Why Are Women Less Likely Than Men To Support Sanders?

[MaryMagdaline]

16. The success of the Democratic Party in recent decades has

Benefited women, children and gays ... Medicaid for children, childcare benefits, after school care, anti-discrimination laws. Millions of dollars and millions of votes have gone to uphold pro choice issues. The Democratic Party drew people interested in the rights of women, children and gays.

For whatever reason, some people blame women and gays for taking away the Democratic success in advancing white working men’s interests. Implicitly, the emphasis on income inequality, anti-trade, has attracted men more than women. Bernie has unwittingly discounted other “identity” issues of the Democratic Party. Subliminally, I get a message that women, gays, and yes, minorities, have dominated the agenda and need to step aside for the more important economic issues that affect white men (as if income inequality were not a thing with women and minorities). When I hear that the Democratic Party has lost its way, is no longer the party of FDR, I hear two things, one good: we need to stand with labor; and one bad: male manufacturing jobs are a more important priority. When Bernie attacks Wall Street and insurance companies, he forgets that a lot of women work for Wall Street and insurance companies, with good health insurance and good pensions. Bernie does not value teaching, nursing, secretarial, banking, office work to the same extent as manufacturing. In short, not a welcoming movement to anyone whose job is not factory related. He makes us feel we are enemies. An otherwise strong feminist issue MFA sounds pretty hostile when he rages about taking down insurance companies.