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If the Future Is Female, the GOP Needs Women Candidates

Sabrina Schaeffer — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 10:01:00 CST

We’re less than a month into the New Year, and four Democratic women have stepped into the 2020 presidential election – Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand and Kamala Harris and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. President Trump, the defeat of Hillary Clinton, and the identity politics of progressives all act as a magnet, pulling women candidates into Democratic primaries. Being female is an asset in Democratic Party circles.

Among Republicans, however, gender isn’t viewed as an obvious benefit. It’s certainly not a recruitment draw for candidates. But ignoring gender and failing to invest in more female lawmakers has set Republicans way back politically and limited important policy debates. If they’re willing to do the work, Republicans could benefit from changing this dynamic.

Democrats increasingly view their party’s future as the intersectionality of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. Boston Globe columnist Renée Graham described the 2018 midterms as a “defiant mandate that Democrats want diverse and progressive representation, not just the same revolving door of old white guys.” Some Democrats might be more circumspect in their descriptions, but the sentiment is widespread. The Pew Research Center found that among Democrats strong majorities – 75 percent of men and 83 percent of women – viewed the recent surge of women candidates as a good thing.

The same cannot be said for Republicans. In response to identity politics, they often dig in their heels, rejecting any suggestion that they need to increase the diversity of their ranks. When Rep. Elise Stefanik – head of recruitment for the National Republican Congressional Committee last year – complained that the 100 female candidates she helped recruit needed more institutional support, she received scorn from NRCC Chairman Tom Emmer, who publicly called her strategy “a mistake.” As Perry Bacon wrote over at FiveThirtyEight last summer, Republicans simply don’t think electing more women to office “should be a goal.”

Two professors from Harvard University and the University of Houston found equally concerning results from a randomized controlled trial in which they exposed respondents to a female Republican or a male Republican candidate. While Democrats and independents were more likely “to trust, think qualified, view as a leader, and vote for the female Republican,” the opposite was the case among Republicans. GOP women candidates suffered within their own party.

And so, despite the efforts of many outside groups like Winning for Women, RightNow Women, View PAC and now E-PAC, there is still a dearth of strong female Republican candidates in the pipeline, and those who emerge experience difficulty raising money, and ultimately problems with retention. This indifference on the right toward gender isn’t just affecting the party at the national level. As Bacon points out, “Republican women are getting elected at lower numbers than Democratic women to state legislatures, a key stepping stone for people who eventually get to Capitol Hill.”

In some respects the problem is confusing. Conservatives believe in biological gender differences. Many female conservatives like myself point to natural sex differences to explain varying outcomes in life: women generally prefer the humanities, while men favor hard sciences; female doctors tend to be pediatricians, while male doctors more often become surgeons; women prefer veterinary school, while men prefer business school. When it comes to politics, however, conservatives brush gender differences aside. In the political sphere, gender disappears and it’s just the policies that matter.

Certainly, women should not be defined solely by their gender – but it is part of our identity. And our shared experiences as women – as wives, mothers, caretakers – give us unique perspective about our families, communities, and the nation. And, just as important, voters perceive female candidates differently. Consider if Republicans had more women to talk about educational freedom and competition. Or more female candidates who could empathize with working moms, but also caution against a paid leave entitlement program that could jeopardize women’s progress. What if there were more women lawmakers who could speak about women as health care consumers and introduce market-based reforms such as giving individuals who purchase insurance the same tax benefits as businesses? What’s more, because voters perceive female candidates as less conservative, all else being equal, conservative women are more likely to winin swing districts than conservative men.

Without more women, Republicans are going to continue to lose elections they could otherwise win. In the 2018 midterms, Democrats gained 41 seats in Congress; 13 female Democrats unseated male Republicans. That is a third of the seats Democrats won. Nearly one-fourth of the new Congress is female. Out of 127 female members, 106 are Democrats.

In the age of Donald Trump’s populism, Republicans already have a big barrier to overcome with many women. (At an event I spoke at recently, nearly every right-of-center participant worked to distance herself from the current administration.) But these women – and many more – are still committed to sensible, limited-government policies in which Americans of all races and creeds will have more freedom and opportunity.

Making women candidates a priority doesn’t mean that we have to embrace identity politics or ignore important principles that guide our policy perspectives. Rather, taking gender seriously aligns with the conservative viewpoint that gender differences matter. Effective politics – and ultimately policymaking –requires diversity, so that it’s clear we stand for universal principles and policies that are good for all Americans.

