Doug Wilson vs The 19th Amendment

For a few years, Doug Wilson has used Christian Nationalism to vault himself into the national spotlight. His best claim to fame for Christian Nationalism is publishing Stephen Wolfe’s Case For Christian Nationalism via Canon Press. However, in a recent interview with NPR, Doug Wilson showcased his shortcomings in leading a political movement as a pastor.

The 19th Amendment was the crowning achievement of the Progressive Era, shifting American politics leftward. Thus, many right wing politicals view its repeal as an ideal policy even if unfeasible. Doug Wilson is asked about women voting by the single, childless, female Muslim, Leila Fadel.

Doug Wilson insists that repealing the 19th Amendment does not mean that women will not vote. Wilson advocates for “household voting” where the head of household casts the vote. He practices this at his church in Moscow, and 7% of the votes are cast by women. A 19 year old male who lives on his own is not a head of household if his parents are paying for school, but a single mother is a head of household even if her parents are subsidizing her life.

Put into practice, Wilson’s plan would disenfranchise married women who vote Republican and enfranchise single women who vote Democrat. Single women with or without children are heads of household on their tax filings. Thus, Doug Wilson’s ill-conceived application of church polity to republican enfranchisement is conceptually disastrous.

Whereas household voting might work in a church, landed voting would work in a republic. Doug Wilson is for some reason unwilling to do landed voting, as America originally had. This would accomplish Wilson’s intent without being a disaster for the Republic. But instead, Doug Wilson’s opposition to the 19th Amendment and solution thereof is catered to feminist sensibilities. But to the surprise of no one, Wilson’s solution neither appeals to feminists who are understandably indignant to the idea nor to Christian Nationalists who rightly point out its absurdities.

Doug Wilson is a pioneer of many intricate theological takes. But the one that he’s proffering here is a feminist patriarchy, an oxymoronic third way that leaves no one satisfied.