Obama campaign’s “Life of Julia” and GOP outrage further exposes why they’re losing women’s votes

In case you missed it, Obama’s presidential campaign released a new website yesterday, The Life of Julia, that draws comparisons between what an American middle class woman’s life would look like under a Romney administration compared to Obama. While on it’s head, the idea of using one (white, cisgender) fictional character to represent the many differently lived experiences of women in the U.S. may make some folks feel meh, but as Ana Marie points out, this tool was not about this imaginary character, but about exposing the real policies that would actually affect millions of women under a Romney administration.

Even so, conservative bloggers created a shitstorm of hatery on the interwebs over it, demonizing the campaign for defining Julia’s life only in relationship to the government. Some called it, “[A] perfect example of the man’s cradle-to-grave welfare mentality,” and others like the notoriously misogynist Ace of Spaces even called it “paternalistic.” Because, as Amanda noted, only rich people should benefit from the government!

But time for #realtalk y’all: conservatives are grasping. They know that Romney doesn’t have women’s votes and this is was an opportunity to create some online brouhaha and attempt to shift the conversation. But unfortunately for them, that will not change the reality; just yesterday, a new poll came out showing Obama is leading with women voters in three critical states: Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida. And between mocking campaign cartoon characters and even tying it to Obama’s ex-girlfriends (really?), conservatives are reaching — and hard — making themselves look like even bigger condescending assholes in the process.

Because there’s one constant that they can’t escape: Policy trumps rhetoric, and U.S. women aren’t fools. No bunk Twitter campaign is going to change that.