Posted on 03/20/2012 3:16:39 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
The Fix's Chris Cillizza marvels at Rick Santorum's increasing polling strength among Republican women, as measured by a new Washington Post/ABC News poll:
Judging from the coverage of Rick Santorum’s presidential campaign over the last few weeks, you might think that the former Pennsylvania Senator’s numbers would be cratering among women.
But you would be wrong. Way wrong.
In a new Washington Post-ABC poll, Santorum’s numbers among Republican and Republican-leaning women have soared over the past month. He now has the highest favorability rating among that group of any of the top-tier Republican presidential candidates. ...
The poll numbers reinforce findings from recent exit polls that suggest Santorum is holding steady — if not strengthening — among Republican women. In Alabama, Santorum beat former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney by eight points among women; in Mississippi, Santorum took 35 percent among women to 32 percent for Romney.
Cillizza cites three theories for why Santorum has proved so popular with the fairer sex. One theory suggests his increased favorability rating among females is just the result of growing recognition of Santorum’s name, in general. Another suggests women find him a sympathetic figure because he has endured a relentless onslaught of attacks for his social views from the media. A third suggests that he’s successfully framed the key “women’s issue” of this election — the contraception mandate — as more about government encroachment on personal beliefs than about contraception itself.
None of these theories go far enough. Increased name recognition, for example, doesn’t explain why women like Santorum more than men do. The media theory discounts the truth that all the GOP candidates have been relentlessly vetted by the MSM. The third theory ignores that Santorum hasn’t always done a good job framing the contraception issue in terms of freedom.
So what is it? As a Republican woman who has liked Rick Santorum ever since I first read of his pro-life work as a senator (in an e-mail from a pro-life list-serv to which I was subscribed), I can at least speak for myself. I appreciate that Rick Santorum speaks up for the many women in this country who do have radically different views from the mainstream about what women are uniquely able to offer to society. For too long, feminists have pretended to speak for all of us — as though we are all eager to neuter ourselves, to obliterate gender difference, to deny our own fertility. When Santorum speaks about social issues, I hear in his voice a kind of awe at the mystery of womanhood that is sadly lacking among liberals. His awareness that women only can be mothers — and that mothering, whether physical or spiritual, is something every society needs — permeates his views about, for example, contraception and stay-at-home motherhood as one of the most important careers a woman can choose. Plenty of women never articulate their views about what it means to be a woman, but most of us sense innately that we are different from men and that, in that difference, there is also a complementarity. When we pretend to be like men to prove our equality, that complementarity is lost. When we embrace what makes us women — namely, our unique ability to give birth to the next generation (again, both physically and spiritually) — that complementarity is restored. Santorum encourages us to do just that — to embrace our womanhood.
It’s crazy, isn’t it? That a man has, in a way, become the first in a long time to speak up for the right of women to be women. While the rest of society tells us our fertility is a disease, Santorum tells us (and shows us by his own family) it’s our glory and our strength, our greatest source of influence. What woman wouldn’t like to hear that? We’re not just our fertility, of course, and not all women are able to physically have children, but I fail to see how the denial of a woman’s potential for physical and spiritual motherhood is at all empowering or uplifting.
Again, I speak only for myself here, but I’d be very surprised if many women, even if only subconsciously, aren’t drawn to Santorum as a candidate for the same reasons I am.
Well, I am sure life would be much better if your wife just listened to you. I know if my husband would just listen to everything I say, it would all be hunky dorey! ;)
Liberals want to use socialism to dictate the Marxist social doctrine to America. Santorum wants to use socialism to dictate “conservative values” to Americans. “Conservatives” who like Rick like his rules. Communists who love Obama like his rules. I would rather be free.
Rank stupidity?
So it is a two man race—and the Newt folks can help Mitt Romney get the nomination all they want by bashing the only conservative who can win it all but thank God most of our women got some sense.
Santorum was my 3rd choice from the beginning and as things usually go, I’m damn happy he’s still in the race.
The type of women who would be turned off by the reportage on Santorum aren’t Republicans. But that’s also why most women aren’t Republicans. Most women are brainwashed into some degree of feminism at the colleges. And since they’re better students than men, the liberal brainwashing seems to stick in their heads more than it does men’s.
YES....GO NEWT !!!!....
I want a PRESIDENT who is bold, direct, makes changes that are unpopular (which ANY cut in govt. will be), secures our country better, and stands evil face to face. Newt CAN debate Obama and win in November 2012. Santorium and Mittens are too milk toast and not polished enough to be President of the USA and deal with leaders across the globe, imHo !!
I’m standing by your MAN....NEWT !!!
To the headline: why would they?
The way votes are being cast in this primary doesn’t necessarily suggest anything about how votes will be cast in the fall. Many people are voting for Mittsky because they’ve been told by the “right-wing” media that he’s “the only one who can beat Obama.” They’re voting strategically, or so they think. But voters in November don’t vote strategically, they vote their heart. If all our voters were voting for their heart, the primary would be a much better predictor of who will get votes in the general election. But since people are being sucked into the mass hysteria that EVERYONE can be a political scientist, they’re making stupid, meaningless, worthless and wrongheaded decisions.
At least Rick is faithful.
Santorum or Newt would at least make Obama deviate from his game plan.
So, you're OK with the current social condition of the country, which is the product of 60 years of leftwing government and judicial activism?
Or like me do you believe we could stand a little rolling back the clock before we decide the government should get the hell out of our private lives?
There are some things I don’t like about Santorum, but they have nothing to do with my being a woman. In this sentence, you could also substitute “Gingrich” or “Romney.” Republican women ought to reason like intelligent voters.
I cannot stand the Santorum bashers here on Free Republic!!
And I’m a Newt supporter, but not insane.
If Newt shows any signs of life, I’ll support him.
Not that it matters. I live in Texas and we’re voting way late.
I would not want a man like that in my life. ewww..
I am not okay with socialism. I am fine for politicans to debate social issues. Not fine to have the power to dictate. Get it?
“At least Rick is faithful.”
So is Jimmy Carter. Did that make him a better POTUS than divorced Reagan?
Xian neo-Pharisees; no better than the originals.
WEll, I am a woman and a Republican and I have a problem with Rick Santorum. But it has absolutely NOTHING to do with so called “womens” issues. I fought Santorum tooth and nail when he was in the Senate and co SPONSORED (not just supported but actually sponsored) a bill that would have put the Feds in charge of ALL pet breeding in this country. Luckily we won and subsequently we removed him from office. Just what core “conservative principal” does the Fed Govt being in charge of all pet breeding fall under??
I remember this fight. God Bless you.
He’s not perfect but no one is.
Given the choice between him asking for my vote and Romney telling me that I’ll vote for him, I’ll go with Santorum on “polite” alone.
No, not really. I have trouble with vague generalizations.
Maybe if you pointed me to some specific proposal Santorum has made that worry you.
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