Just reading so many of the comments posted right here on any Contrarian subject shows Jennifer Weiss-Wolf to be absolutely correct. It seems a large portion are posted by us older women, who have been through so much and seen so much. A surprising amount of comments are posted by women in their 60s, 70s and even 80s. I'm going to be 77 in just a few days and I say "good for us." It's about time we used our power for good.
I remember, back when you were writing for the Post, you made the claim that "Women would save America from Trump.". That didn't happen.
I am a gay male at the same age as many "post menopause" women. Too many post menopause women are avid Trump supporters. Too many would toss people like me into prison on the grounds of protecting their grandchildren. Too many support restrictions on abortion. How do I know? They voted for Trump...Twice....
That said I strongly agree with building coalitions across all identifiable groups to get the majority needed to Defeat Trumpism once and for all. But I will never agree that one group will do that task or raise false hopes that will happen. Nor will I ever again fall for the false view that identity politics will save the day.
It is the fundamentals that affect everybody that needs our collective focus. The failing Trump Economy. The advancing police state, with masked ICE Storm Troopers; no taking responsibility no accountability, and constant lies.
Totally appreciating all these comments! I too mixed feelings about assuming any kind of identity politics. But have been truly surprised, maybe even heartened, by what I’ve been seeing among my own age cohort. I want to think hard about how to harness and leverage it because it really does feel different to me. Check out the minivan resistance opinion piece in the NYT today (written by a dad). Anyway, I love the opportunity to think out loud here at The Contrarian and engage with folks who read my stuff. Thanks so much for jumping in.
I'm over 80, very active on the street a d to my reps in Congress, and with donations where I can. Respectfully, I don't think we beed to be 'harnessed.' We are already self-organized, mutually supportive, engaged as a highly motivated cohort. Every protest I go to is heavily populated with older women who share passionate resistance and strategies with each other!
I'll tell you what women could save America from--myopic and entitled leadership. Sorry; men have male privilege as much as white people have white privilege. Women have always had to forge and maintain connections. I think of all of the mixed sibling groups I know in which it is the women who remember to reach out for holidays and personal events, who reach out to male siblings who never call or write, who take care of family members even though they work or should be working just like the men.
The women you mention are part of a Trump cult--just like Clarence Thomas's wife went from one indy cult to the cult of white power, which Clarence himself embraces. I have been a feminist (meaning activist) for 55 years. Don't ask me "How'd that work out for you?" Imagine if we hadn't done that. Coalitions or no, caring and rational women will always stand up for the common good, whereas men? Men often think that what's good for them is the common good.
I suggest that America quit polling and projecting how groups will think and act, since times change, people join cults, and we all have individual power that is valuable whether or not we wield it collectively.
Although I do have to agree with Ned on so many post-menopausal women being firmly in the orange dumpster's camp. But the reason for that is simple: they are ones who don't do any of their own thinking, they just blindly follow "their menfolk." What they don't get is that their menfolk is utterly incapable of thinking themselves. It will be interesting to see whom they will follow once the orange dumpster is gone and forgotten.
That's where cults win: thinking is hard, and not thinking is easier. How else could anyone vote for a known serial liar? His lies do all the hard work for them.
I don't think Ms. Weiss-Wolf is writing about identity politics in the sense of what position or action you take. What I read is that women of that age are less inhibited and more motivated to do something serious about an issue or situation about which they feel strongly. And I don't think she's saying that candidates and parties should be "playing to them," but rather that this is a part of the electorate that we've seen getting strongly engaged. Remember -- the MAGA women of this age are most happy as hell right now, so we're not seeing them active, while those of us who love our neighbors (in the words of Christ) and our democracy ARE mad as hell.
It's hard to paint with a broad brush, but the young men who flipped to Trump and might flip back seem to be swayed one way or another by economic concerns. They're not alone in that, but the older women I know who are politically active seem motivated by deeper and broader issues. I strongly suspect they'll prove to have greater stamina and won't be as fickle as young male voters.
