This week, NARAL Pro-Colorado was honored to host feminist and author Rebecca Traister for a very special Women’s Leadership Council Luncheon. Her latest book “All The Single Ladies: Unmarried Women & The Rise of An Independent Nation” was named a Notable Book of 2016 by the New York Times. Her interviews of Hillary Clinton during and after the 2016 campaign stand out as some of the most original and incisive articles about Hillary and the tumultuous 2016 political cycle itself.
Rebecca Traister is one of the sharpest, most astute voices speaking truths about feminism and our changing political landscape. We were thrilled she joined us in Denver for a dialogue on politics, reproductive rights, the single women’s vote, where we are now in Colorado, and where we go from here. Rewire’s Jessica Mason Pieklo ably served as moderator for the discussion - which started off with remarks why women have to be careful of what they wear on stage for a debate, especially on high stools. Thus the utility of pantsuits.
Traister did say that one of the few positive developments to come out of the 2016 election cycle, specifically the Democratic primary, was a progressive platform on reproductive rights and a recognition that the Hyde Amendment, which bans federal funds from covering abortion care, has to go. Newer, more sophisticated polling shows that Americans are *not* divided on abortion rights - they support the right to choose. And politicians need to catch up. There is no political or practical justification for backing down on women’s health. Her comments reflect what NARAL’s own polling shows and Colorado voters confirmed three times over, that 7 in 10 voters support Roe v. Wade and do not want politicians interfering in decisions about abortion.
Traister reminded us that for many years, elected Democrats, particularly those in Congress, have held on to old notions that abortion is a deeply divided, 50-50 issue across the United States, and that it is best not to ever address the issue. She pointed out the reality of the federal Stupak Amendment in 2009 (run by a Congressional Democrat blocking the use of ACA health insurance for abortion care) was evidence of these old views. Democrats in Congress have treated the Hyde Amendment as a permanent fixture in our laws, not a statute that can be rolled back. The new Democratic platform shows us a different set of views, where protecting abortion care is a majority viewpoint, and it reminds us that we need to revisit these realities with elected leaders who need to recognize our ‘new normal.’ We need to keep speaking out to change these old perceptions.
Going forward, Traister highlighted how the Resistance is female, and that the the opposition to Trump is overwhelmingly being driven by women. Women are the ones making the phone calls, stuffing the envelopes, and leading the marches. These are the same women who have paid jobs and serve as primary caretakers within their families. Traister is worried that at some point fatigue or frustration may set in. "It concerns me that women are doing the unpaid labor of the Resistance and predominantly white male consultants will come in, get paid and screw up local races,” she said. She’s not wrong - female consultants are not the norm in political circles.
One of the political realities she pointed out, with Hillary’s new book being released this week, is that is perfectly acceptable, if not expected, for men to use anger as a political motivator - either as a candidate in Trump or as a voting bloc in his base. But women can never, ever be angry, either as primary emotion or as a reaction to the way they’re treated. One of the worst accusation in politics for a woman is to be tagged as “angry.”
So what are the lessons as we go in to 2018 and 2020? What we do know is that choice matters to voters - an April 2017 Priorities USA poll of drop-off voters - voters who only turnout for Presidential years but not midterm - found their top two concerns with Trump were health care and reproductive rights.
We need to continue to speak up about today’s reality: Seven in ten Americans support upholding Roe. 85% of Democratic women back abortion rights and that support increased by nine points in 2016. Support for abortion and reproductive rights in Colorado has remained strong since we became the first state to allow safe, legal abortion fifty years ago.
The facts are these: single women are a large and growing part of the Colorado political landscape.
In Colorado, there's an estimated 770,700 registered women voters who are unknown marital status or single women, about a quarter of the electorate.
Almost 600,000 single Colorado women voted in 2016, about a 71% turnout rate - but below the married women turnout rate of 86%. Still, women who are single or of unknown marital status had a 7% higher turnout rate than single or unknown men in Colorado. Erica Meltzer of Denverite, picked up on this theme in an interview with Traister prior to today’s lunch conversation.
All “the Single Ladies” will continue to be a political force in Colorado and nationally. And understanding what they care about and why should be a priority for public engagement and reproductive rights advocacy going forward.