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Short-Term Rentals Could Turn Our Communities into Commercial Zones

Sabrina Schaeffer — Wed, 12 Apr 2017 09:04:00 CST

When my husband and I were out house-hunting recently, the Realtor explained that many homeowners on the street rent out their finished basements on a nightly or weekly basis to help offset high mortgages.

Imagining our three young children playing in the yard, we left and realized we need to ask a lot more questions before buying our next house.

We’ve chosen to take on a hefty mortgage in order to raise our family in a convenient and safe community. Now we’re outgrowing our little colonial and are looking to move up in size.

But I was taken aback to learn that my prospective new residential hamlet, just minutes from my current home, could be operating more like a hotel.

When I looked into the issue further, I learned many actual homeowners don’t even live at a residence, but rather used them exclusively to rent on a per-night basis.

That would mean that we wouldn’t have any idea who our new “neighbors” might be.

And it would almost certainly also mean more noise, traffic and garbage that we did not sign up for — as well as a lack of neighborhood cohesion that we value.

Free enterprise and innovation are key to a healthy society.

The sharing economy has certainly opened up whole new pathways for economic growth and competition.

New businesses like Airbnb offer families — especially women — low-cost ways to bring in revenue.

And these kinds of opportunities help a lot of families make ends meet, especially in urban centers like ours where the cost of living can be steep.

But the housing rental industry doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It also affects neighbors and communities.

As a homeowner, it alarmed me to imagine living on a street with a constant revolving door of residents.

In our current cul-de-sac, we know all our neighbors, and they respect that there’s a street full of children often outside on their scooters or drawing with chalk.

But it was clear that wouldn’t be the case if we moved into this new neighborhood.

The concerns I’m describing for a residential street also affect condominiums and apartment buildings, where the problem can be even more pronounced given shared walls and living space.

Not surprisingly, this short-term rental phenomenon is not just occurring in our city, but across the country, including Texas.

A report by CBRE, a commercial real estate services firm, found a growing number of supposedly residential properties being rented out just like hotels on sites like Airbnb in cities across the country.

According to the report, 81 percent of Airbnb’s U.S. revenue — $4.6 billion — comes from whole-unit rentals where the owner is not present during the time of the rental.

With little to no oversight from the law, the landlords who run these hotel businesses put the safety and security of our neighborhoods at risk.

State Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, has filed SB 451, a bill that would greatly restrict a city or county’s ability to adopt or enforce a local law to prohibit the use of a residential property as a short-term rental.

I don’t expect everyone to want the same thing as I do in my neighborhood — some cities and communities are going to be comfortable with more flexible laws about short-term rentals.

But a bill like this means homebuyers who want a more traditional community with long-term residents, that limits (or at least regulates) short-term rentals, would not be able to shop with their feet.

I’m not much of a neighborhood busy-body, but residents ought to have the right to choose the kind of community they live in.

My husband and I purposely chose to buy in a community that did not have an HOA or burdensome local ordinances that dictated the color of our mailbox, rooftop or fence style.

But that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to protect my investment (and my children).

To protect the interest of neighbors and communities, localities should consider requiring people renting out apartments, condos and even houses like a hotel to register with the city so we know who is coming in and out of our neighborhoods, and so they can share not only in the neighborhood’s great restaurants and shops, bike trails and parks but also in the tax burden.

The sharing economy is disrupting certain industries, waving in some much-needed competition.

But it’s creating legitimate concerns and challenges as well that we can’t just brush under the rug.

In addition to protecting innovation and economic growth, we also have to protect private property, which is at the heart of a free society, and give homeowners the option not to live in what essentially become commercial areas.

Sabrina L. Schaeffer is executive director of the Independent Women’s Forum.

Shaping the Conversation: A Discussion About Paid Family and Medical Leave • AEI

Sabrina Schaeffer — Tue, 4 Apr 2017 11:04:00 CST

Mike Pence honored with "Working for Women" award

Sabrina Schaeffer — Thu, 23 Mar 2017 11:03:00 CST

One conservative group is using Women's History Month to honor a top target of feminist opprobrium.

This March, the Independent Women's Forum is recognizing Vice President Mike Pence with its "Working for Women" award for being a "consistent [champion] of the economic reforms that women need most." IWF, a prominent conservative nonprofit organization, says it decided to honor the vice president based on "his long commitment to advocating for limited government, free markets, and personal responsibility." These policies, IWF believes, "ultimately enable economic growth and human flourishing."

The organization sees Pence as a leader who "values free markets, works to create a more dynamic and innovative work world, and celebrates the valuable contributions women make to society."

