By David Cruz
Correspondent
For a guy in the middle of a brewing controversy, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Bell is in a pretty good mood. Bell’s comments that women, particularly single moms, tend to favor Democrats because of the social programs they promote caused an immediate reaction from his opponent, Democrat Cory Booker.
“It’s almost like that old trope of the welfare queen,” he said. “To categorize all single women in the state of New Jersey as dependent on government is absolutely ridiculous and an insult to women and so, that’s offensive, plain and simple and it’s a stereotype.”
Bell was not backing away from his comments, made to the Asbury Park Press, adding only that the context in which they were made was important. He says polls that show him trailing Booker by double digits, particularly among women, were a result of the Democratic Party’s tradition of promoting government-funded social programs.
“The problem for Republicans is that single women are very vulnerable. They feel vulnerable, particularly single mothers,” he said. “They tend to go Democratic because they’re vulnerable. They’ve been left alone. I think the nuclear family is the best welfare program on earth but it’s been declining.”
But even Republican strategists, like single mom Jeanette Hoffman, were taken aback by Bell’s politically tricky rhetoric.
“I want to give him the benefit of the doubt here and say that he was referring to polling data that shows Republicans do need to do a better job of closing that gender gap,” she reasoned. “I think the way we do that is we talk about the issues that women care about: economic security, jobs and opportunities, more affordable health care and that’s how we close the gender gap. I think his comments were unfortunate but I think he was referring to the fact that we need to do better with women.”
Bell dismissed the outrage as simple politics. He said Democratic themes of government programs as an answer to every social ill had made vulnerable individuals — like single moms — more susceptible to their message and that supply siders, like himself and Ronald Reagan, actually provide better opportunities for those who need them.
“Cory Booker’s idea of an economic program is to have extended unemployment benefits,” he added. “Now that may show compassion for the victims of joblessness but it’s not a program for growth. It has nothing whatsoever to do for growth.”
Bell joked that he was pleased with all the media coverage his remarks had generated. I’ll have to keep it up, he said, adding that he felt he was closing the gap on Booker, who most polls show leading the race by more than a dozen points.
In sticking to his guns, Bell says he aims to challenge long-held Democratic notions of how to help the most vulnerable. In fact, he doubled down today, saying that New Jersey could use more supply siders in government.