Does the Right Really Hate Women?

By Dawn Sturmon

Ah, the irony. The Left’s favorite soapbox— preaching tolerance, open-mindedness, and a hearty rejection of stereotypes— has a curious blind spot. A massive blind spot, actually. Somewhere in the swirl of post-election drama, the Left has landed on a quick and convenient narrative: the Right, they say, must hate women. It’s the go-to reason for why Hillary Clinton lost in 2016 and why Kamala Harris couldn’t galvanize conservative women in 2024. It’s a tidy conclusion… if only it held up under scrutiny.

It’s easy to say women “don’t like Trump,” but the fact is that millions of women voted for him— many, in three consecutive elections! And they had their reasons, trust me. They chose Trump over the first female candidate to ever come so close to the presidency and over a female vice president who had a real shot at making history herself. And no, it’s not because they’re anti-woman or misogynistic. Quite the opposite, actually.

The truth is, women had every chance to vote a woman into the highest office in the land. Yet, they passed— twice. They voted their hearts and, yes, their minds. They voted for someone they felt was true and unvarnished. They weren’t swayed by an obligatory gender loyalty; they were thinking critically. Because, spoiler alert, women on the Right (and quite a few on the Left) didn’t want just any woman— they wanted the right woman.

Beyond “Girl Power”: Why Hillary and Kamala Didn’t Stick the Landing

Let’s dig a little deeper into why this narrative is not only flawed but almost insulting to the women who make up the conservative movement. Many of these women are unbothered by surface-level “girl power” slogans and promises of the symbolic “first.” They’re looking for someone who’s honest, grounded, decisive, and, yes, tough enough to take on the mess that is modern politics.

The Left’s attachment to Clinton and Harris seems to be, more than anything, symbolic— a vision of what could be, rather than what is. Yet, for many voters, symbolism doesn’t motivate them in elections. 

“I’m all for a woman president,” says Kate from New York, “but not just any woman. I want someone who’s got the backbone and vision to lead.”

Conservative women saw both candidates and decided they weren’t exactly the strong female role models they’d been waiting for. Yes, both Clinton and Harris have what some would call impressive political résumés, but there’s more to leadership than just a well-formulated CV. 

“Just because she’s a woman doesn’t mean she’s right for the job,” adds Campbell from Ohio. “I want someone who understands the issues and isn’t just a symbol.”

These voters saw right through the notion that they should support someone just because she checked the “woman” box. What they want is a candidate who is powerful not because of her gender but in spite of it; someone whose success feels earned and genuinely transformational. To them, a “political plant” placed to court the “woman vote” is not an inspiring candidate but a shallow, uninspiring placeholder.

Women Want Real Substance, Not Tokenism

It’s honestly baffling that the Left so often ignores this nuance. Assuming women will flock to any female candidate is to misunderstand the level of scrutiny— and, yes, expectation— that many voters, especially women, hold for a potential president. When conservative women look for leadership, they aren’t interested in quotas or feel-good optics. They want someone who commands respect and radiates authenticity. They want the kind of leader who’s powerful, relatable, and who speaks to them beyond rehearsed talking points.

“The right woman for president will come, but until then, I’m not compromising just to check a box,” says Abbie from California.

Conservative women, in particular, aren’t looking for someone who simply mirrors their gender— they’re looking for a leader who embodies the values that matter to them: resilience, grit, and, yes, a bit of brass. The fact that this desire for authenticity and relatability is somehow twisted into “self-hatred” or internalized misogyny is both maddening and laughable, as if these women don’t know their own minds and are somehow trapped in an oppressive mindset. Spoiler alert: they do, and they aren’t.

The Left’s Double Standard on Women in Politics

One of the most hypocritical aspects of the “Right hates women” argument is how quick the Left is to embrace certain women while denouncing others as traitors to their gender. The truth is, women on the Right aren’t against female power; they’re against being told whom they should rally behind.

Figures like Elise Stefanik, Tulsi Gabbard, Kristi Noem, and Sarah Huckabee Sanders are often met with skepticism, if not outright dismissal, by those on the Left, who sometimes characterize them as “tokens” or suggest their positions are somehow less legitimate due to their conservative alignment. These conservative women face constant scrutiny from the left, with their positions trivialized because they don’t fit the Left’s idea of what a “feminist” should look like. Meanwhile, liberal women are elevated to icon status simply because they align with the Left’s politics, not necessarily because they embody the strength or values that voters across the board are looking for.

This double standard only further drives women on the Right away. The Left’s insistence that women vote based on gender loyalty alone is tone-deaf and condescending. It doesn’t respect their ability to think critically or independently. It dismisses their votes as products of coercion or ignorance, which is ironic coming from a party that prides itself on respecting women’s agency.

Waiting for the Right Woman

Now, let’s be clear: conservative women aren’t against the idea of a female president. In fact, they’re eagerly waiting for the right woman to step up. The difference is, they’re not willing to compromise on substance just for symbolism. They’re not interested in “the first woman president” unless she’s someone worthy of the title. They want to be able to look up at that podium and feel a deep sense of pride, not just because they’re seeing a woman, but because they’re seeing a leader they can respect, a leader they believe in.

Women on the Right aren’t in any hurry to settle for a political “first” unless it aligns with progress on their own terms. They’re willing to wait for the right leader, one they can genuinely believe in. So the next time someone throws out the lazy argument that conservative women hate women, maybe, just maybe, it’s not them who are missing the point.

A freelance writer, Dawn has crisscrossed the country in a unique path— from holding cue cards on Saturday Night Live to working on Super Bowl commercials. A lover of truth, interior design, french fries, and fashion, you can find her dressed in a hoodie or for the Met Gala— there’s no in-between.