Obama/Romney Debate: Round 2 - Page 9

rouquinne · 10-18-2012, 10:03 AM

Romney to bosses: Talk to your workers about this election - The Plum Line - The Washington Post

rouquinne · 10-18-2012, 12:29 PM

here's why the "binder" comment was REALLY offensive:

Romney's 'binders full of women

...(David) Berstein (writer for the Boston Phoenix) reported that a bipartisan women’s group called MassGAP put together a list of strong female candidates for government positions, and presented it to Romney after he became governor. He didn’t go looking for one; there was no “recruiting effort” on his part, as he claimed in the debate. And while Romney did flip through the “binder” and hire a number of women for his administration, The Phoenix story says that they were given departments and agencies that weren’t priorities for him – and the percentage of women holding senior positions in his government declined overall while he was in office.

But as an Atlantic story also pointed out this morning, that’s really not what makes his comment so off-putting. It’s the notion that Romney needed “a binder” in the first place to find qualified women in his state to hire - that he didn’t know any coming into office and apparently, hadn’t consulted with any during his campaign, and needed to be reminded of their existence after his election. The suggestion then is that hiring women was a checklist requirement to be covered off for political purposes – rather than because these qualified candidates had merit on their own.

rouquinne · 10-18-2012, 01:37 PM

and since we do still need to have a good laugh at that man's expense:

Amazon.com: Mittens' review of Avery Durable View Binder with 2 Inch EZ-T...

Convenient storage for woman and related accessories, October 18, 2012
By
Mittens

This review is from: Avery Durable View Binder with 2 Inch EZ-Turn Ring, White, 1 Binder (17032) (Office Product)

coilynapp · 10-18-2012, 02:13 PM

OMG. This is just too hilarious!!!!!!!

Quote:

-Gap-free rings make it seem as though you are completely serious about closing the gender gap!
-Durable construction can withstand all the banging on the glass ceiling organizers

Josephine · 10-18-2012, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rouquinne

here's why the "binder" comment was REALLY offensive:

Romney's 'binders full of women

...(David) Berstein (writer for the Boston Phoenix) reported that a bipartisan women’s group called MassGAP put together a list of strong female candidates for government positions, and presented it to Romney after he became governor. He didn’t go looking for one; there was no “recruiting effort” on his part, as he claimed in the debate. And while Romney did flip through the “binder” and hire a number of women for his administration, The Phoenix story says that they were given departments and agencies that weren’t priorities for him – and the percentage of women holding senior positions in his government declined overall while he was in office.

But as an Atlantic story also pointed out this morning, that’s really not what makes his comment so off-putting. It’s the notion that Romney needed “a binder” in the first place to find qualified women in his state to hire - that he didn’t know any coming into office and apparently, hadn’t consulted with any during his campaign, and needed to be reminded of their existence after his election. The suggestion then is that hiring women was a checklist requirement to be covered off for political purposes – rather than because these qualified candidates had merit on their own.

Thanks for posting this, especially the last paragraph. I had to explain to two guys why this was offensive, they get it now but didnt at first(and they are not dumb sexist men but obviously not as enlightened). And I'm not that good with words so this is helpful for the next idiot(oops) that doesnt get it.