I believe that this group could drive a "Mother's Day" push to obtain ones' birth certificate prior to the mid-terms. The official Home of the effort could give advice as to how to obtain the document. It could also run a campaign to alert Secretaries of State to be prepared for increased demand for birth certificates. The campaign could be expanded to encourage obtaining of all documents that could be necessary if the Republicans expand their voter suppression. The Mother's Day time period gives adequate time to address problems before the general election. It will also alert the public of the GOP's efforts to pick their voters rather than having voters pick their candidates.
I have already been thinking about an education campaign in my county to help women understand what to do to prepare for upcoming midterms if SAVES Act passes. The local angle will help: where to go, what to do/documents needed, how much it will cost, how much lead-time is needed locally to process the birth certificate request or passport and even female mentors to help navigate/provide transportation.
One thing to keep in mind is that right wing threat about voter id is meant to discourage women from even trying. We need to let women know that most of us are not going to have a problem, or our need to prove id will be simple to solve. That gives us room to focus on women who need advocacy or assistance to resolve sticky issues that require more than a form. For instance, in all the states I know, birth certificates aren't changed when a woman marries, and this applies to most of us. A simple "How to" sheet may be all that is needed to take care of those. That gives us the ability to help women who do not have birth certificates or whose paperwork is more complex.
I started a chapter of Indivisible in Newark, DE in December,2024, precisely because, at 73, I had grandchildren and was horrified at what was happening to the legacy of my generation. I had been an activist in the early '70's and always identified as a 'flower child.' I was not about to let the heinous corruption, misogyny and bald faced racism of a Donald Trump destroy the ideals this country was founded on, for my children and grandchildren. Ultimately, younger, more tech savvy women, took over the leadership of the group and through their superior knowledge of and engagement with social media, grew the group's membership tenfold.
There were women in our group in their late '70's, '80's and '90's who had never before protested against anything -but they could not stand silent when they saw what Trump and his band of incompetents were doing to this country.
It is the women, it is the mothers, the grandmothers, the aunties, the queer, independent women who are at the forefront of this 21st century non violent revolution. And, in many cases, they are bringing the men along with them.
But we sorely need our young ones to join us.
Don't be put off by our gray hair and wrinkles- we need your energy and strength because for all of us, this is the battle for the soul of this nation.
I am an ugly, old, fat white woman. I send political postcards, harass my even older demented mother and my entire family, I raise a f* you finger to the 399 homes in my maga neighborhood, I tell my maga siblings how stupid they are, I even tell my high school Latin teacher how stupid she is for not being brave enough to vote democrat, her son worked with Fani Willis - you can’t make this Sh* up. I also work the election polls. I’ve hired an attorney and bought a burner phone. I have copies of my passport and birth certificate. I could use to lose a few pounds. I know what a maggot looks like. Lately, I am pretty white but I’m sure they will come after us soon. God help us, but we have to do the work.
It takes us all. We all have a role to play in making this country better for everyone. And what’s more is that some of us have unique roles to making improvements in our government from making healthcare more affordable and accessible to everyone and for advocating for certain health initiatives like better treatments for chronic diseases etc. Others have roles that improve the quality of our food and water and so many other things. Anyone regardless of age or sex has a role to play. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that women in their 50’s, 60’s and beyond have a menagerie of creative ideas to contribute towards a successful and lifelong democracy!
Turning 70 on Sunday. I will say a global we-we have lived the bullshit of a male centered world: less pay for the same jobs-and the sexual innuendo or overt assaults in the workplace, credit cards in our own names, working and raising children without much help. You bet we can make our voices heard! And we must keep telling our stories to younger men and women to help them understand and advocate for their rights—and insure they VOTE!
Never poke the Mama/Gramma Bear unless you want ferocity in response! We have the time and the energy to fight peacefully, but forcefully, against this mis-administration! And we are and will continue to do so!!
Let's talk about other species, too, where females live WELL past the years when they can produce offspring.
Whales and elephants are two fine examples.
Scientists who have studied the pods/herds they live in over long periods are very clear about their value. The fact is that the accumulated knowledge and wisdom of these post-menopausal femals is VITAL for guiding the survival of their species.
These females live PAST their reproductive years because THEIR guidance is crucial for their species' well-being and its adaptation to changing circumstances.
