It appears that one doesn’t have to be a Republican male to be a misogynist dick. The term applies equally well to women of the Republican persuasion. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley shows how it’s done.

“Women don’t care about contraception. They care about jobs and the economy and raising their families.”

Dumb.

Are the above mutually exclusive? Can one not be a woman who has concerns about jobs, the economy and her family while also caring about contraception? In fact the argument can easily be made that a responsible woman who truly cares about the first three items in that list must also care about contraception and the role it plays in her life. Unless lovemaking is viewed as a religious rite whose sole purpose is procreation, then determining when she gets pregnant is as pivotal an element in a woman’s life as I can imagine.

I can’t help but wonder about women who vote Republican in much the same way that I wonder about gays, blacks, Latinos, non-Christians, minorities, the poor, the middle class – anyone, really, who isn’t a white male belonging to the one percent. Why do any of these people vote against their own self-interests by voting Republican?

I understand that people can look beyond a single issue and cast their vote based on a broader view of who and what their political party of choice represents. Fine, but how does one cast that vote when the single issue they disagree with is one that attacks the very essence of who they are?

How does a gay person vote for a political party which at its core views their sexual orientation as a perversion that can be cured with a bit of therapy at Marcus Bachmann‘s clinic? A political party that refuses to accept that the person you choose to love and marry is your choice and your choice alone and should carry the exact same legal benefits that a heterosexual marriage carries.

How does a middle class wage earner vote for a political party that seeks to lower taxes for the rich and pay for the lost revenue by gutting the social safety net – programs put in place to ensure that all Americans have a fighting chance to pick themselves up when misfortune comes their way?

How does a black man vote for a political party still deeply infected with racist attitudes? Should you doubt the validity of that last statement then you might want to take a look at the people supporting and defending the murderer of Trayvon Martin. It clearly has become a political issue with those on the right attacking the victim (black) while defending the killer (white).  Also ask yourself which political party gave rise to the Birther movement after the election of the country’s first black President.

And how does a woman vote for a political party whose leaders dare to question her use of contraception while they battle to restrict her reproductive rights and take away her ability to choose.

Greedy, selfish, white guys with a ton of money who remember they’re Christians only at Christmas and Easter – I understand why they’re voting Republican.

Everyone else? I don’t get it. You tell me.

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( The Nikki Haley source photograph is a Wikimedia Commons licensed image. )

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