Women in Indiana are fed up with Gov. Pence

[Thomkal]

Women in Indiana are fed up with his anti-gay stance and now his putting a new abortion law into effect in the state. Women have responded by forming a group on Facebook called "Periods for Pence". They call the governor's office and let them (in graphic detail) know if they have had their period today and what it was like. Kinda feel bad for the staff to field the calls though:

‘Periods for Pence’ campaign goes viral, urges women to call governor’s office in response to abortion bill | Fox 59

[vex]

[ColtCrazy]

I do feel for his staff, but Pence has certainly brought this on himself. Isolated, this probably gets no coverage at all. But Pence's administration has been fraught with bad decisions:

RFRA - Regardless of which side of the issue you're on, Pence did himself no favors in how he handled it, flipping back and forth trying to appease both sides ending up just making him bad.

State News - His idea of a state run news agency was just idiotic.

Attacks of Ritz - His constant attacks of the state superintendent haven't gone over well with many considering her popularity. She actually scored more votes than Pence in the last election. The fact that he keep leading the charge to strip the superintendent of power, not to mention the fact that they want the position to be appointed rather than elected, has been horrendous.

And now this. Pence has alienated a lot of the state's moderates in recent years and faces a tough battle to beat Gregg in the next election.

[spleen1015]

Reports that the Governor's office had their phones turned off.

[flere-imsaho]

I remember when he was considered a future GOP star for the presidency.

[SteveMax58]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

I remember when he was considered a future GOP star for the presidency.

This may cement that I'd imagine.

[Solecismic]

Originally Posted by ColtCrazy

I do feel for his staff, but Pence has certainly brought this on himself.

I don't doubt that this is another example of a Republican mistaking frustration with economic problems as some sort of mandate for a right-wing social agenda.

But I don't agree with the "shut it down" approach the left has these days for ideas they consider offensive. Even my son rolls his eyes at "the precious snowflakes" and their antics and that's not a term he would hear from me or from his mother. And he's growing up in Ann Arbor. I don't discuss controversial topics with him, because I worry if he repeats something that doesn't fit in with the left ideology, he'll get in trouble at school. He's not stupid. He sees this "don't discuss or challenge us, or you're a racist or a sexist or a homophobe" approach, and it doesn't bother him because he's growing up with it and he genuinely agrees that racism and homophobia are wrong. But even a middle school kid can recognize the stupidity of this behavior.

My point being if you don't like something your governor is doing, a well-reasoned letter - or many, many well-reasoned letters from you and your friends - might have an effect. Unpleasant behavior makes you look like a baby having a tantrum.

There are only two things that could revive Trump's flailing candidacy: one is a terrorist attack brought about by what could be perceived as poor border security. And the other is protracted "shut it down" behavior from the left. He has been on a steady slide the last month or so. The one exception is his unusually strong performance in Illinois right after his rally was shut down. I don't think that was a coincidence. Apparently George Soros has planned a string of shut it down events starting next week. These might as well be called Trump campaign events.

[JPhillips]

I wish the left was half as powerful as you seem to believe.

[nol]

Damn, that's a pretty advanced kid Jim has to be thinking of such worldly issues all on his own rather than being a middle schooler. I thought I was pretty far outside the norm for playing a spreadsheet computer football game rather than Madden at that age, but to be discussing such complex issues like that, wow!

[Radii]

Originally Posted by nol

Damn, that's a pretty advanced kid Jim has to be thinking of such worldly issues all on his own rather than being a middle schooler. I thought I was pretty far outside the norm for playing a spreadsheet computer football game rather than Madden at that age, but to be discussing such complex issues like that, wow!

This seems unnecessary, to put it mildly.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

My point being if you don't like something your governor is doing, a well-reasoned letter - or many, many well-reasoned letters from you and your friends - might have an effect. Unpleasant behavior makes you look like a baby having a tantrum.

You could always yell at them at Starbucks...

[cuervo72]

Really though, I don't think letters supporting Obamacare or Planned Parenthood or gay rights is going to do anything. You'll get written off as not being part of their target constituency anyway.

