katie roiphe

[Michael Hoover]

> I guess the U.S. is very different from Europe, because here women are less
> warlike, more in favor of social spending, and generally to the "left" of
> men on almost all issues. I'd be the last to argue that voting Democratic
> is an index of leftish ideology, but still, savor the gender gaps from the
> last 3 national elections (figures are share of popular vote according to
> Voter News Service exit polls):
> Doug

prior to 1980 8% gender gap, there were five prez elections in which 
one candidate apparently recieved appreciably higher percentage (above 
statistically insignificant 2-3%) of votes from women than men - 4% 
for Republican Hoover in 1928 (based on straw polling, not so-called 
scientific polling) thought to be result of more women supporting 
Prohibition, 6% for Hoover in 1932 (based on 1936 survey asking 
prospective voters who said they had voted in previous election), 5% 
for Republican Eisenhower in 1952 (based on exit polling) thought to be 
result of more women blaming Democrats for Korean War, 6% for Eisenhower 
in 1956, 5% for Democrat Carter in 1976 who campaigned actively in favor 
of ERA...

so gender gap favoring Dems since 1980 correlates with re-emergence of
women's movement in 1960s/1970s and with different attitudes by
national parties towards women and women's rights in last two
decades...in 1980, Reps became first major party since 1940 not to
endorse ERA and in 1981 Reagan became first prez not to support the
amendment since Truman...   Michael Hoover