It Continues to Be a Real Mystery Why Republicans Aren't Connecting with a Majority of Female Voters

[Content Note: Misogyny.]

North Carolina edition:

Yesterday, [Democratic] State Rep. Susi Hamilton spoke out in defense of a tax credit that brings film industry jobs to her district after [Republican Speaker of the NC House and current Republican candidate for US Senate Thom] Tillis' staff whipped votes to kill the measure in committee. In response to Hamilton's strong advocacy for a bill that would protect jobs in her district, Tillis accused her of being too emotional.

In a rare interview with the StarNews, Tillis retorted that Hamilton's comments were likely "born out of emotions" but that this "sort of behavior" makes her the "single greatest threat" to a compromise on film incentives in the state House.

"Thom Tillis' comments are flat-out offensive—not just to women, but to all North Carolinians who believe it's the job of an elected official to advocate for their constituents," said Suzanne Buckley, Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina. "Rather than debate the merits of the bill, Tillis chose to launch a personal attack on his colleague. Is this how he plans to behave in Washington?"

Probably!

I have a special sort of contempt for male politicians who try to discredit their female colleagues on the basis of being "too emotional." Not only is that a misogynist trope so old it farts dust [/spudsy], and utterly dehumanizing (as humans are designed to have emotions), but it is completely antithetical to what a functional representative democracy should look like.

If someone doesn't have an emotional response to legislation that will affect the lives of their constituents, if they're not emotionally invested in the people whom they represent, they're not fit for public office.

It shouldn't even be considered reasonable to suggest that emotions don't have a place in politics.

That it is goes a long way toward explaining why we've got the systemically apathetic, dysfunctional, compassionless, indecent, empathy-free zone we call a political system that we do.

[H/T to Robin Marty.]