This tickles me: as a mixed indigenous woman, we always knew that is why women live past child-bearing, and why so many indigenous people put the elder women at the center of decision-making (until the settler culture interfered). We are reclaiming this traditional approach, and it appears that the cultures that the settlers came from are also seeing the value in having middle-aged and elder women as an integral part of governance. Sad that they couldn't see this until they could "prove" it by studying other species.
It's the perfect antidote-metaphor for the war on expertise in this country. Trump thinking "charm" or threats replace skill as a diplomat or prepare one to lead a country. Maybe hire an expert consultant if you don't have any talent for the job.
Jesse and Jim and all you other guys: we are in this together! In the past, us older ladies were heavily involved in organizing, but left in the background, unseen. We have ALWAYS been active and unseen. (As a lifelong activist, I've been pushed to the sidelines more times than I can count.)
Not this time. It almost happened in my small town when a guy started an indivisible group, and then proceeded to make it a guy thing with him at the center, while women did the organizing. The group all but disintegrated. It is resurrecting now, and it is the women who are front and center, along WITH the men who see this as a thing we do together as citizens who care about democracy. THIS is how we will win.
The reasons that the older women sector isn't being discussed is due to the same sort of excuses that were used in not analyzing or presenting the threats to other sectors of the citizenry -- "it can't happen here", "we don't want to upset the powers", "women aren't worth considering", "there's going to be a big train/plane crash and we're excited to be in place to sell it", etc.
Older women need to pay attention to the SAVE act that the Republicans are pushing through Congress. It would make it difficult for women who took their husband's last name when they married to vote. When I married in 1967, it was unthinkable to not take one's husband's last name. There was nothing fraudulent or criminal about it - that is what you did. Now Trump and the Republicans would require women to produce documentation of the name change in order to register or re-register to vote. I fear it is part of a larger plan to deny women the right to vote.
Just reading so many of the comments posted right here on any Contrarian subject shows Jennifer Weiss-Wolf to be absolutely correct. It seems a large portion are posted by us older women, who have been through so much and seen so much. A surprising amount of comments are posted by women in their 60s, 70s and even 80s. I'm going to be 77 in just a few days and I say "good for us." It's about time we used our power for good.
Good for us indeed! Happy almost 77th to you!
Thank you, Jennifer.
84 here. We can make a difference, so let's DO IT!!!
I remember, back when you were writing for the Post, you made the claim that "Women would save America from Trump.". That didn't happen.
I am a gay male at the same age as many "post menopause" women. Too many post menopause women are avid Trump supporters. Too many would toss people like me into prison on the grounds of protecting their grandchildren. Too many support restrictions on abortion. How do I know? They voted for Trump...Twice....
That said I strongly agree with building coalitions across all identifiable groups to get the majority needed to Defeat Trumpism once and for all. But I will never agree that one group will do that task or raise false hopes that will happen. Nor will I ever again fall for the false view that identity politics will save the day.
It is the fundamentals that affect everybody that needs our collective focus. The failing Trump Economy. The advancing police state, with masked ICE Storm Troopers; no taking responsibility no accountability, and constant lies.
Totally appreciating all these comments! I too mixed feelings about assuming any kind of identity politics. But have been truly surprised, maybe even heartened, by what I’ve been seeing among my own age cohort. I want to think hard about how to harness and leverage it because it really does feel different to me. Check out the minivan resistance opinion piece in the NYT today (written by a dad). Anyway, I love the opportunity to think out loud here at The Contrarian and engage with folks who read my stuff. Thanks so much for jumping in.
I'm over 80, very active on the street a d to my reps in Congress, and with donations where I can. Respectfully, I don't think we beed to be 'harnessed.' We are already self-organized, mutually supportive, engaged as a highly motivated cohort. Every protest I go to is heavily populated with older women who share passionate resistance and strategies with each other!
I'll tell you what women could save America from--myopic and entitled leadership. Sorry; men have male privilege as much as white people have white privilege. Women have always had to forge and maintain connections. I think of all of the mixed sibling groups I know in which it is the women who remember to reach out for holidays and personal events, who reach out to male siblings who never call or write, who take care of family members even though they work or should be working just like the men.
