With the greatest number of women ever in Congress, there is still mathematical reason to debate 2012 as a “Year of the Woman.” The elections have come and gone and men still hold 80 out of 100 (80 percent) seats in the Senate, and 355 of 433 (82 percent) filled seats in the House.
Women have spoken. And they told the nation, loud and clear, that this election was about the economy and jobs. For women, topics like birth control and equal pay are absolutely economic issues for women. I’ve heard some say we voted with our “ladyparts,” which we certainly care about, but it was bigger than that.
Despite being the state that tipped Obama over the top in electoral votes, reproductive rights in Ohio may be in more danger than ever before.
On Tuesday, high-profile political coverage in the national media was mainly focused on the US presidential election, some Senate and House races, and a few state ballot measures. Yet there were a seemingly endless number of smaller, less-publicized elections for city- and state-level positions, votes on state initiatives that flew under the radar, and city and county decisions that were only covered in local news.
Millennials made the difference in this election, with the largest share of voters of any other age group going to the polls. Yet while Millennials tend to be progressive and willing to work, Democrats have done a relatively poor job of engaging them for the long term. This needs to change.
With a slew of judicial races to watch, voters showed they have little tolerance for overtly politicizing the bench.
The refusal to face facts that the conservative media showed in Election 2012 is nothing new to advocates of reproductive rights, who have the numbers and facts on our side.
Next year will have an historic number of female senators, and that could be very good for women.
Yesterday, any doubt about the power of Millennials was laid to rest. Young people voted at record levels, representing 19 percent of the total voting public – the largest percentage ever, including in the 2008 presidential election.
Much of the discussion this election cycle has been about changing demographics. But demographics alone aren’t going to run a policy agenda through the system. Huge challenges remain in economic justice, immigration, environment, education and housing reform.
