Is the League of Women Voters really nonpartisan?

[DCal430]

The LWV is well known as a NonPartisan womens voter advocacy group, but looking at issues they support which include:

Universal Healthcare,
Abortion Rights,
Regulations on Pollution (Acknowledges Global Warming),

Here are the list of things the LWV supports:

http://ca.lwv.org/issues/all

I support most of these things my self, but I don't see how the league can be nonpartisan if these are things it supports, when clearly only one side supports most of these things.

 

[nehalem256]

They are nonpartisan in the same way Fox News is "Fair and Balanced"

 

[michal1980]

They are nonpartisan in the same way Fox News is "Fair and Balanced"

too true

 

[RabidMongoose]

I bet that they also support women's right to vote. That's so nonpartisan from a republican perspective!

 

[techs]

Clearly you do not understand what "non partisan" means.

Here is how the League of Women Voters works:

The League of Women Voters has as its official position that it is strictly nonpartisan; it neither supports nor opposes candidates for office at any level of government. At the same time, the League is wholeheartedly political and works to influence policy through advocacy. The league takes a stand on many political issues after studying them and coming to a consensus on a position. The league works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and to influence public policy through education and advocacy, as well as through political lobbying of Congress.

 

[Moonbeam]

Oh my God. I'm going to eat some worms.

 

[DCal430]

Clearly you do not understand what "non partisan" means.

Here is how the League of Women Voters works:

The League of Women Voters has as its official position that it is strictly nonpartisan; it neither supports nor opposes candidates for office at any level of government. At the same time, the League is wholeheartedly political and works to influence policy through advocacy. The league takes a stand on many political issues after studying them and coming to a consensus on a position. The league works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and to influence public policy through education and advocacy, as well as through political lobbying of Congress.

While the league doesn't give money to or endorse candidates, when you have one party whose platform is very much at odds with the issues the league supports, and the league is giving money to stop that parties platform it makes you wonder.

 

[techs]

While the league doesn't give money to or endorse candidates, when you have one party whose platform is very much at odds with the issues the league supports, and the league is giving money to stop that parties platform it makes you wonder.

What does it make you wonder? They publicly support no candidates. The give no money to any candidates. They allow no candidates to claim their support. Nor do they allow any political parties to do so.

They are for things like equal rights for women and use some of their money to fund ads advocating equal rights for women. That is not "partisan" in any way shape or form.

They publicly say they are non partisan but they are political so they are not hiding anything.

The league used to sponsor the Presidential debates but they voted to stop in 1988

The League of Women Voters is withdrawing sponsorship of the presidential debates...because the demands of the two campaign organizations would perpetrate a fraud on the American voter. It has become clear to us that the candidates' organizations aim to add debates to their list of campaign-trail charades devoid of substance, spontaneity and answers to tough questions. The League has no intention of becoming an accessory to the hoodwinking of the American public.

—League President Nancy M. Neuman, LWV October 03, 1988

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

The fact that one party supports positions favorable to women's rights and interests, and one overtly rejects them, does not make it partisan for the LWV to continue to support what they believe is in women's best interests.

 

[nehalem256]

The fact that one party supports positions favorable to women's rights and interests, and one overtly rejects them, does not make it partisan for the LWV to continue to support what they believe is in women's best interests.

Universal health care and global warming are not about women's rights.

 

[techs]

The fact that one party supports positions favorable to women's rights and interests, and one overtly rejects them, does not make it partisan for the LWV to continue to support what they believe is in women's best interests.

In todays topsy turvy world people call Fox News Fair and Balanced while claiming the League of Women Voters is not bipartisan.

George Orwell would fit right in.

 

[3chordcharlie]

Universal health care and global warming are not about women's rights.

Sigh...

The world at large is not partisan.

You have to be pretty far gone to believe that all opinions with political implications are in fact partisan opinions.

 

[Jhhnn]

Universal health care and global warming are not about women's rights.

So what?

The one thing about the League that's completely non-partisan has been their voter registration efforts.

Well, unless you're somebody who doesn't want everybody to vote, in which case you'll see them as subversives...

 

[nehalem256]

In todays topsy turvy world people call Fox News Fair and Balanced while claiming the League of Women Voters is not bipartisan.

