Mitt Romney has plenty to regret after Tuesday's punishing debate on Long Island— where he offered up a performance as fumbling as his first-round turn was strong — but the "inelegant" line that seems doomed to haunt him for the remaining weeks of the campaign is his clumsy reference to having asked for "binders full of women" as potential appointee candidates after his election to the Massachusetts governorship in 2003. (A reference which, as it turns out, is itself a misstatement — as detailed by David Bernstein in The Boston Phoenix, the binder was prepared before the election by a bipartisan women's leadership group, and would have been presented to whatever candidate won office).
The remark, which was perceived as callous, reductive and patronizing, instantly generated a massively popular image Tumblr, courtesy of recent Hofstra University grad Veronica de Souza; a Twitter feed, @RomneyBinders, which already has 34,000 followers; and, most impressively, a self-organizing flashmob attack on the innocent Amazon listings of several types of Avery-brand multi-ring binders.
Some choice selections:
Avery Durable View Binder with 2 Inch EZ-Turn Ring, White, 1 Binder:
5.0 out of 5 stars A presidential candidate's choice is the choice for me
October 17, 2012 By Bazinga
As a woman, I'm not adept at making decisions that concern me. So when I need the right choice, I turn to the presidential candidate that KNOWS. One with prideful experience in this department. I don't want to be filed away in an inferior & confusing electronic doohickey that I couldn't possibly understand. Or heaven forbid, have a man ask for & listen to my ideas! I'd much rather rely on this top of the line, 1980s style, Avery Durable binder. It's the choice America can trust. My education, my ideas, my opinions, my choices, please PLEASE keep them safely stored away here and far away from the men that might fear them (I mean, want to use them to hire me somedaynever). I'd write more about this most useful product, but it's time I hurry home to make dinner.
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow, I feel secure!
October 17, 2012 By LeeBo
As a wife and mother, I LOVE this binder. It keeps me in my place, allows me to get dinner ready on time, AND costs 72 percent of more masculine version. Some people might think it's sexist, but sheesh, I'm not binding my feet, just my brain. Extra bonus, if you sit on it just right, it can act as an effective method of birth control! Full disclosure: I submitted this under my husband's account, with his full permission. He is the head of our household, and the owner of the binder
Avery Economy Binder with 1-Inch Round Ring, Black, 1 Binder
4.0 out of 5 stars A little snug,
October 17, 2012 By Sally
This review is from: Avery Economy Binder with 1-Inch Round Ring, Black, 1 Binder (3301) (Office Product)
This is a nice binder, but not quite up to five star standards. As a petite lady, I did not anticipate any problems fitting inside this binder. In fact, I expected to be able to share it with at least one or two of my friends. The binder is much too small to contain women, and in fact does not even fit one woman very adequately.
Binder with 1-Inch Round Ring, Black, 1 Binder (3301) (Office Product)
1.0 out of 5 stars Awkward customer service experience
October 17, 2012 By nmdad
This review is from: Avery Economy
After reading the reviews and choosing to order this binder, I had a very awkward experience with Amazon customer service. I was under the understanding that the binder would be filled with women, or at least a woman. A very honest and trustworthy politician said that this is how things work in this country. I received my binder with no women, and after explaining my problem to customer service I find that I may not be able to shop here again. So now I have this binder. What do I do with this binder?
Will this three-ring circus put Romney in a deeper bind with women? We'll be sure to take note.