Why Does The GOP Tolerate Violence Against Women?
And A Review of Judge Jackson's Supreme Court Confirmation Hearing
Happy Wednesday, and welcome to the twelfth edition of Waco Can’t Wait, a progressive newsletter focusing on McLennan County, Texas, and Federal politics. After knocking doors all weekend, it felt good to sit down and write this week’s newsletter.
I’ve been thinking about the subject of this newsletter for quite a while, especially after watching the shameful attacks on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson this last week. The Republican party seems more and more willing to attack women, belittle them for sharing their stories, and disregard their interests in the policy making process.
I also want to clarify something before we dive into this. Men who beat, sexually assault or belittle women have served in public office for as long as voting has existed. They have often been protected by cultural norms and the consequences that would follow for women who were brave enough to speak out.
A sad example is when Anita Hill shared in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee that she was sexually harassed by soon-to-be Justice Clarence Thomas. Hill put her reputation on the line when she came forward, and she was ridiculed by Thomas’ defenders. Thomas would go on to be confirmed.
The ground has now shifted between existing and would-be abusers, and their political calculus has shifted accordingly. In a short period of time, Republicans have become more and more willing to excuse such heinous acts so that they can secure political power. Before we get into how we got to this point, let’s take a look at the news!
Week in review (a collection of news from Waco, Texas, and beyond)
Waco:
Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Package signed by President Biden, the City of Waco could be looking at some federal funding to repair some of our well worn bridges. While an earlier draft of the bill included funding for a widening of Speegleville Road and its bridge, Pete Sessions’ refusal to vote for the final product might have led to its removal from the package.
Waco’s Habitat for Humanity is receiving a $1 million gift as a part of a larger donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. Waco’s Habitat will be building four new homes this year, and this gift will help defray some of the rising costs of building a home.
Texas:
A bombshell investigation by the Texas Tribune, Pro Publica, and the Marshall Project has revealed that Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star has been misrepresenting its arrest data to the public. While this initiative by the Governor has increased the state’s border security budget by about $3 billion, investigators have discovered that the Department of Public Safety has been counting arrests completely unrelated to the operation in order to boost its numbers. Without accurate data, Abbott can continue to argue for increases in the budget with no accountability.
The Texas Supreme Court considered an argument from the Mexican American Legal Caucus (MALC) that the new redistricting maps violate the Texas Constitution. In short, MALC is arguing that the new map “violates the express, plain language of the county line rule by splitting the Cameron County line twice, extending in two different directions into two different contiguous counties to form two distinct state representative districts…”1
While this was not the original plan for the South Texas map, Republican J.M. Lozano offered a late-night amendment to the State House maps that created this new district. During debate on the amendment, Lozano refused to say who brought this idea to his attention.
United States:
The majority of this week’s news coverage was focused on the U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. Judge Jackson came into these hearings with a wealth of legal experience, an inspiring family history, and a tremendous amount of public support, but these qualifications did not stop Republicans from being Republicans.
One of the more pathetic displays came from Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. During Senator Cruz’s line of questioning, he asked Judge Jackson the following questions:
Whether or not babies are born racist;
If Ted Cruz could decide that he was Asian; and
If Judge Jackson had any sympathy for people convicted of possessing child pornography.
Most people know that Ted Cruz likes to feign outrage to generate media coverage, but this time around he literally showed his hand when he was caught searching his name on Twitter to see if he was trending.
Outside of the hearing, the commentary from Republican politicians and pundits was equally ridiculous, including the following:
When asked whether the supreme court should have legalized interracial marriage, similar to when they legalized same-sex marriage, Senator Mike Braun replied, "Yes, I think that that's something that if you're not wanting the Supreme Court to weigh in on issues like that, you're not going to be able to have your cake and eat it too. I think that's hypocritical.”
Tucker Carlson demanded to see Ketanji Brown Jackson’s LSAT scores.
Despite all of the bad faith attacks from Senate Republicans, a bright spot in the hearing was Senator Cory Booker’s kind words for Judge Jackson:
Judge Jackson also made it clear that despite Republican efforts to turn her into a left-wing caricature to demonize on Fox News, she is a brilliant woman with the knowledge and experience to be considered for this lifetime appointment.
