Thoughts from
San Diego on Law, Politics, and Culture

 
GOP Panty Raid
By Gail Heriot

I peeked into a Victoria's Secret store a few days ago. OK, I admit it. I was actually in the store, but I didn't buy anything. Honest. It was crowded with some very happy looking people, women and men (the latter seemed particularly happy), apparently from up and down the social ladder. I doubt you would have found a more diverse group of American voters somewhere else at the mall. They seemed blithely unaware of the effect the Bush administration's new tariff on Chinese imports will certainly have on their future purchases.

The mechandise at Victoria's Secret is largely imported from China; that's how the store is able to offer ladies' lingerie at prices that most Americans can happily afford. It comes in all shapes, colors and sizes; some with lace, some with bows and some even with diamonds encrusted on them. Some is even in fairly good taste. (I won't say that I've never purchased anything from Victoria's Secret; a lady has to have a few secrets, you know.)

Like Bush's ill-fated steel tariffs, the lingerie tariff is a cheap political tactic. For steel, Karl Rove thought Bush needed to do a favor for Pennsylvania, which he considers a potential swing state if the 2004 election turns out to be close. This time around, it's said to be the need to please the leaders of certain Southern states, which are feeling the pinch of competition from Chinese corsets, bras and panties. America's reputation as the world's leading supporter of free trade, however, should be worth more than that. A lot more.

Moreover, if Karl Rove thinks that the political ramifications of this will be positive for the GOP, he is likely mistaken. The fact that shoppers at Victoria's Secret appear ignorant of the Bush-imposed tariffs doesn't mean the GOP is insulated from harm. Consider this: As American women forgo these little luxuries (and substitute, for example, potato chips and dip), they will feel less desirable. Indeed, as time goes by that feeling may become a reality. In frustration, their menfolk will turn to alcohol and eventually to crime. All these changes will hurt the GOP. When women fell undesirable, they feel insecure and vote for Democrats. That's why married women are a strong Republican constituency while single women tend to vote the other way. The Republican party hence has good reason to want to keep them (and their husbands) happy in their marriages. When men are drunk, their loyalty to the GOP may be undiminished, but they can't find their way to the polls, so they don't vote. And, of course, once they are convicted of a felony, they lose their right to vote entirely. Bush may well lose the election on account of this misguided panty raid and never know why.

Sound far-fetched? Well ... ok ... you got me. But it would be no less than what the GOP deserves for its cheap political manipulations. That's all for now. I'm going back to the mall before the prices go up.
posted by Gail at 11/26/2003 05:48:00 PM