If the rising generation bothered to vote in accord with their interests, then we would have nothing to fear from the GOP for years.

-- Mal

letter, she has done more than most will to make sure they are not elected.

Why cast doubts on her commitment when she is already acting?

It's an observation that the vote needs to be gotten out. I have no doubts of her personal committment or sincerity, why should I? I don't even know her.

-- Mal

is going to do us proud. Glad to K&R

regarding women, rape, reproductive choices & they still vote repub.

Hopefully the younger women are not so set in their ways. I don't know what else it could be that these women vote repub - just that they always have. ???

tend to be older, married, highly religious (read: conservative Christian - especially "born-again" evangelical Protestants, conservative Catholics, and Mormons), and - and this is almost universal among both men and women who vote Republican - white.

They very often either grew up in an especially right-wing, patriarchal and culturally homogeneous environment, where in a household, the man was expected to be the breadwinner and the woman was expected to be the homemaker. Additionally, they typically aren't as well-educated or (for lack of a better word) "worldly" as liberal women. I have an aunt who never went to college (but went to beauty school! ), whose parents were right-wing Republican activists in Southern California and took her to Republican rallies when she was young. Fast-forward to adulthood, and my aunt married my uncle (who is also a Republican, albeit of the country-club/business variety); my uncle later became a top executive and partner in his company and when he helped sell his company...well, let's just say they are doing very well now. That's kind of an extreme example, but you get the idea.

So to sum up: A lot of it is internalized sexism and privilege in areas other than gender (race, class, etc.), IMHO. Add in religious fundamentalism to the mix, and you have yourself a lot of of very right-wing women.

Excellent question, and I'm terrified of what the answer may be. Here's why:

During the run-up to this last midterm election, my 29 year old daughter and, according to her, all her friends were outraged by the attacks by the rw on womens choices and rights. The equal pay. The healthcare issues. And with her being a fairly recent college grad and owing a ton in student loans, as do many of her friends, that issue was near the top of importance to her/them. Then the warmongering MIC issues, the racism and irrational phobias and fears. They were aware and seemed sufficiently informed as to who was doing what, to who, and for what gains at what costs.

Despite all the anger and outrage, when election tuesday rolled around, she and, again according to her, her friends also, could not be bothered to take 15 minutes from their day to go vote against the people and policies they all recognized as being so oppressive to them. She believes the system is rigged against her, that her vote really doesn't count. That no change is likely and expectations or hopes, otherwise are futile.

Go figure, huh?

However, I also have close friends whose adult children don't vote, to their dismay.

She's right that the system is fixed, even so, if every eligible voter showed up to vote, it would make a difference. They can't steal a landslide.

You're on a roll!