As Guy mentioned on Monday's episode of Fox News’ Outnumbered, Cosmopolitan magazine is weighing in aggressively for the midterm elections. Of course, the editorial board is only endorsing liberal candidates. The magazine has a significant audience, which could complicate conservative efforts to reach single women; it’s a must regarding electoral math. Should conservatives start women’s magazines in order to break into this quasi-monopoly liberals have with this demographic? It’s a legitimate debate, but here is the first string of Cosmo endorsed candidates, all of them–surprise–are Democrats.
In Kentucky’s senate race, Alison Lundergan Grimes is endorsed because she’s a “fearless pro-choice challenger to one of the most ruthless and powerful Republicans in the Senate, Alison Lundergan Grimes is a bit of bright feminist hope in a largely red state — and although she's facing a tough race, she might just have a chance if Kentucky women turn out for her.”
Also:
McConnell, by contrast, is running on the promise of restricting abortion rights. He promised the National Right to Life convention that he would work to ban abortions after 20 weeks. McConnell also voted against the Violence Against Women Act once it contained protections for LGBT victims of violence and immigrants.Grimes isn't a perfect candidate. She's a Democrat in Kentucky, which means she likes coal and guns (she's an NRA member who holds abysmal positions on the environment). But on those issues, she's certainly not any worse than McConnell (he has the NRA's official backing in the election), and the list of issues she's better on — health care, women's rights, immigration, the economy, marriage equality — more than points to the conclusion that, despite her drawbacks, Grimes would be far better than the five-term status quo. She's earned endorsements from NARAL Pro-Choice America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund, and she's recommended by EMILY's List.
Mary Burke, who’s running for governor against Scott Walker in Wisconsin, is the whole liberal package. She’s pro-abortion, against Voter ID laws, and pro-union. The editorial board thinks that Burke can bring Wisconsin “back to its roots as a state of compassionate, progressive trailblazers.”
Lastly, we have Sen. Mark Udall, who egregiously invoked the names of murdered American journalists James Foley and Steve Sotloff in Colorado’s first Senate debate over the weekend. Again, he’s another candidate who represents the buffet of lefty issues that animate liberals. Following the expected demonization of his Republican opponent, Rep. Cory Gardner, the reasons for Udall’s endorsement were also as expected, with the added bonus that he’s also a protector of puppies:
Udall, by contrast, is a champion of women's rights, co-sponsoring several pieces of crucial legislation, including the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, the Paycheck Fairness Act, and the Protect Women's Health From Corporate Interference Act (which sought to reverse the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision that made it harder for women to access birth control). Both NARAL Pro-Choice America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund endorse him.He's also a proponent of gay rights, going so far as to write an op-ed in Politico declaring his support for marriage equality. He led the charge for same-sex spouses of veterans to enjoy spousal benefits, no matter where they live. And he has a 100 percent rating from the LGBT rights organization Human Rights Campaign.
Udall is even a co-sponsor of legislation protecting puppies.
We will see the next line-up of endorsed candidates in the coming weeks. This effort by Cosmopolitan shouldn’t be laughed at or dismissed by conservatives. It’s the war on women electoral strategy on steroids, which was very effective in 2012. Abortion, birth control, exposing phony Republican politicians, and the role Congress plays regarding their abortion rights through judicial nominations are all listed in their reasons why they’re in this fight.
While Democratic pollsters have said that such tactics are turning women off, Cosmo apparently doesn’t care.
Conservatives are still wondering what to do regarding reaching this powerful bloc of voters that could threaten Republican chances at retaking the Senate and winning the 2016 presidential election.