Rather than engaging in (often pointless) back and forths with people who will  never change their mind, I thought I'd redirect my energies into something more productive and useful.

I have started a blog that collects news stories (and occasionally opinion pieces) on topics related to women and politics.  That includes issues of women's representation, women representatives, women and men as voters, gendered campaigning, and things of a similar nature.

It includes American politics, but casts a wide net. I have linked to articles on issues of women in Islam, women's representation on the African continent, the recruitment of Canadian women to serve in local government and how women candidates did in the Scottish local elections last week.

I hope you will check us out at psawomenpolitics.wordpress.com/ and consider subscribing (I recommend the digest setting).  If you're on Twitter you can check on our updates at #womenandpolitics

I try to update the blog a few times a day and organize the coverage by themes (e.g. Media round-up: Representation or Opinion round-up) to make it easier.  I've learned a lot just by running the blog, I hope you will find something of interest to you each time you visit us.



PS As admin I have control over which comments get published so feel free to write something well reasoned and intelligent.  Sexist nonsense will never see the light of day.

May 7, 2012 -- 9:49AM, Ironhold wrote:

Will you make mention of the Hilary Rosen / Ann Romney fiasco?

Well, since the discussion concerns women and the US political scene, what is your opinion of this so called fiasco?

May 7, 2012 -- 10:04AM, Ironhold wrote:

So for someone like Rosen to just come out and say that these women don't count because they don't hold a day job means she's effectively dismissing any woman who chooses to put their family ahead of their career.

I understand what you are saying but I believe you are intentionally distorting what was said.  Rosen did not say 'these women', she only identified one woman in particular, Mrs. Romney.  Mrs. Romney is not anything close to the 'traditional sense' that you describe.  She had access to resources that the vast majority of women could only ever dream about.  This allowed her choice to be incredibly easy.  Most women will never have the choice that Mrs. Romney enjoyed, they will be forced to work because of various circumstances.

You should check out the "Events" page, Bodean, and look through some of the conference presentation abstracts. It's full of interesting scholarship by international scholars. You also might find the link to The European Consortium for Political Research of interest as well. 

I find Boris Johnson, mayor of London, to use a Texas term, a "hoot."  He's an active cyclist; I couldn't imagine a Wingo like him existing in the Romney-cookie-cutter, Borg model that predominates on the Right (since cycling is considered an expression of godless, liberal socialism and all cyclists have "Forward!" on the insides of their cycling helmets).  -- Any news on Angela Merkel and the P.M. changes in the Eurozone and German fiscal discipline not being able to dictate to Greece, as before on your blog?