The Political Consequences of Motherhood

Chapter 2. The Hand that Rocks the Cradle: 1920–1976

11 Chapter two The Hand that Rocks the Cradle: 1920–1976 This Chapter and the next document a paradox in American political history . Despite shifting gender roles, the onset and end of the second-wave women’s movement, and the increasingly diverse functions that women play in political life since female suffrage in 1920, motherhood has remained a primary way in which presidential candidates frame their appeals to female voters. As women’s modes of political participation and social roles expanded overtime, we might have expected that references to women as mothers would have diminished in the political sphere. Or we might expect the critical transformation of the two major parties with regard to women’s rights between the 1950s and 1980s would lead Republicans to focus on women as mothers in the context of family values and traditional gender roles and Democrats to focus on women as liberated individuals seeking career goals and self-fulfillment.1 Yet, neither of these scenarios is accurate. Despite tremendous change in women’s status and roles in American life, the political parties continue to view women through the lens of motherhood in presidential politics. The parties have adapted how they use motherhood in their appeals, sometimes focusing on the virtues of motherhood and at other times presenting women’s political interests in terms of mothers’ concerns. There is also variation in the prominence of motherhood across decades. At times it is the dominant way in which candidates talk about and to women, and at other times, it has taken on less prominence. Nonetheless, political discourse always returns to motherhood. Indeed, over the last three decades, when there is unprecedented diversity in women’s roles, motherhood has reemerged as a primary way in which the parties engage female voters. And though it is unclear whether the employment of motherhood in po- 12 the politiCal ConsequenCes of motherhood litical campaigns has produced actual electoral gains, candidates from both the Democratic and Republican parties engage in this discourse over time. The over-time narrative in this chapter and the next describes the regular use of motherhood-linked appeals from both parties across nine decades, and this material motivates the analysis that comes in later chapters. By establishing that motherhood is an enduring theme in presidential politics, answering questions about the actual effect of motherhood on women’s political attitudes becomes vital. The history traced out in these chapters— particularly chapter 3—provides a context for the analyses in chapters 4 and 5. Understanding how candidates addressed mothers and depicted them in political rhetoric facilitates a richer interpretation of survey data drawn from the last several decades. In addition to contextualizing later investigations in this book, this historical analysis stands on its own merits. The conclusions contrast with earlier discussions of the role of women and women’s issues in party politics. Prior scholars emphasized the polarization of parties with regard to their policies toward women (Freeman 1993; Wolbrecht 2000; Sanbonmatsu 2002). In contrast, I uncover surprising similarities in how they speak of and to women over time. Though the substance behind their rhetoric is very different , often reflecting divergent policy stances, the language used by both parties engages with motherhood, mothering, and women’s domestic roles in similar ways. This reflects an enduring belief in American political culture (a political culture that is dominated by men) that women, regardless of the expansion of their roles in society, continue to be thought of—first and foremost —as mothers. While male political elites were primarily responsible for the emphasis on motherhood when engaging women in politics, female political activists, officeholders, and candidates’ wives also invoked motherhood in their focus on issues such as prohibition, domestic violence, child care, and family medical leave. This first began with women’s self-presentation as mothers in an effort to establish legitimacy in making political claims. In response, male political actors began to regularly speak to women as mothers. This dynamic endured throughout American political history. Though the ways in which women have been rhetorically connected to politics diversified over time such that women are now seen and spoken of as soldiers, business owners, workers, and legislators, women continue to be seen as mothers. The Hand that Rocks the Cradle 13 segmenting history Presidential candidates from 1920 to 2012 used motherhood in their attempts to win female support. This expansive time period, which encompasses tremendous change with regard to women...