Kerry Goes a Courting

~ Laura

Kerry is trailing Bush on the women’s vote. Today, he tried to woo the women.

And while some national polls, whose findings can often conflict in such a tight race, show that Mr. Kerry does not have as much support among women as did Al Gore when he ran against Mr. Bush in 2000, a New York Times poll last Sunday showed that the Kerry campaign had made some recent gains. A slightly later poll by The Washington Post, however, showed women narrowly favoring Mr. Bush.

In Wisconsin, the senator pressed his point that Mr. Bush’s economic policies had hurt working women.

“Millions of women struggle to get by on the minimum wage. They have to pay rent, buy groceries, and clothes for their children,” Mr. Kerry said. “But in terms of purchasing power, the minimum wage is the lowest it’s been in nearly 50 years. And nearly two and a half million women have fallen into poverty in just the past four years.’

You’re Kerry’s campaign manager. Naomi Wolf is busy, so they’ve called you. Does it sound like Kerry is on the right track? What would you advise Kerry to say to bring in the women? Is it economics or terror or a nice green tie that hold the keys to a woman voter’s heart?

Published by Laura

5 thoughts on “Kerry Goes a Courting”

  1. I heard on NPR this morning that Kerry has a 10-point lead with women. I have no idea what the undecided women voters are looking for. I suspect they want to feel safe, secure economically, and want a president who will stand up for their rights. I hate to say this, but I think being a smooth talker goes over well with the women–look at Clinton vs. Gore. At soccer last weekend, I heard some women discussing issues and it seemed to me like the Bush supporters didn’t really like Bush that much, but Kerry hadn’t impressed them yet. He was here today (I think–being a swing state, we’ve been visited by everyone) talking the wage gap and such. I think that could have some effect. Frankly, I’m baffled as to why women like Bush at all.

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  2. Funny, he doesn’t have a ten point lead with me. Can’t anyone see he is pandering? I, in his words, have become the victim once again. I am sick of it.
    I am in charge of my life. The presidency does little or nothing to affect it in anyway. I have worked on Wall Street and I was treated equally with the guys I worked with and for. I am so tired of politicians making us victims, because “we are just at their mercy”. Pleeeeze!
    /rant

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  3. I believe the “security mom” concept. I think home security is important to a lot of undecideds, not just women, and a place where Kerry could make real headway. Bush’s policies are mainly directed overseas, but there’s a lot that needs to be done inside the US. Things like port and power plant safety– which Kerry mentioned in the first debate- I think could be revisited. How would you bring that into context in the Great Lakes region?

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  4. Cooper, I agree it sucks to be treated as if all women are victims, but I also think there are plenty of women out there who aren’t treated equally much less paid equally. I am treated equally at work, but there are too few women in my field–the tech field–and so part of my job is encouraging young women to pursue that field and to demand equal pay and equal treatment. Think of the whole Wal-Mart controversy not too long ago. There were fewer female managers, the ones that they had weren’t paid as well and got fewer benefits. There’s still work to be done. How else can you do that except to talk about it? Maybe Kerry is pandering, but so is Bush, which is partly why Kerry doesn’t have a huge lead. He took women for granted and now Bush has found an in with this whole security mom issue. When will they see that Bush is making us less safe, not more?

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  5. Two things:
    “In one single statement, Bush cited every single piece of legislation he’s supported in the past few years that eroded my rights to privacy, health, and most importantly – CHOICE.
    “Mr. President, what would you say to a woman who’s life you’ve endangered by taking away her right to a medically legitimate proceedure to end the life of her suffering and much loved child?”
    And this:
    Elective abortions are still legal in Texas until the third trimester, or about 24 weeks. But since Jan. 1, because of the new law, there’s practically no place in the state that a woman can get one after 16 weeks. Texas women are being forced to travel to Louisiana, Arkansas, and Kansas to have the procedures done.

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