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A few hours before he was assassinated, Charlie Kirk’s last batch of Facebook posts included a critique of a Wall Street Journal article concerning the growing national effects of Kentucky’s landmark child custody law, which has a rebuttable presumption that assumes equal parenting time is in a child’s best interest.
The WSJ article noted the falling divorce rate in the Bluegrass State because of the historic law and how four more states have passed similar laws. However, there’s another compelling reason for both parties to push for shared parenting: Voters want it and evidence shows it affects how they vote. And the more vocal political candidates are about supporting equal parenting time custody, the more votes they get.
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After Kentucky’s shared parenting law roared into life, the soon-to-follow fall election showed a direct correlation between winning percentage of contested races and lawmakers’ support of the bill. Of the contested House races, 100% of the sponsors won, 90% of those who voted ‘yes’ won, 80% of those who did not vote won and none of those who voted ‘no’ won. In fact, every bill sponsor who ran again won despite 14 seats changing parties.
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The Republicans and Democrats should not be surprised by this because the voters are constantly telling them they support shared parenting. It’s not just in Kentucky, either. National Parents Organization has commissioned independent polling in 29 states and shared parenting has massive support in EVERY state, red and blue alike. Not only do large majorities of both Republicans and Democrats support the legislation, but so do majorities of every demographic. It does not matter whether women, men, African Americans or Hispanics are polled. They all show majority support for shared parenting.
Kirk’s post supporting equal custody laws subtly guided the parties to promote shared parenting because it makes voters more likely to vote for whichever party provides a pro-shared parenting candidate. Either party gaining a few extra voters in a swing state like North Carolina could sway an election. Further, Tar Heel State voters are telling the parties loud and clear how to get more votes: Pass shared parenting. An astonishing 94% said they are “more likely to vote for a candidate who supports children spending equal or nearly equal time with each parent …when both parents are fit and willing to be parents.” Voters in crucial Pennsylvania are telling the parties the same thing at a 91% clip. In Wisconsin, the tipping point state in the 2016 presidential election, it’s even higher, at 96%. In every swing state polled, candidates can gain a similar boost with Georgia’s 94% and New Hampshire’s 95% polled support.
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It’s surprising that neither party has made a big push on the topic. First, shared parenting seems like an obvious Democrat issue. The Democrat national brand touts equality issues, and what’s more equal than equal child custody time for both parents? The Democrats can promote shared parenting, and it will resonate with their base, which demands legal fairness for all groups. African Americans and LGBTQ individuals have much mistrust of the legal system, and many do not believe they can get a fair child custody hearing if the other parent is White and/or straight. Further, the liberal party has spent money studying how to make inroads with men. Well, only 13% of Kentuckians said the family courts would NOT be likely to give men less child custody time.
Speaking of men, aren’t they supposed to be on the Republican’s side of the gender gap? So, why isn’t this an obvious GOP issue? Their base strength is with men, a group that not only supports shared parenting but feels they are not given fair treatment in court. Further, the Republicans want to make inroads with minorities groups. Minority men and women support equal parenting and that includes, of course, the crucial Hispanic swing vote.
In a closely divided nation, voters are telling the parties the same thing Charlie Kirk did: Support pro-equality family law. The Democrats or the Republicans can gain an edge in swing states and swing voting blocks by taking up an issue both of their bases want. Or, maybe I should say their current bases because this powerful issue gives either party a shot at eating into the other’s base.
