The true politics of "childless cat ladies"

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Support our nonprofit journalism]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     August 14, 2024 We knew Sen. JD Vance's (R-Ohio) [comments]( about "childless cat ladies" being "miserable" were obnoxious, as were his allegations that people without kids "don't have a personal and direct stake" in the future of the country. And now, we have the data to prove they were also flat-out false. A survey of more than 1,700 registered voters nationwide conducted by the gender justice advocacy organization National Women’s Law Center Action Fund and the polling firm Morning Consult earlier this month found that women without kids—including those with cats—back policies supporting children and families as much as, if not more than, parents and voters overall. First shared with Mother Jones, the research found that 62 percent of women without kids who have cats, and 51 percent of women without kids overall, strongly agree that “supporting families and children should be a top priority for the federal government,” compared with 49 percent of parents and 47 percent of voters overall. Some of the policies they believe the government should support include "guaranteeing access to child care for everyone who needs it" and paid family and medical leave—neither of which Vance has ever appeared to support. And as for Vance’s claim that “childless cat ladies” are “miserable”? Yeah…they’re not. The survey found 32 percent of these so-called “childless cat ladies” said they are “very happy,” compared to 27 percent of voters overall. I called up Peggy Heffington, a historian based at the University of Chicago and the author of Without Children: The Long History of Not Being a Mother, for her take on the survey. She had an answer I wasn't expecting: She said she sees a cause for hope in the findings, which she said show that "people who don’t have kids are having empathy and wanting to support people whose lives don’t look like theirs." That’s a lesson that Vance could stand to learn. [Make sure to read my full piece]( to learn more about the true political priorities of so-called "childless cat ladies." —Julianne McShane Advertisement [AXOS Bank]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [Study: JD Vance Couldn’t Have Been More Wrong About “Childless Cat Ladies”]( Contrary to his assertions, women without kids support pro-family policies and are far from miserable. BY JULIANNE MCSHANE MOTHER JONES MEMBERSHIP UPDATE   DONALD TRUMP & DEMOCRACY You’re a Mother Jones Daily reader, so you know the stakes and you know reporting like ours matters so freaking much in these next few months (and beyond). About that: We need [the support of our newsletter readers like never before]( to vigorously fight back against the existential threats American democracy and journalism face. We’re running behind our targets and urgently need all hands on deck. We can’t afford to come up short—we have no cushion; we leave it all on the field. Please help with a donation if you can—even just a few bucks helps. A [monthly gift]( would be incredible. [Donate]( [Trending] [Ilhan Omar just won her primary—and is heading back to Congress]( BY ARTIS CURISKIS   [Trump is a threat whether he wins or loses, Biden says]( BY JULIANNE MCSHANE   [Urban birds are teeming with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, study finds]( BY NICOLA DAVIS   [“No evidence” carbon credit schemes are benefitting host countries: report]( BY JOSEPH WINTERS Advertisement [AXOS Bank]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [I spent a week with Black MAGA. Here’s what I learned.]( Black Republicans are nothing new. But does Trump’s appeal really hold up? BY GARRISON HAYES Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755