# So what is the womens' march supposed to accomplish? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 22, 2017, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-womens-march-supposed-to-accomplish/777822 "2017-01-22T13:26:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omg_a_Black_Conservative)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-womens-march-supposed-to-accomplish/777822/21 "2017-01-22T16:25:25Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Actually, Dems have done far better than R’s in turning demonstrations into policies. See, every civil rights policy ever. > > If anything, R’s have tried to emulate that type of activism, in weird ways - like how the Tea Party demonstrations started out as astroturfing. Eight years ago, Democrats controlled the House, the Senate and the Presidency. Today, Democrats control none of the above and have been decimated at the state level, holding the lowest level of governorships in decades and have been rendered as the minority party is virtually every state in the south, with a few exceptions. Call me crazy, but I think the Tea Party did pretty darn well. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-womens-march-supposed-to-accomplish/777822/22 "2017-01-22T16:57:10Z")
Certainly not, wouldn’t even if it were permitted, which it is not. But a question: given the election result numbers (which I will post for you if you missed them), and the subsequent gatherings, are there more of us than there are of you? Do you concede that it matters? ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-womens-march-supposed-to-accomplish/777822/23 "2017-01-22T17:16:25Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > Eight years ago, Democrats controlled the House, the Senate and the Presidency. Today, Democrats control none of the above and have been decimated at the state level, holding the lowest level of governorships in decades and have been rendered as the minority party is virtually every state in the south, with a few exceptions. > > Call me crazy, but I think the Tea Party did pretty darn well. Other than electoral success, what are the greatest policy accomplishments of the Tea Party? ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Krupe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Leo\_Krupe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Krupe)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-womens-march-supposed-to-accomplish/777822/24 "2017-01-22T17:30:14Z")
[This](http://www.vox.com/2017/1/21/14342942/womens-march-inauguration-trump-protest-goals-feminism-demands) has a good explanation. > [@](#): > > The mainstream understanding of the event is that it’s a protest against Trump. > > The simple, official answer to “What do they want?” is easy to find in the first paragraph of the march’s official policy platform, a four-page document titled “Guiding Vision and Defining Principals” that was released in advance of the event. Noting that it aims to bring together people of all genders and backgrounds, the organizers proclaim its goal is “to affirm our shared humanity and pronounce our bold message of resistance and self-determination.” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-womens-march-supposed-to-accomplish/777822/25 "2017-01-22T17:39:11Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > “Have you asked yourself what you would have done if you had been in Berlin in 1941?” > > Tsk Tsk. Typical Americans. > > Asked where the embassy is?? Desperately search in vain for a McDonald’s. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-womens-march-supposed-to-accomplish/777822/26 "2017-01-22T17:46:47Z")
Sweet fuck all. They are much smaller than the anti-Iraq war protests of 2003 and those had much clearer goals and accomplished diddly squat. Bush and Blair were reelected even after Iraq war had gone pear shaped. I doubt it’s going to make Trump change anything, the people marching aren’t likely to have voted for him anyway. Ditto 'Pubs in Congress. ---
**Author:** ![Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omg_a_Black_Conservative)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-womens-march-supposed-to-accomplish/777822/27 "2017-01-22T17:47:16Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Other than electoral success, what are the greatest policy accomplishments of the Tea Party? I think electoral successes is quite a huge accomplishment, myself. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-womens-march-supposed-to-accomplish/777822/28 "2017-01-22T17:55:13Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > I think electoral successes is quite a huge accomplishment, myself. See, that’s really interesting. I’ve been arguing that we need to keep our eye on the ball on the left, and in fact I think the Tea Party is a great lesson in what happens when anger is converted to activism. But if all the left achieves is electoral success, that’s trifling nonsense. I don’t want to get a bunch of Democrats elected, that’s nothing. I want to get serious attention to climate change. I want to end gerrymandering, and ideally change the way our president is elected to reflect the will of the governed rather than the accident of the acreage. I want to change our police culture such that de-escalation is prioritized and violence is truly used as a last resort. I want to change the way our government interacts with religion, turning a truly blind eye toward it. If all we achieve is electoral success? That’s not an accomplishment at all. To be fair, there’s a lot the Tea Party accomplished. Multiple government shut-downs, blocking immigration reform, and more. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-womens-march-supposed-to-accomplish/777822/29 "2017-01-22T18:07:15Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > I think electoral successes is quite a huge accomplishment, myself. That’s the limit of its success? Winning offices and cashing paychecks for politicians? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-womens-march-supposed-to-accomplish/777822/30 "2017-01-22T18:08:28Z")
Based on the latest Republican rhetoric about health care, this could be a massive progressive policy win – if the Republicans in the WH and Congress actually do what many say they want to do (guarantee good and affordable health care for all Americans), then progressives can cheer it on. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-womens-march-supposed-to-accomplish/777822/31 "2017-01-22T18:14:20Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Sweet fuck all. They are much smaller than the anti-Iraq war protests of 2003 and those had much clearer goals and accomplished diddly squat. Bush and Blair were reelected even after Iraq war had gone pear shaped. > > I doubt it’s going to make Trump change anything, the people marching aren’t likely to have voted for him anyway. Ditto 'Pubs in Congress. Actually, it seems to be larger at least for a one day event. More importantly, the GOP do care about holding on to women voters, if you recall the first time there was any push back from the GOP on Trump was after the pussy grabber tape. Republicans don’t care about blacks, or gays or brown people, but they do care about the 53% of white women who are racist enough to still vote for Trump. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-womens-march-supposed-to-accomplish/777822/32 "2017-01-22T18:25:55Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Actually, it seems to be larger at least for a one day event. More importantly, the GOP do care about holding on to women voters, if you recall the first time there was any push back from the GOP on Trump was after the pussy grabber tape. Republicans don’t care about blacks, or gays or brown people, but they do care about the 53% of white women who are racist enough to still vote for Trump. Feb 15 2003 was 11 million people plus (sold estimates reach upto 30 million people). [15 February 2003 Iraq War protests - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_15,_2003,_anti-war_protests) The crowd in Rome alone (3 million) is bigger than the combined worldwide turnout for the Trump protests (2.5 million from what I have read). As for the rest, dunno. We were assured so many times (especially after Pusseygste) that “this time Trump has gone too far”, but he is currently sitting in the White House. , ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-womens-march-supposed-to-accomplish/777822/33 "2017-01-22T18:28:32Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Feb 15 2003 was 11 million people plus (sold estimates reach upto 30 million people). [15 February 2003 anti-war protests - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_15,_2003,_anti-war_protests) > The crowd in Rome alone (3 million) is bigger than the combined worldwide turnout for the Trump protests (2.5 million from what I have read). > > As for the rest, dunno. We were assured so many times (especially after Pusseygste) that “this time Trump has gone too far”, but he is currently sitting in the White House. > , I do think those protests has some effect on galvanizing most European nations to stay far away from that war, even if they did not convince Bush that he was on the wrong path. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-womens-march-supposed-to-accomplish/777822/34 "2017-01-22T18:35:18Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > I do think those protests has some effect on galvanizing most European nations to stay far away from that war, even if they did not convince Bush that he was on the wrong path. One thing they are supposed to have done is lead to disillusionment over politics amongst people now aged in their mid to late thirties, the elder millennials; who were heavily into the protests and who have tended to shy away from participation. Which leads to things like Brexit and Trump; voted for heavily by older persons. If this protests inevitable failures leads to the same among younger millennials especially women, then that is emphatically not a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-womens-march-supposed-to-accomplish/777822/35 "2017-01-22T18:46:51Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Feb 15 2003 was 11 million people plus (sold estimates reach upto 30 million people). [15 February 2003 anti-war protests - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_15,_2003,_anti-war_protests) > The crowd in Rome alone (3 million) is bigger than the combined worldwide turnout for the Trump protests (2.5 million from what I have read). > > As for the rest, dunno. We were assured so many times (especially after Pusseygste) that “this time Trump has gone too far”, but he is currently sitting in the White House. > , Your talking globally, I’m talking in the US, this has the potential to be an awakening in the US. It’s not surprising that a protest over an American election doesn’t trigger as wide global protest as one against a war that pulled in other nations. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-womens-march-supposed-to-accomplish/777822/36 "2017-01-22T18:49:14Z")
To enforce the laws that sex offenders are not permitted to live in federal housing? ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-womens-march-supposed-to-accomplish/777822/37 "2017-01-22T18:51:06Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > One thing they are supposed to have done is lead to disillusionment over politics amongst people now aged in their mid to late thirties, the elder millennials; who were heavily into the protests and who have tended to shy away from participation. Which leads to things like Brexit and Trump; voted for heavily by older persons. > > If this protests inevitable failures leads to the same among younger millennials especially women, then that is emphatically not a good thing. I have no idea what you’re talking about. The Iraq war protests were supposed to encourage political disillusionment? WTF you talkin’ 'bout, Willis? ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-womens-march-supposed-to-accomplish/777822/38 "2017-01-22T18:55:03Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > I have no idea what you’re talking about. The Iraq war protests were supposed to encourage political disillusionment? WTF you talkin’ 'bout, Willis? [Here](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/feb/15/iraq-war-mass-protest) ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-womens-march-supposed-to-accomplish/777822/39 "2017-01-22T19:07:43Z")
Maybe you can quote the bit you want to call my attention to. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-womens-march-supposed-to-accomplish/777822/40 "2017-01-22T19:21:37Z")
One of the differences is that the press is actually reporting this march. In the US, the press didn’t question the Iraq war and under reported protests, this time they seem to be more skeptical of the presidenti. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-womens-march-supposed-to-accomplish/777822.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-the-womens-march-supposed-to-accomplish/777822.md?page=3)