[Shkspr]

Out of curiosity, isn't informing the governor of your period just affirmation that you didn't get pregnant that month, demonstrating that access to abortions is superfluous?

[ColtCrazy]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

I don't doubt that this is another example of a Republican mistaking frustration with economic problems as some sort of mandate for a right-wing social agenda.

But I don't agree with the "shut it down" approach the left has these days for ideas they consider offensive. Even my son rolls his eyes at "the precious snowflakes" and their antics and that's not a term he would hear from me or from his mother. And he's growing up in Ann Arbor. I don't discuss controversial topics with him, because I worry if he repeats something that doesn't fit in with the left ideology, he'll get in trouble at school. He's not stupid. He sees this "don't discuss or challenge us, or you're a racist or a sexist or a homophobe" approach, and it doesn't bother him because he's growing up with it and he genuinely agrees that racism and homophobia are wrong. But even a middle school kid can recognize the stupidity of this behavior.

My point being if you don't like something your governor is doing, a well-reasoned letter - or many, many well-reasoned letters from you and your friends - might have an effect. Unpleasant behavior makes you look like a baby having a tantrum.

There are only two things that could revive Trump's flailing candidacy: one is a terrorist attack brought about by what could be perceived as poor border security. And the other is protracted "shut it down" behavior from the left. He has been on a steady slide the last month or so. The one exception is his unusually strong performance in Illinois right after his rally was shut down. I don't think that was a coincidence. Apparently George Soros has planned a string of shut it down events starting next week. These might as well be called Trump campaign events.

I don't disagree that a grass roots approach is the best strategy. It's what worked when Glenda Ritz, a librarian, ran against Tony Bennett for state superintendent. Bennett had every reason to expect a walkaway victory. He had deep pockets lined with money from charter school donations. He had national recognition from education "reformists" (charter school supporters) and was a chosen product of Mitch Daniels, who was a fairly popular governor. But Bennett repeatedly disregarded the opinions, letters, and worries of teachers. There was a scandal involving a charter school and its state letter grade (a charter school whose owners had donated $15k to the Bennett campaign). Bennett's administration had an air of elitism to it. The teachers responded with letters to each other, drumming up support for an unknown. The result was one of the biggest upsets in Indiana political history. It completely derailed the Republican movement towards charters, which in turn led to some of Pence's pettiness against Ritz. Bennett then ran off to Florida where he had to eventually resign after yet another scandal. These types of things do work. Perhaps the periods for Pence movement is silly, but there's an underlying issue of solidarity here that's the key. Sometimes that movement just comes across as crude, silly, or even immoral, but there's no denying the impact of such for either side of the aisle.

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

My point being if you don't like something your governor is doing, a well-reasoned letter - or many, many well-reasoned letters from you and your friends - might have an effect. Unpleasant behavior makes you look like a baby having a tantrum.

Kind of like threatening to default on the nation's debt so as to pass your own legislative agenda?

Or maybe making up reasons why you won't do your job and have a vote on a SCOTUS nominee? Or maybe petulantly not agreeing to even meet said nominee?

Or doing a filibuster that wasn't a filibuster because you don't like Obamacare?

Or doing several dozen useless votes to "repeal" the ACA?

For once I'd like to see you apply your righteous self to the GOP.

Originally Posted by JPhillips

I wish the left was half as powerful as you seem to believe.

Quite.

[Butter]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

I don't doubt that this is another example of a Republican mistaking frustration with economic problems as some sort of mandate for a right-wing social agenda.

But I don't agree with the "shut it down" approach the left has these days for ideas they consider offensive. Even my son rolls his eyes at "the precious snowflakes" and their antics and that's not a term he would hear from me or from his mother. And he's growing up in Ann Arbor. I don't discuss controversial topics with him, because I worry if he repeats something that doesn't fit in with the left ideology, he'll get in trouble at school. He's not stupid. He sees this "don't discuss or challenge us, or you're a racist or a sexist or a homophobe" approach, and it doesn't bother him because he's growing up with it and he genuinely agrees that racism and homophobia are wrong. But even a middle school kid can recognize the stupidity of this behavior.

Paradox of tolerance - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia