Remember during the run-up to the 2012 presidential election, when everyone was discussing the “War on Women” and whether Republicans were fighting one or the tough economy’s impact on women represented one and on and on and on? Well, the Florida Democratic Party is trying to revive the issue this year, arguing that the Republican Party of Florida is waging the newest version of the hostilities.
It started earlier this week, after the RPOF labeled Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who doubles as chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, as “Debbie Dunce” for comments she made about the sequester and Gov. Rick Scott’s latest concerns about Obamacare. That brought this response from Allison Tant, or “TANT RANT,” as the RPOF tends to call her.
What exactly is the Republican Party of Florida’s problem with female politicians? From “Debbie Dunce” to “Tant Rant,” Lenny Curry and the RPOF has repeatedly attacked women in language that they would never use for a man. This is mudslinging of the lowest order. Attempting to discredit female leaders by referring to them as “ranting” or attacking their intelligence is offensive at best and sexist at worst. When the Florida GOP keeps resorting to juvenile and sexist name calling, it’s hard to take their outreach to women seriously.
There’s also “THAT’S RICH,” which has tended to focus on former state Sen. Nan Rich, currently the only high-profile, declared Democratic candidate for governor. At the same time, women have hardly been the only targets of the RPOF’s love of turning names into opportunities for puns, rhymes, etc.; ask former Gov. Charlie Crist, who has been the feature of a subject “This Day in CRIST-ory” as the RPOF prepares for a possible Democratic bid for the state’s top office by the onetime Republican governor.
In any case, both parties are now engaged in a kind of political trench warfare over the sexism charge. The FDP started a petition demanding an apology to Wasserman Schultz. The Florida Federation of Young Republicans fired back on Twitter.
The Florida Federation of Republican Women then wrote an open letter to Tant and Wasserman Schultz lambasting the two Democrats for the complaints, even bringing up San Diego Mayor Bob Filner to twist the knife a bit.
Women can’t have it both ways. Women of character never stoop to crying sexism without merit. It is this type of deceitful, double standard, false outcries that trivialize the word ‘sexist’ and make it even more difficult for women victims to come forward with true ethical violations. …
Our message to Ms. Tant and Congresswoman Schultz: “This is politics, ladies.If you can’t stand the heat get out of the proverbial kitchen! Better yet, lead as both genders expect. How dare you trivialize the word sexist when referring to an equal male counterpart in the political arena!
Rep. Janet Cruz responded with a statement of her own.
The pejorative, juvenile, and sexist comments from the Republican Party of Florida must stop. It’s unacceptable to call female Florida leaders names one wouldn’t use with a man, and that have special meaning when referring to women. That is obvious. The GOP’s comments have dragged the political debate in Florida into the mud.
For his part, Curry also doesn’t seem to be backing down.
Whether this has any impact on the GOP’s efforts to reach out to women in 2014 — or anything, really — almost seems to be beside the point now. The battle has been joined, and neither side looks ready to back down. Maybe the weekend will bring a truce.
