CNN's 'hormonal women voters' article: 6 outraged reactions

The most trusted name in news lost the trust of many readers when it published a baffling article suggesting that hormones influence female voting habits

Female voter
(Image credit: RCWW, Inc./Corbis)

On Wednesday, CNN set itself up for a steep fall when it published a story suggesting that hormonal changes influence the way women vote. The article — headlined "Do hormones drive women's votes?" — was based on unpublished data from researchers at the University of Texas, San Antonio. Looking at the political tendencies of 275 women at various stages of their menstrual cycles, researchers concluded that when women are ovulating and estrogen levels are high, single women are more likely to vote for Obama, while women in a relationship are more likely to vote for Romney. Kristina Durante, one of the study's authors, somehow concluded that "when women are ovulating, they 'feel sexier,' and therefore lean more toward liberal attitudes on abortion and marriage equality." After a fierce backlash, CNN yanked the story on Wednesday night, declaring that "after further review, it was determined that some elements of the story did not meet the editorial standards of CNN." That hasn't quieted critics. Here, six outraged reactions:

MSNBC's Jamil Smith:

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