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Heather Madden
Heather Madden
December 7, 2022 - 6 minutes
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Debate Prep

Debate Prep

Each week, IW’s policy experts work together to craft talking points that help us deliver our messages as effectively as possible. IW spokeswomen use these very same focal points to prepare for television and radio appearances and we want you to have the same prep materials so that you can debate these issues with community officials, school officials, and even your family, friends, and neighbors.

FOCAL POINT #1: WINNING OVER WOMEN

Background:  In the midterm elections, voters cast their ballots for their preferred candidate(s) and determined the makeup and control of the House and Senate, and ultimately selected the policies that will shape America for years to come.  While Republicans took control of the House, this year was not the “red wave” that the GOP expected. Democrats staved off a red wave by leaning into a key swath of voters that the GOP failed to capture: unmarried women.

Talking Points:

  • IW has long said that “all issues are women’s issues.” In other words, women weigh many important factors when deciding how to vote. 
  • Yes, this includes abortion. But it also includes a whole lot more.
  • For example, women care about proposed policies that have the potential to REVERSE women’s progress. And while most Americans understand that a ‘woman’ is an adult human female, right now, there are efforts underway to eliminate biological sex categories in our society —from our laws, from our schools, and from science.
  • When it comes to education, parents want options to prioritize students over unions and bureaucrats. As the results from the Nation’s Report Card show, for far too long now, the K-12 public education system has failed to prioritize academic instruction. To ensure this doesn’t happen again, it’s time to fund students, not systems, and develop policies that allow a wide variety of education options to flourish. 
  • On inflation and the economy, Americans have been left on their own to deal with rising prices. Troublingly, at a time when American households need more opportunities, not fewer, the administration is working to upend flexible, independent work arrangements that women value and depend upon. 
  • Women also know they deserve to live in safe and secure communities. Unfortunately, the recent rise in violent crime in America has wreaked havoc on many, particularly those in our poorest and most vulnerable neighborhoods. 
  • Women take these critical issues–and more–into account when casting their ballots. 
  • To win their support, candidates must work hard to understand their priorities and learn what they’re for, and then explain how their proposed policies will brighten women’s futures.

Learn more:
https://www.iwv.org/2022/11/dear-gop-dont-attack-women-for-how-they-vote/ 

FOCAL POINT #2: ELON MUSK TAKES ON WOKE CENSORSHIP 

Background: On Twitter, Elon Musk is restoring free speech and taking on censorship and the woke order. Even before purchasing the platform, Musk,  a self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist,” was critical of Twitter’s approach to speech. Musk has said he believes that “free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated.” 

Talking Points:

  • It is encouraging that Elon Musk, who is dedicated to free speech, is taking on woke censorship. 
  • Social media companies and others on the Left have been working for years to silence conservative voices. There have been many inconsistencies in the application of the rules and standards of conduct on social media platforms, and these overwhelmingly weigh against conservatives.
  • Censoring and purging political viewpoints will not make the ideas suddenly disappear. It will only make these viewpoints go underground, create resentments, and make wounds fester. Healthy dialogue changes hearts and minds.
  • Americans want open forums that encourage understanding, not thought-police who selectively censor those with unpopular views and encourage groupthink.

Learn more:
https://www.iwf.org/2022/11/30/high-noon-after-dark-november-2022/ 

FOCAL POINT #3: THE LATEST IN IRAN

Background: The Iranian government has a long history of targeting and terrorizing women and girls. The tragic death of Masha Amini at the hands of the Iranian morality police for ‘improper wear’ of the hijab in September sparked unprecedented protests that are still ongoing. Many of these demonstrations are being led by women who are cutting their hair and burning their hijabs in protest.  While the Iranian government is claiming that they are “paying attention to the people’s real demands” and some outlets are reporting that Iran has disbanded its morality police, this has not been confirmed. Understandably, the protestors and those who support them are skeptical.

Talking Points:

  • There’s no question that the world is heading in a bad direction. 
  • Despite the atrocities being perpetrated against women by the Iranian government, the administration has not abandoned its efforts to restore the Iran Nuclear Deal, a fatally flawed paper deal that did nothing to seek genuine remedies to Iran’s threats.
  • In China, Xi and the CCP’s unabashed embrace of dictatorial policies which crush the free will of the Chinese people. His increasing imperialistic actions should be viewed as the direct threat they are to our national security and all freedom-loving people around the world.
  • We should all support the thousands of women and men risking their lives in order to have a chance at freedom. They are willing to die for what we often take for granted here at home. 
  • Furthermore, it is vital that the Biden administration stop negotiating with America’s most dangerous adversaries. 
  • Unfortunately, the current administration, with its America last policies and increasingly garbled pronouncements, has been peddling a collectivist kumbaya approach to world affairs. 
  • The world’s problems cannot be fixed by global diplomacy, or more sanctions (which have their limits, and do not win wars), or fixation on the climate half a century from now. 
  • In the 1980s, the U.S. elected Ronald Reagan, who put America’s freedom first, rebuilt the military, and prevailed in the Cold War. We need that kind of leadership now. 
  • To preserve freedom and democracy, a top priority is the rebuilding of the U.S. military focused on deterring and winning wars, rather than social issues and eco-fuels. 
  • This means that our President must change course. But this is unlikely, given that the President refuses to acknowledge his administration’s role in the world’s current state of affairs.

Learn more:
https://www.iwf.org/2022/11/29/politics-at-play-in-usa-vs-iran-world-cup-match/

Heather Madden
Heather Madden
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