In our prime-ala

Toss us the keys. Invisible no more, midlife women in power

I’m not a political writer, researcher, or historian. My feminist credentials come second-hand from the second wave. I write about self-discovery and personal development and share stories from my memoir in progress—me, me, me.

But, on the eve of the election, before I headed to the store to stock up on Tate’s chocolate chip cookies and Vermont cheddar cheese, I needed to talk it out. Share a glimmer of hope. Spread some optimism. Manifest.

Have you heard the news from Iowa?

Podcasters and poll watchers were in a frenzy over the weekend. At last, a poll that isn’t “neck and neck” — more like collarbone to neck, but still. The J. Ann Selzer poll showed a “massive shake-up,” with Harris now up 47% over TFG's 44%. Hazzah!

The real headline is what’s behind the shift — or rather, who’s driving.

"There are more women over the age of fifty than ever before in this country,” wrote Susan J. Douglas in her 2020 book In Our Prime: How Older Women are Reinventing the Road Ahead,

“And millions of us are not pottering in the garden or inclined to say "OK, whatever" to the trashing of our legacy, the mowing down of women's rights, the marginalizing of our generation, what we have accomplished, and who we are."

We hear talk of millennial men trending conservative and progressive, impatient Gen Z voters who want all or nothing, but—as we’ve grown far too used to—older women rarely make headlines. Until now.

How do you like these apples?

“Women aged 50 and over are one of the most consequential and influential voting groups in this election,” said Nancy LeaMond, AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer.

Via The 19th

“Women aged 50 and over are one of the largest, most reliable group of voters.  While U.S. Census Bureau data shows they are a little over one-quarter (25.5%) of the voting age population and 28% of registered voters, a study by Pew Research Center found that they cast one-third (33%) of ballots in the 2022 election. 

They are also the largest bloc of swing voters. In 2022, AARP polling showed women 65+ in battleground Congressional districts moved from favoring Republican candidates by 2 points in July 2022 to favoring Democrats by 14 points in November 2022 – a 16-point shift that contributed to the narrowness of the Republican House majority.”

Listen to old women

There aren’t enough Tate’s to get me through the next (let’s hope) few days. I still remember where I was in 2016.

On a work trip to Chicago. We brought a Food Truck to a construction site as a promotional event on that horrible morning after. A Latino man stepped up to get a breakfast sandwich and shouted, “Welcome to my going away party!”

The dark humor made for a good anecdote, but the economic consequences are serious. TFG’s promise of mass deportation will hurt the construction industry and the broader labor market. But I digress.

After the event, our team returned to the hotel, and three young women and I crowded around a hotel room TV to watch Hillary’s speech. I thought I should offer words of wisdom like ‘progress takes time,’ or this is the ‘last gasp of the patriarchy.’ But like them, my spirit was beaten and cracked against the glass ceiling—of our careers and our lives.

Not again.

Midlife women are finding have found our voices. We’re climbing out of the back seat and hitting the gas.

Older women are resilient, but right now, we need to tap into our rebellious side. It’s time to make change—generational change, cultural and social change.

And who better to do it than a 60-year-old woman?

Work hard. Be Brave. Believe. …and VOTE.

Catherine