gender gap (was Re: Scabs?)

[Jim heartfield]

In message <3.0.1.32.19980526131025.00ac77c8 at jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu>, Wojtek
Sokolowski <sokol at jhu.edu> writes
>In that respect, the US is more like Norway, women being more likely to
>vote Democratic than men.  Some analysts see this gender gap not as a
>matter of political ideology (i.e. women are as conservative as men), but
>as a result of Republicans embracing the so-called "Southern mentality' -
>mainly pro gun, macho rhetoric which many women find repugnant.
>
>Would the same be true about Britain, and Labor assuming more populist
>macho redneck rhetoric (likle support for fox hunting) being seen by many
>women as less 'civil'?

No far from it. that might once have been the case (but Labour would
never support fox-hunting - it a toffs' sport, symbolising ownership of
land, not like hunting in the US). Labour has not been a macho party
since Neil Kinnock departed. I should say that the gender gap is
changing and now Labour is definitely more women-oriented. It might well
be the case that Labour did better amongst women in the last election
)it did better with almost everybody). It was only when Labour was a
party whose social support was specifically drawn from the working
classes that it became disproportionately male in its support.

I must say I am sceptical about the idea that European social democracy
was popular amongst women. I do not know enough about the Democrats to
judge.
-- 
Jim heartfield