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Phyllis Schlafly As I Knew Her
Townhall.com ^ | May 5, 2020 | Rebecca Gantner

Posted on 05/05/2020 1:16:03 PM PDT by Kaslin

The recently released FX on Hulu show Mrs. America chronicles the story of the fight over ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s and 80s. Were it not for my late boss Phyllis Schlafly stepping in and defeating this train wreck of an amendment against insurmountable odds, there wouldn’t be a story. This narrative should not be left to Hollywood elites to tell.

The nine-part Mrs. America series paints Phyllis as a power-hungry, cold, calculating, and egotistical individual who cares about protecting her "political profile in D.C." Nothing could be further from the truth. While these falsehoods aren't surprising coming from liberal Hollywood, they are disappointing nonetheless.

I was privileged to have been personally hired by Phyllis and worked at her side for nearly four years before she passed away in 2016. Spending countless hours with her, I can attest to the fact that the Phyllis Schlafly I knew and worked for is not the same person as two-time Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett portrays in the show.

As a wife, mother to six, lawyer, author of 27 books, and political activist, Phyllis cared about many things. However, she never held her own image and profile in high regard, especially not above any of the issues she fought for.

Perhaps one of the greatest examples I recall displaying Phyllis’s lack of concern for her “image” surrounds her endorsement of Donald J. Trump for president. To understand this high-profile move, we must go to 1964 when Phyllis self-published A Choice Not An Echo. The book presents an in-depth look at the deal-making of Republican National Conventions from 1938 to 1960. She proposed that the Republican Party should choose a true conservative as the nominee rather than allow the globalist “Kingmakers” to select their choice behind closed doors and then present him to the American people. With over 3 million copies sold, her book helped catapult conservative Barry Goldwater into winning the 1964 Republican presidential nomination.

Now fast forward to March 2016, Phyllis Schlafly met privately with Donald Trump before endorsing him as the Republican presidential candidate from the stage of the Peabody Opera House in St. Louis, MO. She believed that he was our “choice” — not an echo of failed political systems past — just as she believed of Barry Goldwater in 1964. Phyllis went even further to write her twenty-seventh and final book called The Conservative Case for Trump in which she predicted he would appoint constitutionalist judges like Antonin Scalia, end bad trade deals, and put a stop to the entry of illegal immigrants by securing our border.

I recall countless times when either Phyllis or I were approached by conservatives who couldn’t understand her endorsement of Trump. Their concerns mostly surrounded his lack of prior political experience and what they perceived as a questionable personal life at best. The questions and pushback she received never phased her. She truly believed that Trump was the right man for the job and she wasn’t afraid to say so. After Trump won against all odds, many conservatives came back to say “Phyllis was right. I should have listened to her all along!”

Working with Phyllis on a professional level was a remarkable experience in and of itself, but I was blessed that she mentored me outside of the office as well. We traveled together, visited over dinner, and spent time at her home on the weekends. It was in these moments that I learned some of the most important lessons of my life.

Phyllis instructed me that it didn’t matter who received the credit as long as the work got done. When attacked while standing for the truth, don’t take the attacks personally. Stand your ground but respond with grace. Leaders must work hard and persevere in the difficult times. Always remain resolute and don’t become discouraged by the setbacks along the way. Phyllis not only taught these lessons, she lived by them.

No matter what Hollywood tells you, I knew the real Mrs. America. She was a lady who displayed humility, class, kindness, and resilience even in the midst of adverse circumstances. I am truly grateful for the lessons I learned from Phyllis and hope that I may emulate even a little of what she taught me. By sharing my experiences, I hope that you, too, will come to know the true legacy of Phyllis Schlafly.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: phyllissclaflyhulu

1 posted on 05/05/2020 1:16:03 PM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Feminists weren’t worthy to lick Schlafly’s shoes.


2 posted on 05/05/2020 1:16:40 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Slyfox

FYI


3 posted on 05/05/2020 1:18:12 PM PDT by KC Burke (If all the world is a stage, I would like to request my lighting be adjusted.)
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To: Kaslin

And Gloria Steinem was not nearly as pretty as this show is making her out to be.


4 posted on 05/05/2020 1:27:11 PM PDT by skinndogNN
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To: Kaslin

I refuse to watch this trash. How brave they are to make a series whose sole purpose is to condemn a person......once that person is dead and can’t fight back.

Filthy Marxists.


5 posted on 05/05/2020 1:41:03 PM PDT by Vaquero ( Don't pick a fight with an old guy. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.)
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To: dfwgator

Amen, this series is told by her enemy’s.


6 posted on 05/05/2020 1:42:40 PM PDT by GailA (I'm a Trump Girl)
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To: Vaquero

Like she would have gotten fare treatment if she was alive! Patriots who are conservative are always skewered as the enemy.


7 posted on 05/05/2020 1:48:55 PM PDT by Bommer (I am a MAGA-Deplorian! It is the way! It is the only way!)
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To: GailA

And there’s nothing “feminine” about Feminism. Just a bunch of womyn who wish they were born with male appendages.


8 posted on 05/05/2020 2:28:59 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Kaslin
... I knew the real Mrs. America. She was a lady who displayed humility, class, kindness, and resilience even in the midst of adverse circumstances.

Compare and contrast with Steinem, Friedan, Abzug et al. Phyllis Schlafly was a true American original, a heroine, a woman with the courage to take on the President, Congress, and a majority of state legislatures to defeat the ERA. Almost singlehandedly. In a just world, she would be celebrated as a feminist icon, as an example of what one determined woman can accomplish. But the harridans cannot have that.

9 posted on 05/05/2020 3:21:42 PM PDT by Rummyfan (In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel.)
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To: Kaslin

Plus, a mother of six!


10 posted on 05/05/2020 3:22:04 PM PDT by Rummyfan (In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel.)
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To: Vaquero
I refuse to watch this trash. How brave they are to make a series whose sole purpose is to condemn a person......once that person is dead and can’t fight back.

Same here. I figured it was a hit job from the get-go.

11 posted on 05/05/2020 3:23:02 PM PDT by Rummyfan (In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel.)
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To: Kaslin
The nine-part Mrs. America series paints Phyllis as a power-hungry, cold, calculating, and egotistical individual who cares about protecting her "political profile in D.C."

What political profile? I don't recall any admin or leading GOPer using her as a counselor or advisor.

12 posted on 05/05/2020 3:24:49 PM PDT by Rummyfan (In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel.)
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