For whatever polling data is worth, latest information indicates that today, more women are voting, but they're not slam-dunk Democrats like they once were.
I didn't see any information beyond the overall statistic that more women now vote, yet it seems to me that the reasons for the Dem party losing it's grip on this population segment is that more women are now in the work force, have significant financial responsibility, have more economic and fiscal information specifically targeted to them as an audience and more frequently involve themselves in public issues at all levels. Beyond that, the divorce rate is about 50%, so many women are likely sole breadwinners for themselves and their kids.
Consequently,things like taxes, health care, risk of unemployment, unbridled government spending and budget deficits now effect them more directly, especially in their pocketbooks. And despite that they likely have significant, deeply felt interest in many social issues, they realize that when it's their own paychecks that are being eaten away to pay for these projects, it's wiser to wait until the economy improves to where they can afford them than to break the bank now.
A step beyond that is that although it makes sense for women to prefer other women in office because of a more common perspective, it's likely that self-supporting or simply well-informed women realize that gender alone isn't enough reason to earn a vote. Therefore, empty suits like Boxer, Pelosi and whatever the current senator's name is from New York (has anyone ever seen her?) are no longer guaranteed women's votes. I guess you can include Sarah Palin in that group too, because aside from being loud, pushy and boring, I don't think she's a slam dunk shoo-in for intelligent women (or male) voters either.
All in all, the changing makeup of many once guaranteed groups are no longer the strongholds they were for either party. There's simply too much information available to the voting public via media outlets and the Internet. And that access to input will continue to increase significantly. Consequently, politicians of every stripe are now faced with a horrible dilemma. Folks now actually know instantaneously what these politicos have said and promised, and unfortunately for the pol's, as every day goes by, they'll be expected to deliver. Gender alone just won't make it any more.
That's it for today folks.
Adios
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