This election season Republican rhetoric has jumped into a time machine and reverted back to the conservative sexist rhetoric of the 1920’s. Women this election are nothing but wombs, vaginas, house maids, and child care in the eyes of Republican candidates. Many of which, have made headlines this year with their demented statements about rape and incest. How to voters respond to such sexist and insulting lingo? Apparently, voters do not take to fondly to candidates reverting back to the dark ages in regards to women’s rights.
Richard Mourdock has said that pregnancies resulting from rape are “something that God intended”. In the race for Indiana Senate seat against Joseph Donnelly, Murdock lost the election, 49% to 44% of the vote.
Representative Steve King from Iowa has said that he’s never heard of anyone getting pregnant from statutory rape or incest. In the race for Iowa’s district 4 House seat, Steve King (the incumbent) ran against former First Lady of Iowa Christie Vilsack. While, King secured enough votes to win the election, he won the election by a small% of the vote, a very small margin for an incumbent candidate. Due to the redistricting in Iowa’s, and its loss of one seat due to the 2010 census, this election would have been extremely difficult for Vilsack to win against incumbent King.
Todd Akin stated that victims of “legitimate rape” rarely get pregnant. In Missouri, Akin ran against incumbent Democrat Claire McCaskill for Senate. Voter’s responded to Akin’s comments by voting for McCaskill, who supports reproductive rights for women and won the election 49% to Akin’s 44%.
Paul Ryan called rape a “method of contraception” and co-sponsored the Akin bill to redefine rape. As the Republican VP running mate to presidential candidate Mitt Romney, the people also responded to Ryan’s sexist comments, and Romney’s acknowledgement of his ignorance of women’s issues, when the Republican’s were defeated in the 2012 election.
This election might have been a bit closer this election season given the state of the economy and a few other electoral cues. However, the extreme shift of the Republican Party’s rhetoric to the radical right on women’s issues, might have cost them these elections. Voters were clear tuesday when they responded to Republican outdated rhetoric by reelecting Democratic President Obama and securing a Democratic majority in the Senate. All the candidates stated above who made these extreme statements lost the election, except King who won by a very small margin.
The message Tuesday was clear: mess with women’s rights and get shown the door.