For those republican politicians who tout they know what women want, I encourage them to stop talking and start listening.

It’s no secret that I’m a Democrat. But then, how could I not be? When my rights as a woman are at stake in every election, I can’t help but see the Republican views of women’s rights as a federal or state restriction of my own body and my own personhood. It’s personal. It’s very personal.

When I hear representatives use anti-choice language in their campaigns, I know they’re talking to a very specific religious group of people who want to hear that – but I’m not in that group. They make it sound like people who are pro-choice are for abortion. We’re not for abortion, we’re FOR women’s rights to make choices for themselves. When Republican candidates begin voting on forcible rape by inserting a probe in a woman’s vagina for the purpose of forcing her to see the fetus in her stomach before she has an abortion, I know they don’t believe that women know what’s best for themselves. It’s an insult. It’s an attempt at state legalized rape. It’s cruel and it’s medically unnecessary. I don’t believe any legislator knows what’s best for a woman’s health above the individual woman herself.

When I hear politicians campaign on “getting rid of” Planned Parenthood, a wonderful organization that provides reproductive health care primarily to women (but also to men), I know that they are not seeing the big picture, and the goal is to keep women down. Let women figure it out for themselves, they say. Women don’t make babies all by themselves, but when it’s legal for women’s health insurance to charge her 25% more than men’s, coupled with a national average pay that’s 19% less than men’s, I find it astounding that any politician would promote that women are expected to pick up the tab for the growth of our population – from birth control to prenatal checkups to college and everything in between. For those who don’t know, child support can only be collected from men who choose to work “on the radar”. The term “deadbeat dads” didn’t happen by accident. Who picks up the slack? Women of course. And if a woman can’t afford to feed her children, who picks up that tab? Taxpayers of course. “Getting rid of ” Planned Parenthood is a fiscally stupid move for taxpayers. It’s cheaper than prenatal care. It’s cheaper than a birth delivery. It’s cheaper than the lunch subsidies. It’s cheaper than a high school education. Birth control is cheaper than the alternative.

I do not subscribe to the “religious conservative” views and all of the anti-choice rhetoric that goes against women’s freedom to make health choices for themselves. I’ll never do that. However,  as a business owner, I do subscribe to financially conservative views, but I won’t vote for fiscal conservatives when they couple those views with religious conservatism. Every time I heard Santorum talk about being “the true conservative,” there was no question in my mind that he was referring to his religious conservatism. I don’t think I ever heard him announce a plan for improving the economy. When he said he felt a need to discuss contraception with American women, I wanted to vomit. The last thing I need from our president is a lecture on the health risks of contraception. I have a doctor and she’s licensed to practice medicine. I’ll take her advice and I’ll make my own decisions about my health.

As long as the Republican message focuses on reducing or eliminating women’s reproductive freedom, I won’t vote for them. No matter what other messages they may have about boosting the economy, reducing the unemployment rates, lowering interest rates for my mortgage, improving education, increasing safety, etc. etc., I won’t vote for them. My reproductive rights will always trump those other issues.

I will never vote to reduce my legal rights. It seems silly that anyone would.

Now, if they are willing to put an end to campaigning for the reduction of women’s reproductive freedom, it would be a huge step – a bold step – the right step.

I wish Republicans would put their foot down and have the courage to protect women’s health care and start focusing on other issues that aren’t such a direct attack on the things that women truly need. They should be supporting these things, not catering to a group of religious zealots.

Did it ever occur to Republicans that they might be able to swap the religious vote for the female vote? I guess not.

Women are 52% of the voting population. Because the Democratic party is largely for protecting women’s reproductive freedom and for providing access to reproductive health care for lower-income women, I will stay a Democrat. If the Republicans would ever have the courage to stand up for women and make the election about ANYTHING else, I’d be willing to listen to what they have to say and maybe even vote for them.

I would never trust Romney because he caters to whoever is listening, but maybe someone else might come along who has the courage to make the election about OTHER issues. It’s time.