GOP Males Hinder Political Careers of Women Candidates

More women in politics is good for women and good for the polity. Unfortunately, Christine M. Diemer’s exhortation to women (‘It’s Time for Women to Take Leading Roles on Electoral Stage,” May 17) falls short of delineating a specific blueprint to achieve this essential end. Yes, women should “seize the opportunity,” but how?

To begin, women need to capture the governing apparatus of the local party, especially the Republican Party, which has done more to discourage women from running for office than any other single factor in county politics.

Republican women face a particularly difficult time gaining the support and financial assistance of Orange County’s Republican power brokers, nearly all of whom are men.

Led by Thomas Fuentes, along with John R. Lewis, William (Buck) Johns, Edward R. Royce, John Cronin and Doy Henley, this male-dominated cabal has done little to further the political careers of highly qualified women and anyone else who doesn’t share its ideological rigidity and fervor.

Though devoted Republican activists such as Diemer are reluctant to say so publicly, it’s no secret that this cabal is more interested in retaining power for the anointed few (men) than it is in fostering intraparty electoral competition or promoting female candidates with more diverse or moderate political agendas.

Republican women can challenge the male Republican power brokers in two ways:

(1) By taking over the GOP central committee through election and/or

(2) By concentrating the fund-raising and consulting talent of women on women, to the exclusion of cabal-endorsed candidates. Moreover, if Republican women were to help elect a few Democrats for state and national office instead of blindly following the GOP line on Election Day, regardless of the cabal’s treatment of women candidates, that might send a jolt to the male power brokers in the GOP that GOP women are willing to translate opportunity into power.

Overturning the male-dominated Republican machine in Orange County is a prerequisite to the empowerment and career development of Republican women.

Republicans and many sensible Democrats throughout the county will welcome this breath of fresh air.

MARK P. PETRACCA, Irvine