The Democrats are masters at public relations. This is one of the areas where the Republicans falter. The Democrats are masters at re-inventing the message. This is one of the areas where the Republicans falter. The Democrats are masters of imaging themselves as loving, helpful parents. This is one of the areas where the Republicans falter (the Republicans’ image is one of angry, judgmental parents). The Democrats are masters at making villains out of Republicans. This is one of the areas where the Republicans falter — Republicans make villains out of Republicans.
The time has come for Republicans to join the street fight, challenge the bully Democrats, and win. How? The Republicans need to step back, analyze their imaging, challenge their messaging, and get into fighting form.
One place to start is with single mothers. No matter what the statistics, no matter what the numbers, the constant barrage of attacks on single mothers as a culprit of America’s demise is lethal — especially in an upcoming duel with Hillary Clinton. How do Republicans triumphantly deal with this issue in the arena with Hillary Clinton? They need to master the re-imaging of their single-mother messaging. Instead of singling out single mothers, they need to put the emphasis where it really belongs — single parents. It takes two to tango. For every single mother there is a single father. There are Single Parents.
As a single mother and a Republican, I deal with this barrage of constant negative messaging. Here’s the bottom line: Republicans will not win, politically or socially, with this mean-spirited, biased message and it is certainly not helping the single mother or her child. Republicans need to stop living in the problem and start living in the solution. One way to do this is to watch the wordage and the unfair, stereotypical attack on the single mothers – the single mothers who are actually raising the children.
They need to actively acknowledge that for every single mother there is a single dad. Republicans need to bring single dads onto the playing field. For many single mothers — who are actually taking care of their child — there are many single dads roaming around, not only missing in action, but being held to zero accountability by Republicans and the Republican Party. This reeks of chauvinism – a chauvinism I don’t believe exists in the Republican Party, but the current message is chauvinistic. Where is the focus on single dads?
There cannot be a single mother without a single dad. Single Parents.
Not only should the wording be addressed but, along with it, the thought process. Republicans need to thoroughly think through the following: a) if one is pro-life, if the GOP is the party of pro-life, then they shouldn’t be attacking the mother who chose life, to have the baby; b) the judgment heaped upon single mothers is making pregnant women run to the abortion clinic. Even religious, pro-life families send their daughters to abortion clinics to avoid the slanderous attacks. This is a tragic irony and one that needs to be addressed by the pro-lifers, Republicans, and the Republican Party.
Where is the compassion?
Hillary will have heaps of it in 2016.
Yes, there needs to be an action taken to bring awareness to the intrinsic value of healthy families that include both parents, but these actions need to be taken with compassion.
Yes, many children who are being raised by single mothers are in dire straits. Yet they are not all just poor welfare types in dire straits. There are many unique situations of dire straits that encompass all communities, all religions, all demographics — the rich, the poor, and the in between.
Yes, there needs to be a way to worship God, the God of the student’s choice, within the school walls. Yes, there needs to be a moral compass within the communities — all communities, all demographics.
Yes, there needs to be an aggressive campaign in the culture. The culture needs to be infused with works that represent love, forgiveness, acceptance, and values that lead to a safer, better, healthier, more successful way of life. As an actress, I think this can be done with a wide spectrum, not a narrow one. As an example, these qualities can be found in movies like Juno and the upcoming The Christmas Candle. The messages of love, compassion, overcoming trials and tribulations, and dealing with doubts and fears come in many different types of passion plays.
The bottom line – for the sake of single mothers, their children, and the fate of the Republican Party – is that the publicity campaign, the imaging, the wording, the messaging, and the true intent need to shift focus from single mothers to single dads to single parents.
Stop the blame game. Stop attacking women, or giving the perception of attacking women.
The issue at hand includes two people – parents. Stop singling out the mother.
Single Parents.
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