Speaking of the Supreme Court, it was discovered that Virginia Thomas, the wife of Justice Clarence Thomas, sent repeated text messages to Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows urging him to overturn the 2020 presidential election. These messages were found in the over “9,000 pages of documents that Mr. Meadows turned over to the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.” Virginia Thomas has been criticized for years for her open conservative advocacy, but this most recent incident appears to have implicated her husband.
When the Supreme Court ordered the release of these records to the committee, the only justice to vote against the release was Justice Thomas. Many are pointing out this clear conflict of interest, with some calling for Justice Thomas’ recusal from all future cases relating to the 2020 election, and others calling for his resignation from the Supreme Court.
Political Organizing/Communication:
The Texas Civil Rights Project has provided a “brief 2-page summary of the major provisions of SB1 for you to learn more about what has changed due to the bill.” This is a great resource for organizers, candidates and voters who are trying to learn more about the recent changes in our election law.
In order to combat the conservative media ecosystem online, groups like Real Voices Media are using “apolitical, nonideological content to build up audiences. It then leverages the crowd on behalf of clients in what experts say is a potent persuasion strategy.” Real Voices Media claims to manage over 400 different pages with a combined audience of about 1.9 million people.
In “If You Think Republicans Are Overplaying Schools, You Aren’t Paying Attention,” Democrats are warned that we cannot ignore how compelling an issue education is. The article calls for Democrats to understand the efficacy of Republican messaging on the issue, and provide a compelling vision of how we can support our children.
Why Do Republicans Tolerate Violence Against Women?
Anyone reading this newsletter is no stranger to the fact that our former president is a serial sexual predator that has publicly and privately insulted, belittled, and sexually assaulted/harassed women. These allegations are numerous, vary in degree, and come from dozens of women over the course of decades. When Republican politicians and strong supporters have been asked about these claims, they will either dismiss the claims or change the subject.
While Donald Trump could certainly be a focus of this piece, he is one of many Republican men who have been credibly accused of raping women, beating their wives and children, attempting to have sex with children, and black mailing mistresses. While these kinds of allegations would have been career ending in the past, the candidates will now argue it is all fake news and Republican leadership will continue to get them elected.
How the hell did we get here, and what does this lack of respect for women’s safety and their stories say about the current Republican Party?
The Past
It wasn’t that long ago that a politician’s career could be ended by making an incorrect and callous comment about rape. Back in 2012, Republicans lost senate seats in Missouri and Indiana after their candidates made the following statements:
"Life is that gift from God that I think even if life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen". - Richard Mourdock
Joe Donnelly defeated Mourdock 50.0% - 44.3%, even while Obama lost the state by over 10 points.
“First of all, from what I understand from doctors, that's really rare. If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.” - Todd Akin
Claire McCaskill defeated Akin 54.8% - 39.1%, even while Obama lost the state by over 9 points.
Reince Priebus, the RNC chairman at the time, called for Akin to drop out of the senate race and to not come to the national convention. Mourdock was roundly criticized by Mitt Romney (who was running for president) and Senator John McCain. Keep in mind, these men were not found to have raped anyone. It was enough to disqualify them for office because of their cruel statements that disregarded the realities of women who have been raped and must then make a terribly difficult decision.
The 2016 Presidential Election
Things really changed in 2016 when Donald Trump entered the scene. Not only had dozens of women credibly accused Trump of sexual assault and harassment, but he also had a publicly documented history of making horrible comments directly to and about women. Trump has also been married to three different women2, and his first wife accused him of rape in a 1989 divorce case deposition. For most supporters and reluctant Republican politicians, these accusations were not sufficiently disqualifying.
Things appeared to have changed when the Access Hollywood tape came out, where Trump told Billy Bush that “when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab 'em by the pussy. You can do anything.” Just for reference, grabbing someone’s genitals without their consent is textbook sexual assault.
