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"But we also have to talk about what a governor can do. A governor can address housing prices, a governor can address the cost of education, a governor can put money into the pockets of everyday, hardworking Georgians instead of giving tax cuts to the wealthy. That’s what I talk about on the trail and that’s what’s resonating.

But let’s not pretend that women—half the population—especially those of childbearing age, they understand that having a child is absolutely an economic issue. It is only politicians who see it as simply another cultural conversation. It is a real biological and economic imperative conversation that women need to have.”

She's talking about the personal economic effects of having a child, especially in economically uncertain times, not it helping the economy as a whole.

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1. It’s always the sound bite that puts the politician’s foot in their mouth.

2. Ask a mother if that “childbearing” part isn’t condescending. Don’t tell her who said it just show it to her.

3. The first part of “what a governor can do” I thought you were quoting Brian Kemp because that’s what he *did*. If you show that first sentence to 50 people, 40 would say it came from Kemp. She is actually helping her opponent.

4. Children is certainly a core cultural conversation we must have not just an individual one. And regarding abortion, which is what she means: Do we say we should euthanize old parents and it’s just a personal economic imperative?

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Oct 21, 2022·edited Oct 21, 2022

#1 is undoubtedly true: I just have higher expectations for those writing about it to dig in past the soundbite.

#2 and #4 are both ignoring that it's about potential mothers, or mothers who already have children and don't want another due to economic concerns - the sort of thing women have considered since time immemorial, leading to all sorts of methods to prevent or terminate pregnancy (some more effective than others).

Deciding whether to have children or not is an individual personal decision, not one that culture can/should demand or have any say upon.

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author

Agreed. My time is limited and for the price of the newsletter it’s still a bargain 😀

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