Poor Ann Kuster. I almost feel sorry for her (note: I said “almost”). Her Democratic playbook doesn’t have an addendum or “trouble-shooting” section called “What to do if your opponent defies ugly stereotypes,” or “How female candidates can attack other female candidates without sounding hypocritical and insulting.”
As we’d say down here in Mississippi: “Bless her heart!”
MarilindaGarcia.com is as fresh and direct as she is
Back in April, when I had the pleasure of interviewing Marilinda Garcia for our candidate profile piece, I was struck by her sincere, direct approach to answering tough questions and addressing the key issues facing her constituents, and the nation as a whole. I’m thrilled to report that her new website merely reinforces my initial impression, and does a superb job conveying it for a much broader audience.
I’m not just saying this as a campaign-watcher and reporter either; I’m saying this as a User Experience professional with years of experience. Mari’s site does what every campaign website should do, but often doesn’t: it uses imagery and words in perfect harmony, with intuitive navigation, and straightforward relevant content, to help the people of New Hampshire’s second district – and those of us who share their concerns nationwide – get to know this remarkable woman, quickly, and easily.
In fact, if all I did was visit the homepage, I would very clearly understand that Marilinda Garcia is not only someone I’d like to know, she’s a political force to be reckoned with. In the digital communications world, we call that “WINNING!”
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According to Kenny Cunningham, Communications Director for Mari’s campaign, I’m not alone:
"We’ve received an overwhelmingly positive response to our new site since it went live and we look forward to continuing to build it out, as we move forward."
Kudos to Brendan Fulmer’s team, and to the candidate herself; all of you should be proud of what you’ve achieved with the site. More than most, I know how much leadership, humility, and maturity it requires from your “client” to turn out something this good. In that respect, the finished product speaks volumes about Marilinda herself, most importantly that she is exactly the type of person New Hampshire needs to send to Washington D.C.
Meanwhile, Ann Kuster remains stuck on stereotyping women
(Audible sigh)
In 2014, one would think women had progressed to a point where our entire world-view wasn’t shaped by our biology. Indeed I pretty much thought we had, but it seems as though Ann Kuster disagrees.
In response to the recent Supreme Court ruling in the so-called “Hobby Lobby” case, Kuster said:
The Supreme Court’s decision on the Hobby Lobby case is a step backwards for New Hampshire women and their families. Not only will this decision limit access to health care coverage for Granite State women, it will allow some employers to dictate a woman’s health care choices – something that can and should only be decided by each individual woman for herself.
There’s just one problem: That’s a lie, and what’s more? It’s a lie she only expects women to believe because she obviously expects women to be fixated on being women, even at the expense of our individual liberty, and the liberty of our friends and neighbors. To hear Kuster talk, you would think we were all prisoners of our wombs, not intelligent, free-thinking individuals who care about upholding the law (in this case, the RFRA, a law sponsored by Democrats and signed into law by Bill Clinton), even if that means we have to pay for our own birth control.
The Hobby Lobby ruling does not “limit access” to “healthcare” at all. Never mind that Ann Kuster appears to equate “abortion” with “healthcare,” every female employee of that company, or any other who seeks the same protection after this ruling, may still use her earnings to go out and buy the four (count them, only four, the other 16 are covered) methods of birth control Hobby Lobby will not be compelled to subsidize.
That’s right, subsidize. All the ruling says is that some companies – closely held, private companies – with “sincerely held” religious convictions, may opt-out of provisions of ObamaCare requiring employers to subsidize coverage for, not provide access to, birth control – there’s a big difference.
Hobby Lobby’s owners do not want to use their money to subsidize the purchase of abortifacients because their sincerely held belief is that abortion is wrong. The Supreme Court ruling does not say employees will be locked in irons and prevented from going to the drugstore or Planned Parenthood on their own; it does not say they will be or can be terminated for doing so; it does not shut down those establishments to prevent those employees from having “access” to abortifacients (or, in Annie Kuster’s world, “healthcare”); and finally, it’s beyond absurd for a Democrat like Ann Kuster, who wholeheartedly endorses ObamaCare, to pretend to care about women’s “freedom to choose.”
ObamaCare, with its individual mandate, and it’s “minimum acceptable coverage” is, after all, nothing less than the federal government “dictating” a woman’s most fundamental “healthcare choice:” whether or not to spend her income on health “coverage” of any kind, never mind something so specific as “birth control.” What would Ann Kuster say to – for example – a single mother on a tight budget who has to choose between paying the government’s fine, er, “tax” at the end of the year, or the still sky-high premiums of the new minimally acceptable policy options? Even with subsidies, many New Hampshire families – especially those headed by women – face such a choice thanks to Democrats like Kuster.
In contrast, whether any one woman agrees or disagrees with Marilinda’s personal stance on abortion, she can feel confident that Mari has her back when it comes to protecting her freedom to choose whether or not to involve government in any area of her life, not just her healthcare. She opposes ObamaCare and always has, and instead supports a woman’s right to choose every aspect of her or her family’s healthcare, starting with her right to choose to save her own money, rather than be forced by law to buy health insurance.
Unlike Kuster, who has no problem telling a woman with high blood pressure that her choice of medication or doctor isn’t covered because some government bureaucrat doesn’t think they meet “minimum” standards or because they exceed “maximum” costs – Marilinda Garcia has a big problem “dictating” not only what women should buy, but what they should think or want.
In response to Kuster’s remarks, Marilinda Garcia said:
It is time that Ann Kuster and her Liberal allies stop saying that women have to act or think a certain way in order to be women,” said Garcia. “We have a right to independent thought and freedom of association. Women can stand up for what we believe in while debating public policy and making choices for ourselves. We can lead organizations, run businesses, serve our country, or stay home with our children—all things which we should be applauded for, not insulted.
Thank you, my thoughts exactly.
Kuster should reconsider her choice of words, because if she’s going to pretend she’s just outraged that anyone should “dictate” a woman’s healthcare choices, she’s going to have to answer for her support for ObamaCare itself, something Marilinda Garcia doesn’t have to do. So who’s the real defender of a woman’s “right to choose?” Hint: not Kuster.
The people of the NH02 are lucky to have Marilinda Garcia
In that April piece about Mari, I said “I envy the residents of the second district” of New Hampshire, and it’s more true today than ever. As a woman, and as an independent-thinking person, period, I am not looking for representation that agrees with every single personal opinion I hold! I am looking for someone who respects my intelligence enough to talk to me as honestly and directly as possible about the issues; someone I trust to deal in facts, not emotion, who will never talk to me as if I’m a stereotype or member of some monolithic collective, rather than as an individual.
Marilinda Garcia is such a person, and the people – not just women – of the NH02 are lucky to have her on the ballot this fall.