It's not just Democrat and Independent women who are buying the War on Women line the Democrats are spewing: Republican women in Belleair, Florida apparently have fallen for it--hook, line and sinker. This is the sobering reality of what happens when we conservatives let the liberal myths go unanswered. Even our own side gets co-opted.
Think Progress reports that the Belleair Republican Women's Club in Florida has urged their Republican Congressional candidate to "support equal pay." According to Think Progress,
“With near unanimity, the women [in the club] were bothered by the fact that women earn 77 cents for every dollar a man makes, and they wanted Congress to do something about it.
’If you and I were doing the exact same job, we should both get the same salary,’ Bobbie Bernstein, who has lived in Pinellas County since 1961, said. Sue Salmeri, a lifelong Republican, agreed: ‘I think that women have come a long way, but they’ve got work to do. And they should certainly demand equal pay for equal work.’”
Of course women should make the same as men. Funny thing is, they pretty much do. But since the Democrats, including President Obama, repeat ad nauseam the outright lie that women make only 77 cents to ever dollar their male counterpart makes, and since Republicans rarely even attempt refute the fallacy, it is allowed to stand as a fact, even among those who should know better.
Here are the facts: When hours worked per week are accounted for, the wage gap narrows to 91 cents to a dollar. Men work, on average, 8.75 hours per day compared with 8.01 hours for women. When experience and choice of occupation are factored in, the gap virtually disappears.
In fact, among childless young people from 21 to 30 years of age, women actually make more than men.
The refutation of the 77 cents myth is not coming just from conservatives. It's the growing consensus. Feminist Hanna Rosin deconstructs it quite effectively in Slate. As does PolitiFact.com and the Washington Post.
Democrats are using "77 cents" as a rallying cry for the War Against Women meme. They're using it to continue bashing Republicans over the head as women-haters. It's working, particularly among women who don't take the time to check the facts, but allow themselves to be used as pawns. Republican Women's Clubs should certainly not allow themselves to be used by the Democrats. In fact, they should be leading the change to refute the lies and articulate to all women that conservative values are the best way toward leading a freer, more prosperous life.
This one meeting in Belleair, Florida should be a resounding wake up call for the Republican Party, its candidates and their messaging consultants. The fact that their women's clubs aren't out there leading the charge against the War on Women lies, and are actually questioning the dedication of their own candidates toward their gender says the strategic decision of the Republican National Committee (despite the efforts of Co-Chair Sharon Day) to remain silent in the face of vicious, baseless Democrat attacks is having disastrous consequences.
But it's also a wake up call to Republican women. In the words of Sarah Palin at CPAC just a few days ago:
“Don’t let them use you, unless you choose to be their political pawn or piece of accessory on their arm.”
It's time for conservative women set the example by vocally combating the myth. Enough of the Democrats treating female voters like "cheap dates." As Governor Palin put it, if you know women who are "falling for this hooey, you gotta set them straight." And for heavens sake, stop falling for it.
