Anyone who watched George W. and Karl Rove while the former was governor of Texas will recognize a familiar pattern. Like much of Bush's social policy - from faith-based social services to railing against gay marriage - women's issues are one of the bones they've decided they can throw to the Christian right.

Molly Ivins’ quote, “Anyone who watched George W. and Karl Rove while the former was governor of Texas will recognize a familiar pattern. Like much of Bush's social policy—from faith-based social services to railing against gay marriage—women's issues are one of the bones they've decided they can throw to the Christian right,” offers a sharp critique of the political strategies used by George W. Bush and his advisor Karl Rove during Bush’s time as governor of Texas. Ivins, a renowned political columnist known for her wit and progressive viewpoints, points out how Bush and Rove strategically addressed key social issues, often to appease conservative and religious voters, particularly the Christian right.

The phrase “bones they've decided they can throw” implies that Bush and Rove were using certain social issues, like women's issues, as political tools to gain support from the Christian right, a powerful conservative voting bloc. Ivins suggests that the Bush administration’s approach to women's issues was more about political calculation than genuine concern for gender equality. She links this to Bush’s broader social policy, which also included controversial positions like his support for faith-based social services and his outspoken opposition to gay marriage.

Ivins' critique is rooted in the idea that political figures often use women's issues and other socially sensitive topics to gain favor with certain voter bases, particularly the Christian right, which tends to hold conservative views on family and social morality. Her mention of faith-based social services highlights the ways in which Bush’s policies were shaped by his political relationship with religious conservatives, who often sought to influence policy in areas like family structure, morality, and the role of women in society.

Ultimately, Ivins' quote reflects her belief that social policies during Bush’s tenure were heavily influenced by political calculations designed to appeal to the Christian right, rather than a genuine commitment to solving social problems. By characterizing women's issues as something to be “thrown” to the religious conservatives, Ivins critiques the way such issues were politicized and used to secure votes, rather than being addressed as part of a broader effort for social justice and equality.