“A lot of women look at the Republican platform on abortion, contraception, a number of issues,” CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley told Ann Romney, “and ask the question whether Republicans have women’s best interests at heart?”
Pelley’s loaded question came just after he held up his smart phone so Mrs. Romney could see how the Obama campaign “is starting a tour called the ‘Romney-Ryan: Wrong for Women’ tour, and that’s the logo.”
Next week, will Pelley be consistent and hit Michelle Obama from the right on left-wing planks in the Democratic platform which might turn off less liberal women?
Pelley’s approach with Mrs. Romney matched the pattern since 1988, as documented in the Media Reality Check, “The Media vs. the GOP: Intolerant, Anti-Women, and Always Too Conservative [1],” in which the MRC’s Rich Noyes documented how “network reporters always seem to scold the delegates and the platform as too conservative, hostile to women...”
Monday night: “CBS’s Pelley Presses Mitt Romney: ‘I Wonder How You Would Explain this Republican Party to Your Father [2]?’”
From the pre-recorded interview aired on the Tuesday, August 28 CBS Evening News:
SCOTT PELLEY: I want to show you this to you. The President – I don’t know if you’ve heard about this yet – but the President is starting a tour called the “Romney-Ryan: Wrong for Women” tour, and that’s the logo [shows her his smart phone screen]-
ANN ROMNEY: Oh, boy. (laughs)
PELLEY: -for the tour. But a lot of women look at the Republican platform on abortion, contraception, a number of issues, and ask the question whether Republicans have women’s best interests at heart?
ANN ROMNEY: You know, I – I think if you – if you really want to understand what is going to be important for their families and for their future for their children, then you will very seriously consider how important it is that you have someone that is going to be very aware of how significant that job will be for that child that's coming out of college; that there'll be better opportunities, better employment, and better economic security. And so, I am convinced if women really take this seriously, they will very seriously consider voting for this, and I – that's what I'm hearing when I'm out there. I am hearing the passion from women about the economy.
-- Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center. Click here [3] to follow Brent Baker on Twitter.