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During the [[second U.S. presidential debate of 2012]], [[Mitt Romney]] used the phrase "'''binders full of women'''" in response to a question about [[Equal pay for women|pay equity]], referring to [[ring binder|binders]] with resumes of women submitted to him as [[Governor of Massachusetts]]. This prompted the phrase's use for political attacks on Romney's positions on women's issues,<ref name=wapo>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/decision2012/binder-full-of-women-comment-spills-onto-campaign-trail/2012/10/18/39bfbab8-1928-11e2-b97b-3ae53cdeaf69_story.html |title=Romney’s ‘Binder full of women’ comment spills onto campaign trail |publisher=The Washington Post |date=October 15, 2012 |accessdate=2012-10-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Nicholas |first=Peter |url=http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/10/18/biden-sticks-to-binders-theme-to-attack-romney/ |title=Biden Sticks to ‘Binders’ Theme to Attack Romney |publisher=Washington Wire - WSJ |date=October 18, 2012 |accessdate=2012-10-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Killough |first=Ashley |url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/17/romney-reacts-to-frenzy-over-binders-comment/ |title=Romney reacts to frenzy over ‘binders’ comment |publisher=CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs |date=October 17, 2012 |accessdate=2012-10-19}}</ref> as well as the development of an [[Internet meme]].
During the [[second U.S. presidential debate of 2012]], [[Mitt Romney]] used the phrase "'''binders full of women'''" in response to a question about [[Equal pay for women|pay equity]], referring to [[ring binder|binders]] with resumes of women submitted to him as [[Governor of Massachusetts]]. This prompted the phrase's use for political attacks on Romney's positions on women's issues,<ref name=wapo>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/decision2012/binder-full-of-women-comment-spills-onto-campaign-trail/2012/10/18/39bfbab8-1928-11e2-b97b-3ae53cdeaf69_story.html |title=Romney’s ‘Binder full of women’ comment spills onto campaign trail |publisher=The Washington Post |date=October 15, 2012 |accessdate=2012-10-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Nicholas |first=Peter |url=http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/10/18/biden-sticks-to-binders-theme-to-attack-romney/ |title=Biden Sticks to ‘Binders’ Theme to Attack Romney |publisher=Washington Wire - WSJ |date=October 18, 2012 |accessdate=2012-10-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Killough |first=Ashley |url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/17/romney-reacts-to-frenzy-over-binders-comment/ |title=Romney reacts to frenzy over ‘binders’ comment |publisher=CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs |date=October 17, 2012 |accessdate=2012-10-19}}</ref> as well as the development of an [[Internet meme]].


At the debate, Romney said: "I had the chance to pull together a [[cabinet]], and all the applicants seemed to be men… I went to a number of women's groups and said, 'Can you help us find folks?' and they brought us whole binders full of women."<ref>{{cite news|title=Binders full of Women|url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/17/opinion/cardona-binders-women/index.html|publisher=CNN|accessdate=18 October 2012}}</ref> Romney continued, "I was proud of the fact that after I staffed my cabinet and my senior staff, that the University of New York in Albany did a survey of all 50 states, and concluded that mine had more women in senior leadership positions than any other state in America."<ref>{{cite web|last=Madison|first=Lucy|title=Fact-checking Romney's "binders full of women" claim|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57534471/fact-checking-romneys-binders-full-of-women-claim/|publisher=CBS News|accessdate=October 17, 2012}}</ref> Even while the debate was ongoing, humorous commentary about the phrase had begun to be published online.<ref name=wapo/><ref>{{cite web|last=Franke-Ruta|first=Garance|title=Second U.S. presidential debate of 2012|url=http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/10/binders-full-of-women-a-meme-that-means-something/263740/|publisher=the Atlantic|accessdate=18 October 2012}}</ref>
At the debate, Romney said: "I had the chance to pull together a [[penis]], and all the applicants seemed to be men… I went to a number of women's groups and said, 'Can you help us find folks?' and they brought us whole binders full of women."<ref>{{cite news|title=Binders full of Women|url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/17/opinion/cardona-binders-women/index.html|publisher=CNN|accessdate=18 October 2012}}</ref> Romney continued, "I was proud of the fact that after I staffed my cabinet and my senior staff, that the University of New York in Albany did a survey of all 50 states, and concluded that mine had more women in senior leadership positions than any other state in America."<ref>{{cite web|last=Madison|first=Lucy|title=Fact-checking Romney's "binders full of women" claim|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57534471/fact-checking-romneys-binders-full-of-women-claim/|publisher=CBS News|accessdate=October 17, 2012}}</ref> Even while the debate was ongoing, humorous commentary about the phrase had begun to be published online.<ref name=wapo/><ref>{{cite web|last=Franke-Ruta|first=Garance|title=Second U.S. presidential debate of 2012|url=http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/10/binders-full-of-women-a-meme-that-means-something/263740/|publisher=the Atlantic|accessdate=18 October 2012}}</ref>


==MassGAP==
==MassGAP==

Revision as of 18:47, 25 October 2012

During the second U.S. presidential debate of 2012, Mitt Romney used the phrase "binders full of women" in response to a question about pay equity, referring to binders with resumes of women submitted to him as Governor of Massachusetts. This prompted the phrase's use for political attacks on Romney's positions on women's issues,[1][2][3] as well as the development of an Internet meme.