George Orwell would fit right in.

Sigh...

The world at large is not partisan.

You have to be pretty far gone to believe that all opinions with political implications are in fact partisan opinions.

So what?

The one thing about the League that's completely non-partisan has been their voter registration efforts.

Well, unless you're somebody who doesn't want everybody to vote, in which case you'll see them as subversives...

So a political organization whose positions just happen to be in accordance with one political party is non-partisan?

 

[Jhhnn]

So a political organization whose positions just happen to be in accordance with one political party is non-partisan?

In certain endeavors, yes. The League has faithfully registered voters of any and all persuasions since 1920.

Only vote suppression advocates could possibly see that as partisan.

 

[Charles Kozierok]

Non-partisan just means not officially affiliated with a party.

The LWV is almost a hundred years old. Party positions change over time.

 

[3chordcharlie]

So a political organization whose positions just happen to be in accordance with one political party is non-partisan?

Yes.

The world is not partisan; the key part of your statement, really, is 'just happen to be'.

It is, however, likely that the Democratic leadership considers (privately) the position of the LWV when writing policy.

 

[techs]

Yes.

The world is not partisan; the key part of your statement, really, is 'just happen to be'.

It is, however, likely that the Democratic leadership considers (privately) the position of the LWV when writing policy.

Which would mean that their issue advocacy is working. I am sure the LWV wished the Republicans would do the same.

 

[monovillage]

Here in California the LWV had positions on several Propositions and spent huge amount of dollars advertising and lobbying for these Propositions. They also had political forums where their questions and interviews of candidates were blatantly pro-Democrat and anti-Republican. I have no problem with them being a Democrat organization, but they're not a "non-partisan" group nor should they be considered one.

http://legalinsurrection.com/2011/0...es-resigns-in-protest-of-anti-scott-brown-ad/

Dear Board of Directors:

It is sadly that I tender my resignation as president of the League of Women Voters of Andover/North Andover effective today [May 10]. Our local League is made up of such wonderful, dedicated people volunteering their time to educate the voters in our community. Over the 90-year history of the LWVANA the organization has become a respected partner in the community, however, recent actions by the national and state League of Women Voters have, in my opinion, muted the effectiveness of the League as a non-partisan voter service provider at all levels.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Universal health care and global warming are not about women's rights.

Universal health care most definitely is. Global warming is a legitimate, nonpartisan issue for them to adopt - as recently as 2008 the GOP ran a presidential nominee who believed in man-made global warming.

I do not trust, for one second, your independence when it comes to any issue involving women in any way, since you seem to unapologetically hate them (a sentiment which is, no doubt, mutual).

 

[monovillage]

Is there any issue? any single issue that isn't or can't be considered a woman's issue? Even if you want to say prostate cancer or the draft it's still a women's issue. Women are the wives, mothers, sisters and daughters of us all. There's really no such thing as a woman's issue. Everything is a man and woman's issue.

 

[techs]

Gee, someone had a problem and resigned?
Boo fucking hoo.

In todays toxic political atmosphere its to be expected.

Really, thats your argument?

 

[monovillage]

Gee, someone had a problem and resigned?
Boo fucking hoo.

In todays toxic political atmosphere its to be expected.

Really, thats your argument?

No, it's just one of them.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Here in California the LWV had positions on several Propositions and spent huge amount of dollars advertising and lobbying for these Propositions. They also had political forums where their questions and interviews of candidates were blatantly pro-Democrat and anti-Republican. I have no problem with them being a Democrat organization, but they're not a "non-partisan" group nor should they be considered one.

http://legalinsurrection.com/2011/0...es-resigns-in-protest-of-anti-scott-brown-ad/

Since when is Andover, MA in California?

As I said, the fact that one party champions women's rights while the other categorically rejects them means that the LWV is very likely to side with the pro-woman party. Your objection to this is, like everything else you write here, motivated entirely by your own partisan bias.

 

[3chordcharlie]

Is there any issue? any single issue that isn't or can't be considered a woman's issue? Even if you want to say prostate cancer or the draft it's still a women's issue. Women are the wives, mothers, sisters and daughters of us all. There's really no such thing as a woman's issue. Everything is a man and woman's issue.

They aren't called the League of Women's Issues.