The women you mention are part of a Trump cult--just like Clarence Thomas's wife went from one indy cult to the cult of white power, which Clarence himself embraces. I have been a feminist (meaning activist) for 55 years. Don't ask me "How'd that work out for you?" Imagine if we hadn't done that. Coalitions or no, caring and rational women will always stand up for the common good, whereas men? Men often think that what's good for them is the common good.
I suggest that America quit polling and projecting how groups will think and act, since times change, people join cults, and we all have individual power that is valuable whether or not we wield it collectively.
GREAT comment, KKG.
Although I do have to agree with Ned on so many post-menopausal women being firmly in the orange dumpster's camp. But the reason for that is simple: they are ones who don't do any of their own thinking, they just blindly follow "their menfolk." What they don't get is that their menfolk is utterly incapable of thinking themselves. It will be interesting to see whom they will follow once the orange dumpster is gone and forgotten.
That's where cults win: thinking is hard, and not thinking is easier. How else could anyone vote for a known serial liar? His lies do all the hard work for them.
"Orange Dumpster"? Perfect!! :-)
Thank you.
I don't think Ms. Weiss-Wolf is writing about identity politics in the sense of what position or action you take. What I read is that women of that age are less inhibited and more motivated to do something serious about an issue or situation about which they feel strongly. And I don't think she's saying that candidates and parties should be "playing to them," but rather that this is a part of the electorate that we've seen getting strongly engaged. Remember -- the MAGA women of this age are most happy as hell right now, so we're not seeing them active, while those of us who love our neighbors (in the words of Christ) and our democracy ARE mad as hell.
So grateful for your comment. Everybody recognized.
It's hard to paint with a broad brush, but the young men who flipped to Trump and might flip back seem to be swayed one way or another by economic concerns. They're not alone in that, but the older women I know who are politically active seem motivated by deeper and broader issues. I strongly suspect they'll prove to have greater stamina and won't be as fickle as young male voters.
I believe that this group could drive a "Mother's Day" push to obtain ones' birth certificate prior to the mid-terms. The official Home of the effort could give advice as to how to obtain the document. It could also run a campaign to alert Secretaries of State to be prepared for increased demand for birth certificates. The campaign could be expanded to encourage obtaining of all documents that could be necessary if the Republicans expand their voter suppression. The Mother's Day time period gives adequate time to address problems before the general election. It will also alert the public of the GOP's efforts to pick their voters rather than having voters pick their candidates.
I have already been thinking about an education campaign in my county to help women understand what to do to prepare for upcoming midterms if SAVES Act passes. The local angle will help: where to go, what to do/documents needed, how much it will cost, how much lead-time is needed locally to process the birth certificate request or passport and even female mentors to help navigate/provide transportation.
One thing to keep in mind is that right wing threat about voter id is meant to discourage women from even trying. We need to let women know that most of us are not going to have a problem, or our need to prove id will be simple to solve. That gives us room to focus on women who need advocacy or assistance to resolve sticky issues that require more than a form. For instance, in all the states I know, birth certificates aren't changed when a woman marries, and this applies to most of us. A simple "How to" sheet may be all that is needed to take care of those. That gives us the ability to help women who do not have birth certificates or whose paperwork is more complex.
That is a great idea! Maybe an "I VOTE" presence on substack with printable "how to's."
I started a chapter of Indivisible in Newark, DE in December,2024, precisely because, at 73, I had grandchildren and was horrified at what was happening to the legacy of my generation. I had been an activist in the early '70's and always identified as a 'flower child.' I was not about to let the heinous corruption, misogyny and bald faced racism of a Donald Trump destroy the ideals this country was founded on, for my children and grandchildren. Ultimately, younger, more tech savvy women, took over the leadership of the group and through their superior knowledge of and engagement with social media, grew the group's membership tenfold.
There were women in our group in their late '70's, '80's and '90's who had never before protested against anything -but they could not stand silent when they saw what Trump and his band of incompetents were doing to this country.
It is the women, it is the mothers, the grandmothers, the aunties, the queer, independent women who are at the forefront of this 21st century non violent revolution. And, in many cases, they are bringing the men along with them.
But we sorely need our young ones to join us.
Don't be put off by our gray hair and wrinkles- we need your energy and strength because for all of us, this is the battle for the soul of this nation.
