Forcing myself to be objective for a moment---this presidential election has been one "for the ages"! 

 

The political scientists and the sociologists are earning their keep and savoring the experience.  The rest of us are left scratching our heads, wringing our hands, stomping our feet, cursing, and lamenting the demise of reason and truth.

 A classic issue that provokes these various symptoms in me is candidate Mitt Romney's handling of womens' issues.  If he's speaking to evangelicals, he espouses one position; when he was governor of liberal Massachusetts, he took the opposite position. During a national debate, when he has a mixed audience, he bends and twists himself into a political pretzel,  taking one position and, in the next sentence, explaining why he isn't. 

He's juggling a dozen different issues dealing with womens' rights like a circus performer trying to keep fiery torches in the air.  Every time he changes position on an issue, he not only scorches himself, he makes himself look foolish.

Romney has taken pandering to a new level.  Giving him the benefit of the doubt, maybe his behavior is not devious.  Maybe it's simply a case of not knowing exactly what he believes, and as some pundits put it "not having a moral core."  Whatever the reason, Romney's positions on womens' rights should not only give all women pause, they should make them shudder. 

Before the first debate, polls indicated that American women favored Obama by a wide margin.  One can only assume that this was at least partially because Obama has taken several courageous positions on womens' issues such as the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, contraception, abortion, etc.

Then, believe it or not, after this same debate, these polls showed 50 percent of women now favoring Romney.  Go figure!

No election should hinge on one issue alone including a single issue dealing with womens' rights.  In this election, however, the rights of women are being hammered in numerous areas which would justify any woman who cherishes the concept of equality to take personal offense.  If older women are so browbeaten as to buy into the second class citizen role can't stand up for their own rights, the least they can do is stand up for their daughters.

If American women end up sending Romney to the presidency where he promises to roll back their rights, they will, unfortunately, get what they asked for.  And our society will suffer dearly for it.