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The Republican party struggles to find women candidates and the Republican National Committee’s special person in charge of lady-finding may be part of the problem. Jan Larimer is an RNC co-chair and he/she, you can tell, really understands women and how to win them over: “Women sometimes need a little more handholding, or they need their friends to help them make a decision. And by our going in and talking to them and recruiting and educating and training them to either get involved in a campaign or become a candidate, we’re giving them the tools so that they can do that on their own.”
Isn’t that sweet?
Larimer spoke with Hotline for a story posted today. Based on this piece, the lady problem is not going away anytime soon.
All trunk all the time
With the political winds at their backs, GOPers have experienced a recruiting boost of late. But party strategists acknowledge that the GOP remains woefully underrepresented among women.
“It’s the women that we’ve been missing in the past,” says RNC co-chair Jan Larimer. “We’re not going to miss them anymore.”
Larimer has spearheaded the party’s efforts to recruit and train more women candidates. And based on the GOP’s efforts this year, the party needs the help.
Among the NRCC’s Young Guns program, just 4 of 41 candidates in one of the top 2 tiers are women. The NRSC has done a little better, quietly favoring women candidates in CO, CA and NH. Now, party officials are on the case.
Last year’s legislature: The Senate: 21 Democrats, 12 women; 14 Republicans, 1 woman. The House: 38 Democrats, 19 women; 27 Republicans, 8 women.
Back to the Hotline article on Larimer and the RNC’s efforts:
Weekly NRCC recruiting meetings, led by Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), include Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), who has spearheaded efforts to get more women to run. Indeed, a former aide to McMorris Rodgers, state Rep. Jaime Herrera (R), is a promising contender in the race to replace retiring Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA).
But Herrera is not yet a member of the Young Guns program. Neither is Elizabeth Emken (R), the former head of government relations for Autism Speaks and a contender against Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA). Both Herrera and Emken face competitive primaries.
So far, only Montgomery City Councilmember Martha Roby (R) has made the “Contenders” tier of Young Guns — the highest tier to which any candidate has been named. IL state Rep. Beth Coulson, running in a competitive primary for Rep. Mark Kirk’s (R-IL) seat; ex-state Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R), running against Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO); and physician Nan Hayworth (R), challenging Rep. John Hall (D-NY), are all listed in the lower “On The Radar” tier.
The comments section takes it from there:
Perhaps if they stop their chauvanistic concept that women need their hands held more women would run as republicans. Wow what a statement and I bet he didn’t think he was saying anything wrong.
Women need more hand holding you say? Wow, GOP. Keep closing that tent. Nothing chauvanistic there. Good golly. Insert food. Shove entire political party in.
Way to go in assuming that “quality” can only mean old, white, jowly guys and that neither women nor people of color could be quality candidates. Again, keep closing that tent, GOP. Only far right wingers may apply. Have fun there in the late 19th century, you old fogeys.
The GOP lacks women for the same reason it lacks every other minority: If you’re not a rich, white, able-bodied man, then you’re really not in the club. Oh sure, if you’re dumb enough to give it to them, they’ll gladly take your vote – a right they’d love to take away from you (and give to a corporation – oops, already did that)!
Personally, I find the fact that any female votes Republican to be a smack in the face to the entire gender and can only assume that person is wholly stupid. Try holding my hand, GOP, and I’ll make sure you never hold anything again.
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