I am an ugly, old, fat white woman. I send political postcards, harass my even older demented mother and my entire family, I raise a f* you finger to the 399 homes in my maga neighborhood, I tell my maga siblings how stupid they are, I even tell my high school Latin teacher how stupid she is for not being brave enough to vote democrat, her son worked with Fani Willis - you can’t make this Sh* up. I also work the election polls. I’ve hired an attorney and bought a burner phone. I have copies of my passport and birth certificate. I could use to lose a few pounds. I know what a maggot looks like. Lately, I am pretty white but I’m sure they will come after us soon. God help us, but we have to do the work.
“We may well be the ones best suited — in sagacity, in tenacity, in temperament — to help save democracy.” Agreed!
It takes us all. We all have a role to play in making this country better for everyone. And what’s more is that some of us have unique roles to making improvements in our government from making healthcare more affordable and accessible to everyone and for advocating for certain health initiatives like better treatments for chronic diseases etc. Others have roles that improve the quality of our food and water and so many other things. Anyone regardless of age or sex has a role to play. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that women in their 50’s, 60’s and beyond have a menagerie of creative ideas to contribute towards a successful and lifelong democracy!
Turning 70 on Sunday. I will say a global we-we have lived the bullshit of a male centered world: less pay for the same jobs-and the sexual innuendo or overt assaults in the workplace, credit cards in our own names, working and raising children without much help. You bet we can make our voices heard! And we must keep telling our stories to younger men and women to help them understand and advocate for their rights—and insure they VOTE!
Never poke the Mama/Gramma Bear unless you want ferocity in response! We have the time and the energy to fight peacefully, but forcefully, against this mis-administration! And we are and will continue to do so!!
It's not just us humans.
Let's talk about other species, too, where females live WELL past the years when they can produce offspring.
Whales and elephants are two fine examples.
Scientists who have studied the pods/herds they live in over long periods are very clear about their value. The fact is that the accumulated knowledge and wisdom of these post-menopausal femals is VITAL for guiding the survival of their species.
These females live PAST their reproductive years because THEIR guidance is crucial for their species' well-being and its adaptation to changing circumstances.
This tickles me: as a mixed indigenous woman, we always knew that is why women live past child-bearing, and why so many indigenous people put the elder women at the center of decision-making (until the settler culture interfered). We are reclaiming this traditional approach, and it appears that the cultures that the settlers came from are also seeing the value in having middle-aged and elder women as an integral part of governance. Sad that they couldn't see this until they could "prove" it by studying other species.
I totally agree. I'm thinking of the role of older women among the Six Nations...
It's the perfect antidote-metaphor for the war on expertise in this country. Trump thinking "charm" or threats replace skill as a diplomat or prepare one to lead a country. Maybe hire an expert consultant if you don't have any talent for the job.
As a straight about-to-be 73 years-old male, I too, have fewer f's to give.
At 84, and being engaged in politics for my adult life, I don't have any!
Jesse and Jim and all you other guys: we are in this together! In the past, us older ladies were heavily involved in organizing, but left in the background, unseen. We have ALWAYS been active and unseen. (As a lifelong activist, I've been pushed to the sidelines more times than I can count.)
Not this time. It almost happened in my small town when a guy started an indivisible group, and then proceeded to make it a guy thing with him at the center, while women did the organizing. The group all but disintegrated. It is resurrecting now, and it is the women who are front and center, along WITH the men who see this as a thing we do together as citizens who care about democracy. THIS is how we will win.
The reasons that the older women sector isn't being discussed is due to the same sort of excuses that were used in not analyzing or presenting the threats to other sectors of the citizenry -- "it can't happen here", "we don't want to upset the powers", "women aren't worth considering", "there's going to be a big train/plane crash and we're excited to be in place to sell it", etc.
Older women need to pay attention to the SAVE act that the Republicans are pushing through Congress. It would make it difficult for women who took their husband's last name when they married to vote. When I married in 1967, it was unthinkable to not take one's husband's last name. There was nothing fraudulent or criminal about it - that is what you did. Now Trump and the Republicans would require women to produce documentation of the name change in order to register or re-register to vote. I fear it is part of a larger plan to deny women the right to vote.
Interesting! At 65, I agree. Thank you!
Thank you and Amen!!!!