Is all of this true? Maybe one or two female bloggers will have something to say about it... David Frum muses on the gender gap in American politics. I assume similar factors apply in Britain:
Men have much stronger political opinions than women do, and they make up their minds much earlier in the election cycle. Women take much longer to decide. And that is why most campaign events and most campaign advertising is aimed at women rather than men: Women are more persuadable.
After the '96 election, journalist Christopher Caldwell asked a pollster specializing in women's issues why women voters decide so much later than men. The pollster replied, "Do you want the politically correct answer? They're busy juggling both career and home. They're pressed for time. The non-politically correct answer is that they decide late because they're only marginally interested in politics." Women voters are only about two-thirds as likely as male voters to read the newspaper. In 1996, only about half of female voters could name the vice president of the United States.
"Women voters are only about two-thirds as likely as male voters to read the newspaper."
I can believe that. Most women don't care to touch the paper after it's been taken into the loo as reading material for the morning defecation.
As for this:
"In 1996, only about half of female voters could name the vice president of the United States."
Right. Poor Al Gore. Forever in the shadow of Bill Clinton's massive, er, popularity.
Posted by: Anna | Friday, March 02, 2007 at 06:26 PM