A very shrewd move

Via Glenn Reynolds, I see that the Equal Rights Amendment has been reintroduced. While this is largely symbolic and unnecessary (for the reasons Eugene Volokh points out), it’s nonetheless a very shrewd move.
An election move?
To whose benefit?
Well, we’re always in the middle of an election, so any move can be seen as an election move, but Bob Krumm links a report showing the people behind it:

Democrats in the Senate and House plan to resume “the fight for women’s equality” on Tuesday, when they reintroduce the Women’s Equality Amendment.
Sens. Ted Kennedy (Mass.) and Barbara Boxer (Calif.) and Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Jerrold Nadler, both of New York, plan to join Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority, in making the Tuesday afternoon announcement.

Doesn’t look very bipartisan, does it? (Is there some reason why not?)
Clearly, the Dems are thinking ahead. This puts the Republicans in the very difficult position of having to “oppose” equal rights for women, or else have to explain why the ERA is “not needed anymore.” Obviously, it is hoped the latter will look lame to the voters, and especially to the gender gap voters.
Who knows? If the Democrats selected a woman as their candidate for president, this might even transform sex from a non-starter into a legitimate campaign issue.
I’d say the Democrats have done their homework well.
This can’t do anything but make the Republicans look bad, because there’s no way for them to triangulate their way out of it.
(What won’t make much difference is whether the ERA is a good or a bad thing.)
UPDATE: NOW is endorsing Hillary Clinton for president.
I’m sure it’s just a coincidence.
UPDATE: Thank you, Glenn Reynolds for the link! Welcome all. (Now, there’s a coincidence!)


Posted

in

by

Tags:

Comments

4 responses to “A very shrewd move”

  1. John Burgess Avatar

    If they’re smart, Republicans will just hold their tongues over this. (Yes, I know that it is genetically difficult for a politician to hold his/her tongue on any topic, but….)
    Let the Libertarians explain why this proposed amendment is redundant, moot, overtaken by events, etc.
    Nothing leaves a plank more dead than not giving the proponents any ammunition at all.

  2. Sparky Avatar
    Sparky

    NOW only endorsed Hillary because neither Howard Stern nor Andrew Dice Clay are running for president.

  3. bandit Avatar
    bandit

    This will be a very popular move in Cambridge, Northampton, Upper West Side and every other place where Dems get 95% of the vote in Blue States – otherwise nobody really cares

  4. Nobody Avatar
    Nobody

    You can triangulate in three ways (just not all at the same time):
    1) It puts women at risk of being forced into combat roles.
    2) It risks mandating gay marriage.
    3) It risks making unconstitutional women’s sports programs, and otherwise promoting women’s only events with government money.