No Sex Please, We're Voting
Want a sure-fire way to keep women away from the polls? How about calling large groups of them "single and anxious"?
I opened a blog post yesterday to the lede: "It's almost official. Single women are poised to be the "Security Mom" or "Soccer Mom" of the 2008 election. They even have their own easy to remember moniker: the "Single Anxious Female."
If you follow politics, you've no doubt heard that unmarried women represent a holy grail of voters: 50 million or so likely Democrats that year after year, flirt with voting and political activism, but don't commit. This cycle, they're dubbed the "Sex and the City voters." To woo these women, the establishment provides celebrities, and catchy spots laced with sexual innuendo--ooh, winking about their first time! Voting, that is.
My friend and Democratic pollster Margie Omero sent me the post about the Single Anxious Female frame. She noted to me, "Women, across marital status groups, vote at a higher rate than do men. But the coverage stemming from concern about "Single Anxious Women" (even called the "Sex in the City Voter") not only doesn't reflect the data, it trivializes women." Even in 2007, women are pitched civics lessons as if we can only relate to global affairs if the issues are dressed in sexy shoes, just folks style dishing, or are at lunch with Samantha, Carrie and the girls.
Margie writes that the frame "about single women and voting is not borne out by the data. There is indeed a "Marriage Gap" among women. Married people vote at a higher rate than non-married people. But the marriage gap is actually larger among men. According to Census reports from the 2004 election, married men are as likely to vote (63% turnout) as married women (65%). But unmarried men (which includes single, divorced, separated, and widowed) are substantially less likely to vote (46%) than unmarried women (55%). The marriage gap is 10 points among women, and is nearly twice that (18 points) among men.
"If you look specifically at single, never-married adults, this pattern holds. A majority of single women voted in 2004 (52%), compared to fewer single men (43%). This is even true with 18 to 24 year-olds (47% of single women in that group vote, compared to 40% of single men)."
So I guess single men are too busy playing Guitar Hero to vote. How come they don't have a stereotypical name to describe their supposed wont at the polls?
Margie finishes by saying "Women vote at a higher rate than men. Unmarried women, however defined, vote at a higher rate than unmarried men. And this pattern holds across age groups."
Yes, women vote more than men. We're also more likely to attend City Council and local school board sessions. But men are more likely to hold local governance positions and more likely to "take a stand" in politics...
And here's where I start to squirm: according to a new report from Harvard's Shorenstein Center, "National polls show men know more than women about politics and political figures."
Plus, "Men follow political news much more closely than women- and in the case of economic news and international relations stories- much more closely. ...But women are just as attentive as men to pay attention to certain kinds of political news- especially court decisions."
Court decisions? Seriously? But then I read on...the Pew data shows that when it comes to "Campaign related" coverage, there's only a 2% difference in attention paid between men and women. Domestic policy shows the same -2% difference.
In polling, 2% is a rounding error, not a difference. I don't think such numbers deserve blind credence. But numbers are easily manipulated, and of course, there is some truth to the matter. Women are socialized to believe they have more weight when it comes to local matters, close to home. Anecdotally, the men in my life do feel much more confident discussing national and global affairs than the women. Women talk about health care and family issues. That's why the US ranks 82nd in the world in percentage of women serving in the national legislature. We're socialized to expect to care less about news and politics. But do low expectations create "Single Anxious/Sex and the City Voters" who care more about style than substance?
I don't think so. It's time to fight the frames. Sure, headlines like "Sex and the City Voters" are much cuter than "Women Know Climate Change is a National Security Issue" but who cares. We need to get up, put down the Style section, and start talking outside our comfort zones. I'll never forget when Marie Wilson, White House Project founder said to me, "If you want to be taken seriously as a political blogger, stop writing so much about choice."
Statistics can be massaged. But strength in numbers at the polls- that'll make some people anxious all right. But not unmarried women.
Morra Aarons-Mele also blogs at BlogHer.com.
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A great article and I am happy that my beautiful daughter is one of these concerned citizens that vote! Ok, Ok, I'm a little prejudiced, BUT, she paid attention to what we as parents SAID AND DID!
These facts in this article are being massaged, studied, and plans of approach are in the works by the many political entities. Women need to be informed and to Vote. Vote after research, study, and prayer!
Consider this ladies: You are more than 50% of any good marriage. You are and should be the object of a man's love! You are the HOLDERS OF THE PURSE for a majority of married households. You take direct interest in the welfare of you mate and siblings, therefore, your vote is your statement of LOVE for yourself and family.
Family is then extended and attached to your neighbors, associates, co-workers, faith partners, educational resources, and the county, state and nation. You are the backbone of this nation. Vote.
Almighty God's most beautiful creation is Woman. Vote you beautiful wonders, Vote!
