead set against women registering.
.
I thought Christie answered well.
Not allowing women to register is discrimination.
With equal rights go equal responsibilities.....
That was a terrible answer from all three. If a woman wants to volunteer for combat, that’s her prerogative (which I strongly disagree with). However to force our daughters into conscription, no thanks.
You’d think Rubio, Bush and Christie would be better prepared for a question like that.
Political correctness reigns. If you accept that women and men are totally equal without any difference, then I guess the logical conclusion is that women should be treated just like men and be subject to the same rules.
I was surprised when Bush said something like women had to right to be in combat units. I guess he must think that it is a matter of choice whether to serve in combat or not.
it was the equality thingy...
they think they have to pander to women...
Cruz would have put the others away and had the audience on their feet!
You ask if this is the "new" position of the GOP. I am assuming you are referring again to the Establishment and yes, this is their position. It's Obama's position, just like gays in the showers, so of course, the Establishment's position!
I want to move on to the military. Senator Rubio, all restrictions on women in combat as long as they qualify. Positions including special operations forces, like Navy Seals. Just this week military leaders of the Army and Marine Corps said that they believed young women, just as young men are required to do, should sign up for Selective Service in case the Draft is reinstated.
Many of you have young daughters. Senator Rubio, should young women be required to sign up for Selective Service in case of a national emergency?
RUBIO: First, let me say there are already women today serving in roles that are like combat. That, in fact, whose lives are in very serious danger, and so I have no problem whatsoever with people of either gender serving in combat so long as the minimum requirements necessary to do the job are not compromised. But, I support that, and obviously now that that is the case I do believe that Selective Service should be opened up for both men and women in case a Draft is ever instituted.
I think the more fundamental challenge we’re now facing is what’s happening to the U.S. military — I’ve said this many times, and I think it’s important to start paying attention to this. Our Air Force is about to be the smallest it’s been in 100 years. I’m sorry, in our history. Our Army is set to be smaller than it’s been since the second World War, and our Navy is about to be the smallest than it’s been in 100 years.
I think we need to begin to refocus on rebuilding our military because every time we have cut our military in the history of this country we have had to come back later and rebuild it, and it costs more, and it’s a lot more chaotic and dangerous. When I’m president, we are rebuilding the U.S. military.
(APPLAUSE)
RADDATZ: Thank you, Senator Rubio. Governor Bush, do you believe that young women...
BUSH: ... Say it again?
RADDATZ: Do you believe young women should sign up for Selective Service, be required to sign up...
BUSH: ... I do, and I do think that we should not impose any kind of political agenda on the military. There should be — if women can meet the requirements, the minimum requirements for combat service they ought to have the right to do it. For sure. It ought to be focused on the morale as well. We got to make sure that we have readiness much higher than we do today. We need to eliminate the sequester which is devastating our military.
We can’t be focusing on the political side of this, we need to realize that our military force is how we project our word in the world. When we’re weak militarily it doesn’t matter what we say. We can talk about red lines, and ISIS being the J.V. team, and reset buttons and all this. If we don’t have a strong military than no one fears us, and they take actions that are against our national interest.
RADDATZ: Tell me what you’d say to American people out there...
(APPLAUSE)
RADDATZ: ... Who are sitting at home, who have daughters, who might worry about those answers, and might worry...
BUSH: ... Why would they worry about it...
RADDATZ: ... if the Draft is reinstituted?
BUSH: ... Well, the Draft’s not going to be reinstituted, but why — if women are accessing...
RADDATZ: ... Are you saying you’d do away with it?
BUSH: No. I didn’t say that. You — you asked a question not about the draft, you asked about registering. And if women are going to be...
RADDATZ: You register for the draft.
BUSH: If — but...
RADDATZ: If it’s reinstituted.
BUSH: ... we don’t have a draft. I’m not suggesting we have a draft. What I’m suggesting is that we ought to have readiness being the first priority of our military, and secondly, that we make sure that the morale is high. And right now, neither one of those are acceptable because we’ve been gutting the military budget.
We also need to reform our procurement process. We need to make sure there are more men and women in uniform than people — than civilians in our Defense Department. There’s a lot of things that we need to reform to bring our defense capabilities into the 21st century and I’m the guy that could do that. That’s why I have the support of generals, of admirals, of 12 Medal of Honor recipients and many other people that know that I would be a steady commander-in-chief and rebuild our military.
(APPLAUSE)
CHRISTIE: Martha?
RADDATZ: Thank you very much.
CHRISTIE: Can I — can I be really — can I be really clear on this, because I am the father of two daughters. One of them is here tonight. What my wife and I have taught our daughters right from the beginning, that their sense of self-worth, their sense of value, their sense of what they want to do with their life comes not from the outside, but comes from within. And if a young woman in this country wants to go and fight to defend their country, she should be permitted to do so.
Part of that also needs to be part of a greater effort in this country, and so there’s no reason why one — young women should be discriminated against from registering for the selective service. The fact is, we need to be a party and a people that makes sure that our women in this country understand anything they can dream, anything that they want to aspire to, they can do. That’s the way we raised our daughters and that’s what we should aspire to as president for all of the women in our country.
(APPLAUSE)
RADDATZ: Thank you very much, Governor Christie.
What I heard is Bush, Rubio and Christie announce to us that they have drunk deeply from the wells of feminist dogma and that they are good little progressives.
I just know that having a lot teenage women in the ranks with all the boys will do wonders for good order and morale. At least until the jealousy, favoritism, sexual harassment charges, and competition for sexual favors starts at around the second week.
I don't care if the only military personnel that get elevated to the highest positions are those that saw combat, and denying women the ability to engage in combat would stifle their military careers.
The military is not a social experiment. It's not supposed to be fair or just. It's just supposed to be able to kick butt.
The default conservative and Republican position used to be NO WOMEN IN COMBAT EVER.
The only time a woman should be allowed in combat is if the enemy comes to us and its house to house. Then it's every man and woman we can get.
Call me a chauvinist, but if we still believe there is some inherent difference between men an women then that should include no women in combat. Period.
I told my wife that the first person to say this wins the debate: “The problem with registering women for the draft is that prime combat age is also prime child bearing age. Woman are free to volunteer but I will not sanction making it mandatory to tear women from their young children. That’s not what it means to be a conservative and to support family values.”
And the winner is......
The crickets on my back porch
Thank you for the post. I wish everyone candidate for president from both major parties were required to answer this question live in front of an audience.
Bush, Rubio, and Christie all disqualified themselves to be president with their answers tonight. Bush showed that in addition to being wrong on policy, he’s too stupid to even understand why people register for the draft.
I would really like to see Hillary answer this question.
Rubio, Bush, and Christi are two faced liars.
they are getting hammered on twitter so their statements were not very good. why do republicans think pushing this idea is a good idea anyway?
some comments I’ve seen on twitter and elsewhere.
“war on women” war mongering bush wants women die to fight another war for oil. Women do not get equal pay or right to abortion but will be forced by republicans to die in another republican/conservative led war. conservatives and men have blood lust for war since little boys & now want to get women involved in their wars men start. get NRA member to fight, they are for violence. the military, right wing are evil etc........
We have a number here on FR who refuse to think and opine that since 'so many women asked for it, they should all be eligible for the draft.
IMO, it a draft is instituted, it means we have a shortage and any "women" so inclined should be able to enlist on their own w/o us helping the Left to erase the differences between the sexes - let the real women alone.