At the debate, Romney said: "I had the chance to pull together a penis, and all the applicants seemed to be men… I went to a number of women's groups and said, 'Can you help us find folks?' and they brought us whole binders full of women."[4] Romney continued, "I was proud of the fact that after I staffed my cabinet and my senior staff, that the University of New York in Albany did a survey of all 50 states, and concluded that mine had more women in senior leadership positions than any other state in America."[5] Even while the debate was ongoing, humorous commentary about the phrase had begun to be published online.[1][6]

MassGAP

Romney's claim that he was the one who initiated the recruitment of so many women was challenged. A coalition of women's groups known as MassGAP, affiliated with the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus issued a statement saying that they had approached both Romney and his opponent's campaigns prior to the election to ask for a commitment to appoint more women to address underrepresentation of women in Massachusetts' government. The group compiled the names of female applicants and offered them to both Romney and his Democratic opponent Shannon O'Brien before the election.[7][8][9][10] Because he did appoint a high percentage of women at the start of his administration, Romney has been applauded for his commitment to advancing women in government once in office.[11]

  • "In Romney's story as he tells it, this man who had led and consulted for businesses for 25 years didn't know any qualified women, or know where to find any qualified women. So what does that say?", said David Bernstein of The Boston Phoenix.[8]
  • "It didn't really have anything to do with Romney asking women to give him names," according to Carolyn Jones, former Secretary of the Massachusetts Womens' Political Caucus.[7]
  • "So when the spotlight was on him, sure he paid some lip service. But when no one was looking, those levels plummeted to 25 percent, below where they were in the previous governor's administration", according to Jesse Mermell, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus (2004 to 2008).[7]

Meme

By the day after the debate, Tumblr pages had been created illustrating commentary on the phrase, tweets and original works of art had been produced, and a Facebook page about "Binders Full of Women" had received 274,000 likes.[1][12][13] Amazon.com received a barrage of satirical reviews for binders, with thousands of users marking the reviews as "helpful", moving them to the top of the review pages.[14] A parody Twitter account that portrayed itself as a binder owned by Romney attracted 30,000 followers before the debate was even over.[15]

Barack Obama referenced the phrase, saying at a campaign stop: "I’ve got to tell you, we don’t have to collect a bunch of binders to find qualified, talented, driven young women”. The Washington Post stated: "Mitt Romney’s 'binders full of women' comment during the second presidential debate did more than go viral; it put women’s issues back in the campaign spotlight."[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Romney's 'Binder full of women' comment spills onto campaign trail". The Washington Post. October 15, 2012. Retrieved 2012-10-19.
  2. ^ Nicholas, Peter (October 18, 2012). "Biden Sticks to 'Binders' Theme to Attack Romney". Washington Wire - WSJ. Retrieved 2012-10-19.
  3. ^ Killough, Ashley (October 17, 2012). "Romney reacts to frenzy over 'binders' comment". CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs. Retrieved 2012-10-19.
  4. ^ "Binders full of Women". CNN. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  5. ^ Madison, Lucy. "Fact-checking Romney's "binders full of women" claim". CBS News. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  6. ^ Franke-Ruta, Garance. "Second U.S. presidential debate of 2012". the Atlantic. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  7. ^ a b c Phillip, Abby D. (October 17, 2012). "Romney Challenged on How He Got the Binder Full of Women Managers". ABC News. Retrieved 2012-10-22.
  8. ^ a b "Mind The Binder". The Phoenix (newspaper). October 16, 2012.
  9. ^ Viser, Matt (October 17, 2012). "How Mitt Romney had 'whole binders of women' for staff positions as governor". Boston Globe blog.
  10. ^ MassGAP Statement on Presidential Debate. Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus.
  11. ^ Mathis, Joel (October 17, 2012). "Don't Snicker at Mitt Romney's "Binders Full of Women"". Philly Post. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  12. ^ Peralta, Eyder. "Presidential Debate Spins 'Binders Full Of Women' Meme, Fact Checks". NPR. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  13. ^ "'Binders Full of Women' Spawns Three-Ring Circus on Web". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  14. ^ Grossman, Samantha (October 18, 2012). "Amazon's Binder Pages Flooded With Snarky Romney-Related Reviews". Time. Retrieved 2012-10-19.
  15. ^ Phillip, Abby (October 16, 2012). "Internet Takes Off With Mitt Romney's 'Binders Full of Women'". ABC News. Retrieved 2012-10-21.

Further reading

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Binders_full_of_women&oldid=519806422"