Women in Washington, your seats are at risk

[Green_Lantern]

Source: LA Times

Reporting from Washington —
With this fall's midterm elections, the number of women serving in Congress could drop for the first time in a generation — a twist on a political season many had dubbed "the year of the woman."

If large numbers of Democratic incumbents lose in November, as expected, many women could be replaced by men. Female candidates tend to do better in Democratic years, and 2010 is shaping up as a successful year for Republicans.

Women now hold 90 seats in Congress: 69 are Democrats and 21 are Republicans. After the November election, Congress could end up with as many as 10 fewer female members, prognosticators now say, the first backslide in the uninterrupted march of women to Washington since 1978.



While political attention has focused this year on Sarah Palin's handpicked candidates and on a record number of Republican women running for House seats, primary losses have thinned their ranks to several dozen.

In fact, just four women are among the GOP's 46 "Young Guns," as the party calls its frontline challengers who are considered future leaders.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-congress-women-20100829,0,4185261.story

---

That Republican tactic of defending Palin against so-called "sexism" seems to be rank hypocrisy.

[ixion]

1. "If large numbers of Democratic incumbents lose in November..."

they brought it on themselves.

[Green_Lantern]

2. well I'm not hoping they lose..

If they do then DUers will appreciate when Dems controlled Congress.

Imagine a tea party dominated Congress.

[ixion]

10. I don't HOPE they will, either

I just won't be surprised when they do.

[RBInMaine]

4. No, it would be because YOU held out for purity and didn't fucking VOTE. Please quit this shit.

[ixion]

9. It's called integrity

something I'm sure party loyalists fail to appreciate.

[Beartracks]

11. Well, shall we give the Repubs another go, then?

Maybe they'll fix the things you care about.

:shrug:

--------------------------------

[ixion]

12. Of course they won't, they'll make it worse. THAT is the difference

I'm disappointed when Dems do it, I'm not at all surprised when Rethugs do it.

[Beartracks]

16. I've been disappointed as well.

I was hoping for more sweeping change. And less corporate bend-overs. But I can still count on Dems at least pushing in the right direction. I see nothing but REVERSAL and HATE if the Repubs regain control.

-------------------------------

[Green_Lantern]

20. it's called remember '94 and what the GOP Congress

Was able to put America through.

[pnwmom]

7. You're beginning to sound like someone who WANTS Dems to fail. n/t

[ixion]

8. No, I'm disappointed that they have failed

I had very high hopes, and have been disappointed at almost every turn.

[Beartracks]

3. Lesson 2 B learned: Dems, go vote for Dems.

You don't have to be 100% satisfied with your party to understand that losing ground in Congress is not the outcome you want, nor will it be helpful for the country.

Protest-voting (i.e. not voting) this fall, as if in some way to "stick it" to the Democratic Party leadership, is NOT worth letting Congress get back under Republican control. Sorry -- you don't have the freedom, nor the Congressional buffer, to sit this year out and prove to Rahm Emanuel that he needs you. The gist is that your COUNTRY needs you to get out and vote. Period.

I suppose we could all presume that the MSM is just making it sound hopeless for Dems this year, and that it's all a bunch of smoke. But you'd better git to your polling place this November and make SURE that the MSM prognosticators are wrong. Unless you think the Republicans will do a better job of things.

LOL - It's like on American Idol: Sure, none of the hopefuls is a perfect singer, but as they say -- if sub-par contestants get voted back in and your favorites don't, it's YOUR fault for getting complacent and not voting. For that matter, American Idol is perhaps a good model to learn from: stupid people being manipulated to vote in large numbers can do some serious damage.

--------------------------------

[RBInMaine]

5. Absolutely great points ! You are SPOT ON TARGET. ANY "progressive" who stays home in "protest" is

going with a very, very nutty notion. Gee, how happy will they be with OOMPA LOOMPA GOLF MAN in charge of the House and that I LOVE THE RICH asshat McConnell in charge over at the Senate?

[ixion]

13. How about expecting progressive leaders to lead instead?

rather than just lowering the bar and calling it progress? :shrug:

[Beartracks]

14. How about doing that AND still voting Dem?

That's what I'm talking about.

------------------------

[Green_Lantern]

21. Congress isn't parliamentary so the party doesn't vote as a bloc

So the party leaders have to deal with even conservative Dems to get things passed. I think you forget about that.

[truthisfreedom]

6. Palin is not a victim of sexism. She's a victim of crazyism.

I'm a crazyist, and I'm not afraid to admit it. She's full-blown batshit crazy. And I'm not afraid to say it.

[kag]

15. Actually...

If it gets rid of people like Virginia Foxx, Michele Bachman, and Marsha Blackburn, I could do with a few less women in Congress.

Don't get me wrong. I'm a feminist through and through. But Joe Biden did more for women's issues than Hillary Clinton ever did. And the Republican women in congress terrify me. I don't give a crap if every member in Congress has a penis, as long as they are lookin' out for those of us without one.

Edited to fix grammar.

[Green_Lantern]

22. Actually I think you'd find overall Democrats and liberal issues

Fare better when women are in Congress because in modern cases it's been Dems putting women in power. The article says

Without question, the biggest Year of the Woman was in 1992, when the number of women in the Senate doubled from three to six and those in the House swelled from 28 to 47.  

The gains came mostly on the Democratic side of the aisle, as women who had made their way through elected positions on school boards, city councils and state legislatures jumped to Congress.  

There were fewer such careers in the GOP ranks. When Republicans took over Congress in 1994, sweeping more than 50 new members to office in the House, they added just five women to the chamber.

As far as the Republican women you mentioned there is really no threat to their seats. The article is about Dem incumbents whose seats are threatened.

[bemildred]

17. Losing the 21 Republican women won't bother me much. nt

[mopinko]

18. rachel maddow explains anti-incument fever.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x498336

can we dump this meme now?

[onehandle]

19. White Men Rule!

Literally.