OPINION

The Democrats’ Phony 'War on Women' Has Come Home to Roost

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.

In the 2012 presidential election, the left successfully painted Mitt Romney, an extraordinarily decent man, as anti-woman. In 2018, people can finally see this for what it was – hogwash.

When Obama was up for reelection, the Democrats were taking no chances. They seized on a line from Romney in one of the debates where he said he had “binders full of women” who he would like to hire. He was talking about loose-leaf binders full of resumes from qualified female job candidates, but none of that mattered to the Democrats or their media allies, who just wanted to advance the narrative that Mitt Romney was anti-woman.

The success of the “War on Women” campaign was summed up perfectly on a different, yet equally fake topic. When asked about his repeated and false claims about Mitt Romney not paying his taxes, Harry Reid replied: “It worked, didn’t it?”

It did indeed, Harry. Mitt Romney lost to Obama amid claims that if Romney had his way, life would be a disaster for American women. Sound familiar?

Flash forward to 2018. Sarah Huckabee Sanders was recently refused service at the “Red Hen” restaurant in Virginia. DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was forced out of a Washington, DC restaurant by an angry mob. Florida attorney general Pam Bondi was chased from a movie showing – about Mister Rogers and tolerance for others – by unhinged leftists screaming at her and her boyfriend.

The people who engaged in these acts of political intimidation are Democratic voters. You can call them left wing activists, progressives, or members of “the resistance” but it’s all the same. This fall, every single person involved will likely vote for Democrats because they despise Trump and his administration.

Democratic Party leadership has been silent about this abusive behavior, and the media has let them get away with it. When was the last time Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, or any other Democrat held a press conference to denounce the dangerous actions of their ideological children?

When has a member of the media asked them to denounce the threats to conservative women who were driven from the public square as if they were accused of witchcraft in Salem in 1692?

Congresswoman Maxine Waters of California, known dearly by her supporters as “Auntie Maxine” even encouraged this type of public shaming, while largely escaping rebuke from members of her party or their media allies.

All of this unfolded a scant two weeks ago, before President Trump chose his second nominee to the United States Supreme Court, Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Seemingly overnight, according to left-wing activists and many Democratic officials, the “War on Women” was once again in full swing at the hands of supposed anti-woman conservatives.

During a protest in Washington, DC this week after Trump’s announcement, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said: “This judge must not become the next justice of the Supreme Court. He can’t be trusted to safeguard rights for women.”

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) said on MSNBC that all of Trump’s Supreme Court nominees, including Judge Brett Kavanaugh, have “shown their willingness to side with the wealthy and powerful over the rights of women, workers, voters and minorities.”

Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) said of Kavanaugh’s nomination: “If you are a young woman in America, or you care about a young woman in America, pay attention to this, because it will forever change your life.”

Two weeks ago, conservative women were considered fair game by left wing mobs, with the silent endorsement of Democratic leaders. Today, women across the nation are reportedly under threat of a dystopian future resembling the “Handmaid’s Tale” because Trump has nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh, an extremely qualified candidate, to the Supreme Court.

The question facing honest Americans is simple. Do you believe Democrats then or now? Was Mitt Romney waging a “War on Women” or were the members of mobs chasing women from public?

Do Democratic leaders truly believe no one sees this discrepancy for what it is? They’d have much more credibility today, if they were standing up for women just days ago.

It’s almost like this was all never really about women at all.

Almost.