How many years of the woman have we had? Let me count.

To the extent that women’s votes count more than men’s, it’s been the year of the woman since at least 1964 — when women began outvoting men.

That is how Kathleen Parker opens her column headlined “What Do Women Voters Want?” in today’s Washington Post.

Parker argues that, contrary to what the Democrats claim, women care about a broader spectrum of issues than are embodied in the so-called “War on Women” rhetoric. She does not fail to mention unfortunate remarks by several men on the GOP side of the aisle that have been fodder for the WOW crowd:

While these incidents and anecdotes provide handy faces for dart practice, they constitute a war on women only if all women find these positions reprehensible. And only if all women care more about contraception and reproductive rights above all other issues, which is not the case.

This also happens to be the year of the fiscal cliff, when automatic spending cuts take effect at the same time Bush-era tax breaks expire. It’s the fourth year of a $1 trillion budget deficit. It is a year that the number of unemployed Americans is still too high and economic recovery too slow.

It is also the year that al-Qaeda cau

It is also the year that al-Qaeda caught its breath and began gaining traction again, and when terrorists murdered one of our ambassadors. It is another year when America’s standing as the world’s brightest light continues to dim, and that the Arab Spring descended into an extremist winter.

These are things that women care about, too.

Women, in other words, recognize the gravity of the problems this nation faces and are likely to pick a candidate based on these issues rather than on a party’s platform on abortion and contraception.

One quibble: Republicans have no position on contraception. They do have a position on religious freedom, however, and I am willing to bet that many women favor respecting the consciences of the Jesuits, even if this means Ms. Fluke will have to fork over $9 a month for contraception at the Target pharmacy.

But this is a good column.