Obama says rape is rape. But why is rape a political issue? - Women's Agenda

Obama says rape is rape. But why is rape a political issue?

Mitt Romney’s run for the White House has picked up pace over the last few weeks, particularly among women.

While President Barack Obama initially appeared to have a 16-point win over Romney with women voters, both candidates are now drawn at 47-47, according to recent polls. 

But now that Romney has decided to stand behind Indiana Senate candidate Richard Mourdock, who ignited controversy when he claimed that “rape was something God intended to happen”, President Obama is using this opportunity to discredit the Republican presidential hopeful on his stance on women’s issues, and renewing the argument that the republicans are “waging a war on women”.

Mourdouck, when asked during a debate if abortions should be allowed in cases of rape or incest responded “I think even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen.”

His comments come down a long line of Republican politicians who believe they are either physicians, or somehow physically equipped to speak about rape and issues concerning a woman’s body.

Romney’s reluctance to distance himself from Mourdouck, despite criticising his views, have been used by the Obama campaign to draw links between Romney and Republican politicians often conservative views on social issues.

Obama, appearing Wednesday night on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, aired his thoughts on the comments made by the Indiana Senate candidate.

“I don’t know how these guys come up with these ideas… Rape is rape. It is a crime. And so, these various distinctions about rape don’t make too much sense to me, don’t make any sense to me.”

“Rape is a crime, and politicians — particularly male politicians — shouldn’t be making decisions about women’s health care,” Obama told Leno.

With election day drawing closer, both candidates are ramping up on speaking about women’s issues to fuel the race in gaining the critical numbers from female voters. A recent Gallup poll suggested that amongst potential female voters, issues like abortion were most important to them.

A renewed focus on social issues in the final weeks of the election could be particularly damaging for Romney: among potential female voters, 55% say Obama would make the right decisions on women’s issues, compared with 41% who believe that Romney would.

Obama framed the abortion issue as a political matter, telling Leno that the next elected President likely would appoint a new Supreme Court justice who could potentially change federal abortion laws in the Roe Vs Wade Act.

Romney has previously said that he would like to see the 1973 Act that legalized abortion, overturned.

What do you think about Obama’s comments? Do you think these comments should be part of the political conversation?

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