Conservative Women Rising: New Political Power

Conservative women, especially religious ones, have arrived. At National Catholic Reporter, Michael Sean Winters commented on their ascendancy in the Republican Party:

In all the commentary about the now former governor of Alaska, some of it comic, much of it trivial, a basic fact has been overlooked: Sarah Palin has come to represent a vital and vibrant constituency in the Republican Party -- religious women -- and they aren’t going [away] anytime soon.

[...]

In 2008, the last Republican challenger to John McCain in his quest for the nomination was pastor-turned-politician Mike Huckabee. Huckabee’s campaign had little money and was organized through the homeschooling movement, a social network that turned out to be a workable substitute for the millions of dollars raised by Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani. That network consists almost entirely of women. In Huckabee they saw one of their champions, but in Sarah Palin they see one of their own.

[...]

No one knows what Palin’s intentions for 2012 are, perhaps not even the former governor herself. But if she chooses to run, I would not bet against her. The women who built the modern religious right are quite capable of building a nationwide campaign. The first social networking group to exert political influence is still networking and they don’t only exchange bread recipes anymore.

Scott Michaels at Entitlement Synrome celebrated seven strong, smart and fearless conservative women, including Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Marsha Blackburn, Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, Laura Ingraham and Star Parker:

What all of these women have in common is a firm conviction that the essential tenets of Conservatism in the 21st century — as opposed to the mushy-headed kinds pushed by Kathleen Parker and others of her ilk — is what will best serve the nation in the years ahead. And all have been fearless in speaking out against the neo-socialism being pushed by Barack Obama and his supernumeraries in the Congress.

Actually, maybe Republicans need to put these women in charge for awhile, what do you think?

We think that's an outstanding idea, Scott. We don't know if the others are active sportswomen like the former governor of Alaska, but Sarah Palin may be able to use her hunting skills to help Republican men track down their long lost spines.

- JP