On the left, Ryan’s getting called a hypocrite. Salon’s Joan Walsh became an instant hero when she claimed Ryan was getting “credit for something a woman could absolutely never ask for.” And several media outlets outright called Ryan a hypocrite — or an “enemy of women” — for asking for family time for himself while opposing federally mandated paid family leave and other policies that liberals believe are important for family support.
This makes no sense. Ryan is identifying a problem that millions of Americans face and shouldn’t have to — and forcing people to acknowledge the problem is the first step to solving it. If you believe parents in two-parent households should share the responsibility of raising a family, it is a good thing when high-profile men acknowledge it’s their responsibility, too — especially when those men represent groups that tend to favor traditional gender roles. And if you believe raising a family shouldn’t impede career advancement, it’s a good thing when someone points out that right now, it still does.