Mitt Romney's 'binders full of women': The fallout

The internet is giddy over Romney's rather odd phrase about his record on gender equality in the workplace. Will it harm his campaign?

Mitt Romney
(Image credit: Shannon Stapleton-Pool/Getty Images)

Mitt Romney and President Obama went toe-to-toe on everything from Libya to taxes in Tuesday's debate, but it was Romney's comment about "binders full of women" that set the internet on fire. When asked about pay equity for women, Romney said that when he was governor of Massachusetts he went to women's groups for help finding qualified female recruits for cabinet posts, and they gave him "binders full of women" qualified for the jobs. (See the video below.) Within seconds, the awkwardly phrased remark was everywhere online. There were "binders full of women" on Facebook and Tumblr. The domain names bindersfullofwomen.com (and .net) were snapped up, and Twitter was awash with #bindersfullofwomen quips. Romney caught up with Obama among women voters after the first debate, and the question offered him a chance to build even more momentum. Did he blow it?

This sexist remark should scare women voters: Mitt was trying "to prove he's all about equal rights and pay," says Maressa Brown at The Stir. Instead, his "condescending and sexist" insult about "binders full of women" shows how he "really feels about women." He opposes the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and wants employers to be free to deny people contraceptive coverage. Thanks, Mitt, for reminding us your policies "would be a horror show" for women.

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