When CNN contributor Hilary Rosen said that Ann Romney “never worked a day in her life,” the Republican Party quickly branded it as the Democratic Party ‘war on moms.’ On the same day, that new talking point soon crumbled as right-wing groups such as the Catholic League criticized Rosen for being a lesbian mother. The RNC Communications Director, Sean Spicer, then defended Rosen before walking back that defense. And now, a Fox News contributor has attacked working moms, declaring that they despise themselves for not staying home with their children.
Fox News contributor Keith Ablow wrote a column attacking working women like Hilary Rosen and others who raise kids and hold down a job at the same time. He wrote that working women despise themselves for not being stay at home moms. Here’s a portion of the column.:
“These “anti-gender” women have it in for anyone who embraces her femininity, maternal instincts and capacity to nurture as their highest priority — postponing or passing up other laudable opportunities to work at, say, a law firm or as a marketing executive. They despise the notion that some women may indeed be drawn — instinctively and happily — toward creating special and loving environments in which to raise their children, while spending all their available time sustaining and enriching those environments and those children.
They despise the parts of themselves that may be drawn to such roles, as well. That’s why women like Hilary Rosen make such outlandish statements, to begin with. They’re essentially talking to themselves — albeit, with the rest of the world forced to listen — trying to reassure themselves that their own choices in life weren’t only equally as good as those of other women, but better. Far, far better. They feel like their choices are better because they have thrown off the shackles of roles that were once “expected” of them, leaving them not only freer than, but superior to, those women who don’t feel enslaved at home, but feel fulfilled at home.”
Ablow, a psychiatrist, also added that his clients “wouldn’t be going to work for very long if their spouses made millions as investors.”
That last bit is exactly the point. Ann Romney didn’t have to go to work because her husband was not only rich before she married him, he continued getting richer after she married him. In other words, she was able to choose to stay at home. The fact is, Ann Romney has absolutely no clue what it’s like to raise kids and work an eight-hour shift or two on a daily basis to make sure the bills are paid and the kids fed and clothed. That is precisely what Hilary Rosen was trying to say.
In his diatribe, Ablow viciously attacked women who have jobs and kids and yet the Republican Party is silent about that. Even worse, Ablow later appeared on Fox News and repeated his attack, saying that working women despise themselves. Will Ann Romney take offense to this attack too? Or will she ignore it because it comes from a right-wing mouthpiece? If Ann Romney is going to be presented as a champion for women she must condemn Ablow’s assault. So should Mitt Romney. When Rosen made her comments, President Obama was quick to condemn them. If Romney fails to condemn Ablow, he’ll be demonstrating that he really doesn’t care about women as long as it is his party doing the attacking. But again, the Republican Party was giddy to attack Rosen and her comments, but aren’t as defensive of women when one of their own attacks them. It’s a double standard that cancels out anything Republicans gained on Thursday.
I hope Anne Romneys cook, nanny and maids don’t hate themselves.
Now he needs to go home and explain that to his cook, his nanny, the maids and woman who does his laundry.
I would like to go out on a limb and say that I believe that self promoting, egotistical, misogynistic, psychiatrists hate themselves, because they have to listen to their own bloated theories!
I can’t believe that anyone would take this guy seriously, Just because he (may) have a psychiatric degree, does not mean a thing. Unfortunately, he works with adolescents, a population who is generally pretty impressionable. If I were a parent hearing this kind is nonsense from a so-called professional, I would high tail it out of there, with my child in tow!
I think people like him (and Fox Network) are trying to throw up smokescreens, so the real issues are not discussed, like the economy and health-care.