After Pence was named to the Republican ticket last July, the National Organization for Women slammed him as a "determined and ruthless general in the war on women." Over the course of his political career, the Pence's staunch record of pro-life policymaking has driven relentless attacks from the feminist movement.

IWF, on the other hand, believes the Trump-Pence administration will actually work to advance women's causes. Executive Director Sabrina Schaeffer told the Washington Examiner, "There are strong signs that this is an administration that understands that micromanaging the workplace would likely lead to unintended consequences, and that we ought to pursue solutions that do not place undue burdens on employers and that allow for maximum flexibility and salaries for workers."

When asked whether the administration has been receptive to IWF's policy goals, Schaeffer says the administration has actually reached out to them for input.

"We have been pleased that both the administration and allies on the Hill have consistently reached out to the Independent Women's Forum for our input on critical issues like paid leave and childcare, as well as other policies like health care," she remarked. "We hope to continue to have a seat at the table moving forward."

In an op-ed earlier this month, IWF Managing Director Carrie Lukas encouraged conservatives to "follow Ivanka's lead" and "focus on supporting White House reforms that help women and are consistent with conservative principles."

Like Ivanka Trump, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, who is on a temporary leave of absence from IWF's board of directors, has signaled an interest in working on women's issues.

Though liberal feminists would never agree, the Trump administration is well-positioned to advance policies that may work to restore the Republican Party's reputation on women's issues. If Pence continues "working for women" as vice president by implementing free market policies that benefit families, organizations such as NOW will have a much harder time claiming he's a general in the so-called war on women.

Emily Jashinsky is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.

IWF defends giving Mike Pence “Working for Women” Award

Sabrina Schaeffer — Thu, 23 Mar 2017 08:03:00 CST

IWF defends giving Mike Pence “Working for Women” Award

When Playboy, Teen Vogue, New York Magazine, Mic, Vice, Raw Story, and Jezebel all attack you — you must be doing something right.

Left-wing magazines loved that Chelsea Clinton is a “Lifetime Impact” honoree for doing literally nothing. However, they are piling on the Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) for giving Vice President Mike Pence the “Working for Women” Award. He is set to get the award on Wednesday evening at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, D.C.

Some of the attacks are funny. Playboy said the situation is like “an actual episode of Parks and Recreation in which Leslie Knope, played by Amy Poehler, is passed over as her city’s ‘Woman of the Year’ in favor of her boss, Ron Swanson, a man.” Other attacks were angrier.

Jezebel called Pence, “a prolapsed anus in a hairpiece.” Raw Story said he “opposes the personal liberty of women.” NY Mag said he was “crusading against abortion rights.” Vice‘s headline read, “After Years of Undermining Women, Pence Will Receive ‘Working for Women’ Award.”

These articles cannot imagine why an organization would give an award to someone who isn’t liberal on what are perceived as “women’s issues.” Of course, IWF was the first to say “all issues are women’s issues.” That’s their point as an organization — fighting for women’s empowerment in all areas of governance.

Sabrina Schaffer, the Executive Director of IWF, sent Red Alert the following statement responding to these attacks:

For 25 years, the Independent Women’s Forum has responded to the progressive feminist narrative that women are a victim class in need of constant government protection. But what’s often left out of the conversation is how government’s heavy hand can have a negative effect on women’s progress and success.

IWF understands that there are women and their families who face challenges, which is why we produced our Working for Women report last year — which offers sensible policy reforms without growing government’s influence – and why we work tirelessly with lawmakers, policy experts, and the public to promote these ideas.

Women’s History Month is a time to celebrate and recognize women’s progress. America’s history as a land of opportunity has been crucial to women’s advancement — our dynamic, market-based economic system has helped ensure that women ?prosper and continue to break down barriers. And we want women?’s progress? to continue? so they can choose their path to success and happiness. ?

?IWF created the “Working for Women Award” to recognize public figures who have been consistent champions of the economic reforms that women need most: from reducing? burdensome? regulations to providing tax relief ?for? workers and families ?to promoting educational freedom.

IWF decided to recognize ?Vice President? Mike? Pence because of his long commitment to advocating for limited government, free markets, and personal responsibility ??including rolling back heavy taxation and? regulation?, which will ultimately enable economic growth and human flourishing, and which is in line with IWF’s own mission statement.

For more on Vice President Pence’s record of working for women, please click here.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Editor’s wife works for IWF.

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Sabrina Schaeffer — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 14:03:00 CST

President Trump's Plan to Slash Foreign Aid & UN Funding Sparks Debate • Forbes on Fox

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