Many of the white women I know are all bound up in the right-to-life movement, and they vote republican because they want a conservative judiciary. Many of them are brainwashed by their churches to follow the party line and worry about the unborn, while they say to hell with all the kids already here and in need.

The pull of racism is simply greater than the push of sexism. That's what it means.

Yeah ,they suffer from common sense and they think for themselves

Maybe they feel that supporting the traditional white male benefits them more in terms of the traditional family of which white people comprise the most in America and as Republicans. This might be the same across all races and societies. It might also be subliminal tribalism.

Religious oppression. They grow up christian and conservative, usually they stay Christian and conservative. Never underestimate the power of youthful indoctrination. If a women becomes indoctrinated at a young age, everything she percieves from that point on will be from a religious perspective until it foundationalizes. The tole that takes on a persons rationality is heavy. So much so that a person will deny blatant facts because it doesnt match the preconceptions that have been hammered into their heads. So as a result we have women voting against their own interest strictly on the basis that their religion is telling them to. They don't care about the candidate, only about the fact that theyre republican and theyre "supposed" to vote for Republicans.

I'm not sure it's the influence of what their husbands or men think about them. Any woman can vote for a Democrat and just say they voted for the Republican. I believe it has more to do with their racism and perceived image of privilege inherent in the delusion that whatever bad circumstance they witness happening to others would never happen to them. The other made bad decisions to have IT happen to them. They even deserved IT.

Why do people vote against their own self interest? Beats me!

My women friends who are white and vote Republican do so out of fear mostly. They feel very uncomfortable in many places that I never give a second thought to going to. If there are people of color it's a no go with them, even during the day. They say they are not racist but how many racists admit it, none.

Husbands!

Maybe nothing? I remember back in the late 70s-early 80s the ERA movement seemed a sure thing to pass, until WOMEN started bringing up the fact that equality means equality, not pick the good and leave the bad stuff to the men (selective service, combat deployments, dangerous jobs, alimony, child custody preference). I'm not republican nor democrat...some things in both party platforms I agree with, some I do not. Perhaps the reason they vote republican is they agree with some platform topics in both, but feel the most important things are addressed by the party they vote for?

I think this section of the article is quite poignant, but I would also defer to what white women who read this whole thing have to say. They'd know better than I.

"In her book Right Wing Women, the feminist Andrea Dworkin wrote that conservative women often conform to the dominant ideologies of the men around them as part of a subconscious survival strategy, hoping that their conservatism will spare them from male hatred and violence. It doesn’t work, she says. They suffer sexist oppression anyway. But the strategy continues. “Most women cannot afford, either materially or psychologically, to recognize that whatever burnt offerings of obedience they bring to beg protection will not appease the angry little gods around them.” Participating in racism does not exempt white women from sexism, as much as they might hope that it will. It merely corrodes their souls in the process."

Many identify as classical liberal, and reluctantly vote GOP to avoid supporting regressive leftism. The Democrats need to get their act together.

Back in 2000, I was leaving a university building one day, and overheard a conversation between two young women:"Who did you vote for?" "I voted for George Bush!" "Why?" "Because my Daddy told me to!"