The Gaggle: Women and the GOP

>>> every candidate was different. you know, each one of them. there were obviously examples of candidates that ting frightened some women. but they were the exception, rather than the norm in the party. and you know, all of those social issues are very, very heartfelt by people. and i understand that. there are differences. and people, you know, there just will be. and i'm glad that in our party, we have room for all of them. i think that's important too.

>> michael steele , laura bush borrowing a little tough talk there from her mother-in-law. that sounded almost like barbara bush . frightword.

>> i think it's an accurate word. and it speaks very true to what happened and how women felt about the messaging in our party and what we were saying to them. so, yeah, bravo, laura.

>> you know, rachel, it's interesting not to see more republicans haven't jumped on this issue about, you know, republicans have talked about their inability to talk to is h hispanics, because they've turned them off on tone. the same thing with a lot of suburban woman. specifically older women who were turned off on tone.

>> and i think that was in part because there was an easy policy pivot to discuss after the election. this issue of immigration, which of all the issues in washington, sounds like one where there might be some coming together between the parties. there's not that same sort of unifying issue on the women's vote and an obviously way to turn and speak to women's issues, although you'll notice how quickly the violence against women act suddenly passed after the election.

>> it's a good point on immigration. like republicans try to solve their hispanic problem before their women's problem.

>> it's not just tone, though, it's platform and immigration is one of it, particularly the south deportation of 11 million people. nobody's ever done that. but where i would disagree, they've not only frightened people, they said something to the effect that it was just a few of them. it's a whole bunch of them. and i'm one of the folk s that say, by the way, it's not just broken on the right, where i think it's more broken, it's broken on the left too. and i hope we're going to talk about entitlements and sequestration, by the way.

>> anyway, shameless plugs. do you have a plug for me?

>> plug?

>> plug something.

>> the dodgers, they'll be the champions this year.

>> we're shamelessly plugging politico crow this morning, bringing follows our politics.

>> i like the idea of selling subscriptions.

>> i would plug cardinal lanny davis ' new book, "crisis tales" is out now.

>> that's it for this edition. coming up next, chris jansing , she is at the vatican. bye-bye.