It’s easy to forget how many Republicans did condemn Trump, including many calling for Trump to drop out of the race and allow Mike Pence to be the nominee. Nearly a third of senate Republicans claimed they would not vote for him. That said, this opposition did not lead to any kind of internal changes. The RNC affirmed their support for Trump, refusing to remove him from the ticket or suspending their support in the form of money.
Trump would go on to win the 2016 presidential election (albeit narrowly), and many of his critics would be punished for their opposition. Those that dared to criticize Trump during that period were denied cabinet appointments, declined to run for reelection, or were defeated by primary opponents who were more supportive of the president. Some were spared after they demonstrated their loyalty to the new president, and the bar had been effectively lowered for who could serve in political office.
The 2017 U.S. Senate Special Election in Alabama
The appointment of Republican Senator Jeff Sessions to the position of Attorney General created a vacancy in one of Alabama’s senate seats, and Governor Kay Ivey scheduled a special election to be held on December 12, 2017. In the meantime, Luther Strange would serve in an appointed capacity until the new senator was elected. In the Republican primary runoff for this seat, Strange was endorsed by Trump, who affectionately called Strange “Big Luther.”
Despite Trump’s support, Strange was defeated by Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore. Moore had a history of taking on far-right and conspiratorial causes, claiming that:
Muslims could not take the oath of elected office;
The September 11th attacks were a punishment from God because of America’s decline in religious observance;
We should get rid of all the amendments to the constitution after the 10th, including the abolition of slavery and a woman’s right to vote; and
Obama is not a U.S. citizen.
In 2003, Judge Moore was actually removed from the Alabama Supreme Court for his refusal to order the removal of a 10 commandments monument that he had installed at a judicial building. In a unanimous opinion, the Alabama Court of the Judiciary found that Moore had violated judicial ethics in his actions.
Moore would return to the Supreme Court in 2012 after narrowly defeating a Democrat by only 3 points to get his old seat back. In the same election, Mitt Romney won the state by about 22 points.
Even with all of this controversy in his past, it appeared that Roy Moore would likely run away with the election and ultimately serve in the United States Senate. All of that changed when three women came forward alleging Moore sexually assaulted them. Two of the victims were minors (14 and 16 years old) when Moore sexually assaulted them. The accusations came out one month before the election.
Though many Republican politicians unendorsed Moore and the National Republican Senatorial Committee refused to provide future funding, Trump provided a full-throated endorsement of Moore one week prior to the election. Trump claimed that if Moore says he didn't do it, he didn’t do it, and that Moore was needed to support the Republican agenda. The RNC soon thereafter reaffirmed their support for Moore.
Doug Jones would go on to narrowly defeat Moore 49.97% - 48.34%. Though Jones performed incredibly well with African American voters in the state (winning 96% of the vote), his victory was largely attributed to a healthy amount of vote-switching in the suburbs coupled with decreased turnout in rural areas.
Though this would appear to be a counterpoint to my thesis, it’s cold comfort for anyone who is familiar with the margin of victory. Close to 50% of the voters in this election were comfortable electing an alleged child predator. Most were comfortable accepting Moore’s assertion that he was a victim of a smear by the liberal media, but others believed that any Democrat would be worse than a Republican who likes to prey on young girls. Voters were willing to give him a pass, and Republican politicians were pretty open about the need to keep the Republican majority.
The Present
Suffice it to say that this problem is getting worse. Look no further than these Republican senate candidates who at one point or another have been called “rising stars” in the Republican party:
Former Missouri Governor Eric Greitens was already going to have a tough time running for senate. He resigned from office back in 2018 when his mistress accused him of tying her to a chair, stripping her naked, taking a photo of her, and then threatening to share the photo if she made their affair public.
Until recently, this information didn’t seem to bother Missouri Republican primary voters. Until March of this year, he was leading the pack of candidates with about 30% of the vote. Trump had also declined to endorse up to this point, and many Senate Republicans were worried that he might endorse Greitens.
