We’re doing it, and right now. We’re going in to the whole contraception “debacle/debate” uncorked and cocksure. Puns intended.

Lets start right off the bat with the very obvious fact that a LOT of old white men have a LOT to say about a woman’s body and what she can do for it and to it. Sean Hannity had a literal sausage fest panel of white men on his show to discuss this Obama contraception debacle. Which worked twofold: first it let the right-wing pound Obama on something of relative substance, instead of the usual made up nonsense or topic du jour‘s of that week. Second, it allowed the Republicans and right-wing to deny women, yet again, freedom to make the right call when it comes to their health and well being. On top of this at a recent congressional hearing about the topic of contraception and religious rights in accordance with the religious bodies being employers of secular employees we had bishops, rabbi’s, and doctors to discuss this topic. Not present, a single woman.

What’s lost here, and purposely done so by the GOP/right-wing, is the very real decision of abortion. These groups that deny women a safe, clean and timely way to get an abortion like to act like deciding on getting an abortion and going through the procedure is much akin to the drive thru of a fast food restaurant. That there’s little thought given to the decision to undergo this invasive procedure, or the emotional weight of the situation. Pro-choice supporters are well aware of what an abortion is and the stakes involved. They also understand what’s being lost when the abortion procedure takes place. Yet the GOP/right-wing like to paint pro-choice’s as veracious murders lacking any conscience. This is patently false.

On the nature of contraception, why would anyone want to deny that to women? ESPECIALLY those so concerned over abortions? This is the most effective way to diminish the amount of unwanted pregnancies and accidents that lead to abortion. It’s much more cost effective, and much safer to the general well being of a woman. Birth control also has other beneficial side effects to boot.

Putting that aside the debate that seems to be taking place right now is to whether this contraception debacle has hurt or helped Obama. The left-wing deems this to be a master maneuver on Obama’s part to make the evangelical right look anti-woman, which that’s becoming ever clearer. The right-wing seems to think that this will sink Obama’s re-election bid in the fall by alienating evangelicals and Catholics. Which is arguable only in that I don’t think this group of people was going to readily re-elect Obama anyways. However, that loss would be more than made up for with the extra women voters who will move from a wait and see approach on the Presidential election to re-elect Obama.

Again, no one’s a soothsayer in these matters, although many pundits would like to think there are the prognosticators of the November election, based on this ONE topic.

The thing that troubles me is why any woman would align themselves with Republicans or the right-wing when they’ve now been shown to not only be against women’s rights in general, but to be so profoundly chauvinistic as to not allow them to have a say in the matter. Then doubling down and being more open about this disdain for women’s rights.

Enter Susan Stamper Brown, a woman, who in her article, sees the Obama overreach with the contraception debacle, and who’s trained in the deadly art of poll manipulation to make a point. This is nothing new with right-wingers. They’re always absentmindedly taking polls and extrapolating an argument that flies in the face of what the polls numbers are actually saying. They daftly defy the context of the poll at the time it was taken, and make some sort of point regardless of whether it can stand to scrutiny or not.

According to Mrs. Stamper Brown and her use of a Gallup Poll she surmises that Obama’s approval rating has been falling with the unmarried female voter. The unmarried female is the more likely of the females to use contraception or get an abortion, so this is all pertinent. In Feb. 2009 (take note of this) it was 70%. Then “fell” to 52% in 2010, 49% in 2011 and 48% this year. Why take note of the first rating? Because it was the pinnacle of Obamamania and mere weeks after his inauguration. If anything the poll proves a return to normalcy in the ensuing years of his presidency. I’m sure if you looked at all the demographics they would show the same thing. In fact, I’m pretty sure if you looked at all the first years of any given presidents first term, you’ll find a generous approval rating. It’s that new president smell! The optimism of a new beginning.

The poll is skewed, so Mrs. Stamper Brown’s own point is rendered moot. In fact, she doesn’t really need “statistical evidence” to make any of the points she attempts to in her article. The sharp disapproval of Obama did not force him to “compromise”, because it’s a figment of Mrs. Stamper Brown’s imagination! And regardless of a woman’s religious beliefs, do you think the majority of them would lack the common sense to vote for or support candidates that have no problem trampling their own constitutionally mandated rights? There’s always going to be traditionalists of box sexes, I understand that. But they cannot forcibly prevent progress for those who aren’t. Especially while espousing a hypocrisy so thick that it’s choking their arguments and allowing for another 40 years of conservatives wandering the wilderness to take place. Surely this isn’t their plan, or sadly is this the only way they think they can win? By ceasing everyone’s arguments sucking up all the rhetorical air in the room and everyone winds up losing.

This “No, No, NO” mindset towards anything the Obama Administration supports, seeped in a nasty political hypocrisy is not doing the GOP any favors. They’ve once again misplaced their constituencies real anger at real issues like the economy and jobs to fuel up the culture war wagon again. Their hypocrisy is being so apparent with the “Get your government out of X” but then having no problem legislating abortion clinics, contraception insurance mandates, and pushing religious dogma on anything and everything that will hold it. If it doesn’t infringe on anything a geriatric white man enjoys then it’s fair game.

The bigger point Mrs. Stamper Brown is attempting to make unmasks the entire façade of the right-wing agenda: It’s not about you, it’s me. They don’t care about women’s rights, they’re more interested in the fallacy of the Obama Administration/Democrats. Mrs. Stamper Brown believes that their overreach is “tossing aside the constitution”. What? Where were you guys when W. was doing this to detainee’s, alleged terrorist suspects or any other supposed combatant, in addition to disregarding the fourth amendment rights guaranteed to U.S. citizens with the US PATRIOT Act? Oh, that was supposed to be for brown Muslim people and minorities…never mind.

This apocalyptic viewpoint that saturates the right-wing and GOP is more destructive than any threat the Obama Administration or Democrats could ever muster, real or imagined. And yet the American public is expected to believe that the Democrats and Republicans can reach any sort of bipartisanship to get things done for them? Does anyone else find it odd that we’re always seemingly talking about culture war topics, like abortion, separation of church and state, and so on and so forth, instead of things like jobs and the economy? Obama is proving that if the right wing want to go there with the value voters nonsense, he’s got their number. This contraception debacle is doing more harm than good for the GOP and the right-wing. Especially if they insist on promoting candidates like a Rick Santorum to the fore.