On the web, men and women view news and global affairs sites equally, according to the
http://ema
Center for Media Research:
Demographic Data for Current Events and Global News Category Month of October 2007 US, Home and Work
Unique Audience Composition (%)
Men: 50.11
Female: 49.89
But women know that war will take their children, grandchildren as well as their nieces and nephews. That is the Mom, Grannie and Auntie factor.
They also know that the killed may be lucky because women are the caregivers to those wounded physically, mentally and spiritually.
When there is no reason for war, there is no way to justify it. It is just evil and women know it. The world will go on if we leave Iraq today. Too bad we did not leave yesterday.
What I want to know is why they call single women "anxious" but they don't call single men that. I would think they would be LESS anxious, since they don't have to worry about a guy cheating on them, beating them up, or otherwise being a problem.
There is always this assumption that women HAVE to be with a man to be fine, and if they aren't they are constantly worried about being single, while a man can be single and only is thought of as not being "settled" "responsible" or "dependabl
I have known lots of women that DON'T want to get married, for the same reasons many men don't. They want their freedom to make their own choices, and the ability to easily walk away when issues come into a relationship.
The title of this blog reached out to me and I have to respond like this: Miss Morra Aarons-Mele I'll up your ante based on your Title, NO RELIGION PLEASE, WE'RE VOTING.
I don't know about "all women" or even "20 something women" or "soccer moms" being less interested in having political discourse. What I have found is that there are very few people, men and women alike, who will have an open conversation about the state of our country or anything political. I don't think it is because they don't care, but because they are so horribly under-informed or misinformed. It really shows just how right Al Gore was in his book "The Assault on Reason". 9/10 people asked seem to know that Britney is trying to adopt a foreign child. 1/10 know that there are 25 miles of river in my state that are unsafe for fishing due to dirty coal power plants, and that our governor just allowed coal plant to be built less than 30 miles from my house.
I am sorry but, i have not seen any candidate on a noble white steed,charging to the defense of the damsel in distress. They all seem to be alike, trying to come up with new promises, new directions, more bullshit to win over votes for their fight against the windmill. Lost in the journey towards nirvana,just a step in the history of a once proud people,the candidates make their direction know to the few voters that show up. Leaving the rest of the voters stuck in limbo, knowing full well that their vote will mean nothing. Because our business as usual government can't change. and, the people are just pawns in an election decided by,bullshit rather than issues. If you vote for Hillary because shes a woman and, ignore the lack of genuine caring for the people. you have not voted your heart. Any candidate should be held accountable for what they promise. and, voting against Hillary, or Obama, or Edwards, because you believe they are wrong for the job. Don't settle the issue either. no matter who gets elected they have to deal with a Congress full of unchanging, money hungry, power mongers. In other words we are still in deep shit.
You owe it to your ancestors to have some descendants.
Let it fall down, let it fall down, let it all fall down.
Mi casa WAS su casa.
What I find both sad and frightening is that far too many of the people I know are either misinformed or uninformed about the political realities in this country. They form their opinions based upon the sound bites shoved at them by the MSM, or upon their own ingrained prejudices, rather than taking the time to learn the truth--men who continue to vote Republican because "they keep our taxes down," and women who support Hillary Clinton simply because she's a woman. As a whole, the problem isn't gender-specific, nor does it matter which group is labeled as what. It's that too many people tend to leave their decision-making process to something other than the facts.
The problem you folks have is at the 20 something stage in a persons life they are generally very Liberal. The majority as they mature and grow wise about the things in life gradually move towards conservatism, because life teaches them Liberalism is a non-realistic understanding of human behavior.
I interact with these Liberal 20 something ladies on a daily basis and they generally have good hearts, but are extremely naive about the realities of life.
America is such a wonderful land of opportunity and wealthy (even our poor are wealthy in world relative terms) these 20 somethings have no real concerns except what is the current fashions, their current boyfriend,…texting their friends…..
Liberalism has taught them they have little responsibility, if they screw up, no big deal and if they really screw up..it is someone else’s fault, no need to worry about the future because the government will take care of the cradle to grave.
If you really want to get them to the polls to vote tell them Conservatives are going to pass a bill that outlaws “shopping”
You should ask Bill Mahr about the trouble he had finding women for his show, "Politically Incorrect".
I only hope the Republicans don't come up with something else to terrify the Soccer Moms into their "special place" and get another majority out of them.
too bad not every woman can be Larissa Alexandrovna or Naomi Wolf.
If women and men tire of political discussions, Namtillaku, perhaps it's because the substance of the discussion is tiresome. After all, we have been covering the 2008 Primary race since Nov. 5, 2004.
Our leaders need to give us something to be excited about, too. This is a two way street.
What strikes me is that not even 2/3 of any group got out to vote. Want to blame somebody..
So.... if this was true in the last election, then WOMEN are to blame for our current administration! Oh wait... maybe women went for Kerry... ?
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Posted December 5, 2007 | 06:12 PM (EST)