More recently, Greitens’ ex-wife (Sheena Greitens) has accused him of physically abusing her and one of their sons. While Greitens has denied these accusations, his primary opponents are calling for his removal from the race. Trump has still not made an endorsement in this race, and his silence on the accusations against Greitens are definitely telling.
University of Georgia Football Star and Heisman Trophy Winner Herschel Walker has long been one of Trump’s most beloved supporters. Walker was a supporter of Trump’s presidential campaigns in 2016 and 2020, and called for the election to be overturned after Trump lost. Despite Walker being a Texas resident, Trump convinced him to move to Georgia and run against Rafael Warnock in 2022.
What has always been a concern for Walker, and has become a major sticking point in his bid for the senate, is that he has a well-documented history of abusing his ex-wife (Cindy Grossman). In a CNN interview, Grossman shared that “Walker held a gun to her head a handful of times” and “Walker threatened [Grossman] with a straight razor. ‘He had it to my throat and kept saying he was going to kill me... think he choked me. I think I passed out.’”
While Walker has asserted that he suffered from Dissociative Identity Disorder and does not deny these things from having happened, he has also been accused by an anonymous woman of stalking her back in 2002. On top of that, Walker’s ex-girlfriend, Myka Dean, told the police that Walker “threatened to ‘blow her head off’ and then kill himself” when Dean was trying to end her relationship with Walker. Walker has denied these additional claims, and his support from Trump has been unwavering.
Finally, former Pennsylvania congressional candidate Sean Parnell dropped out of the U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania after his ex-wife (Laurie Snell) testified in court that “Mr. Parnell had repeatedly abused her and their children, choking her and hitting one of their children so hard that he left a welt on the child’s back.” Trump had already endorsed Parnell before this revelation, but it was already well known that Parnell was subject to temporary protective orders in 2017 and 2018.
What is a common thread across these races? In the face of repeated and well-documented instances of domestic abuse, child abuse, extortion and stalking, Trump’s support for these criminals has stood firm. Trump has created a permission structure for Republican voters and politicians to look past abuse of women if it means they can gain more power.
What Do We Do With This?
Throughout U.S. history, conservative parties have often weaponized women’s chastity and protection to achieve their political ends. Whether it was lynching a black boy for whistling at a white women in the past or invoking the safety of young girls by keeping transgender women out of public bathrooms, Republicans are part of a long line of politicians using women as instruments in their hateful politics.
When it comes to actually protecting women’s safety and well-being, Republicans have shown they’re generally uninterested in that work. In Texas, we have the eighth highest maternal mortality rate in the country (34.5 per 100k), we have the highest female uninsured rate, and our state lawmakers consistently fight to dismantle women’s reproductive rights.
In Washington D.C., Republicans let the funding from the Violence Against Women Act lapse for four years because they refused to bar those convicted of a misdemeanor domestic abuse or stalking conviction from buying a gun. Republicans also declined to extend these gun buying prohibitions to dating partners, an issue that is often referred to as the “boyfriend loophole.”
And when it comes to their own political prospects, Republicans are willing to elevate wife-beaters and pedophiles to political office to amass political power. The #MeToo movement has given many women the courage to come forward with their stories of abuse at the hands of politically powerful men, and this is a bridge too far for a conservative movement that is solely focused on the consolidation of power.
Republicans have shown their hand. The candidates they nominate, the policies they pass, and the problems they ignore show that they do not care about the safety or welfare of women. The role of Democrats here is twofold:
We need to highlight these abusive candidates and tie them to a broader political project that ignores the suffering of women; and
We need to make sure that we not only hold all of our candidates accountable, but that we also create campaigns, legislative offices and movements that are free from sexual harassment and that listen to women when they come forward.
If we want to be a party that believes in improving the well-being of women, then we need to live those values when it comes to the candidates we nominate and the institutions we create. We have to demonstrate our commitment to supporting women who have are survivors of abuse, and we must go after men who would seek to silence them.
I wrote about the County Line Rule in one of my first newsletters, explaining that it was one of the best tools Democrats have to preserve communities of interest and the political power we have amassed within certain counties.
He has cheated on all of them, with the first mistress becoming his second wife.