Ark Dem-Gaz: Kerry, Bush Supporters Divided by Sex in South

[DeepModem Mom]

Publication:Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Date: 27 June 2004 ; Section:Front Section; Page:1


Kerry, Bush supporters divided by sex in South

BY PAUL BARTON ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE


....From Arkansas to Virginia, cultural barriers stand between Kerry and male voters, especially white male voters.

"In certain parts of the South, it has become culturally unacceptable to be a Democrat," said Democratic political strategist Dave "Mudcat" Saunders, an adviser to Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, Sen. Bob Graham of Florida and Gov. Mark Warner of Virginia....

***

Ipsos-Public Affairs, a Washington polling firm, has routinely found in monthly surveys that Kerry gets support from 48 percent to 50 percent of women in the South but less than 30 percent of men.

Southern white males, Guillory and others said, see Bush as a likable guy, a rancher, someone who relates to their self-perceived streak of rugged independence....But Saunders, who was widely credited with helping Warner gain traction among white male voters in Virginia, said Kerry and other Democrats can bridge the gap if they will only try. The culture fight begins, he said, by recognizing "the testosterone factor."...

***

But why do the qualities that endear Bush to some men not work quite as well with women? "Women sort of rank issues in a different order than men," said (Laura) Olson, the Clemson political scientist. Women are more skeptical of war, and some may view Bush as "a little bit too much of a saber rattler," she said. Olson and others said Southern women also care more about issues such as health care, education and child care than men. Some Southern women also care strongly about abortion rights, although the issue is "quieter here." The University of North Carolina’s Guillory added, "Southern women see in Democrats an articulation of social and economic policies that abet the advancement of women."...

***

....Olson, the Clemson analyst, said that while Kerry will find more voters among Southern women than men, the former are not as strongly Democratic as their peers across the country. "The culture here pushes you to the right," she said....


http://epaper.ardemgaz.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:ArticleToMail&Type=text/html&Path=ArDemocrat/2004/06/27&ID=Ar00105

[TheFarseer]

1. Too bad Edwards isn't the nominee

women would like him because he's good looking and men would find it acceptable to support a fellow southerner. We'd be absolutely destroying monkey-boy! Almost every state would be ours or in play.

[Catt03]

6. He's good looking ?

Yes he is. But women will not vote for him just because he is good looking.

He is also moderate in his tone and has some passion in his words.

Edwards connects with most Democrats because he "became" rather than "was given". Democrats like the success of making a life rather than being given one. It gives everyone hope and that is as American as can be.

The white male decribed in the above piece is not only Southern, it is universal. It is psychological improvising. The preening, macho, tough guy image is universal and some men need that to feel good.

I guess you could observe that Kerry has the whole package in re women, only more subdued than Bush. He has the macho stuff and the intelligence. Not a bad package is one is seeking a mate or a "daddy" or a presdient.

[JI7]

9. John Kerry won the women's votes in the primary

this is one reason he did so well in the entire primary. while we know more women vote overall. the percentage of women voters is even higher in democratic primary elections. in almost all states kerry won the women's vote by much larger amounts than he did men's votes. and if you look at his ads which talk of his military service they are made in a way to appeal to voters who tend to be less for war (women). the focus is more on volunteerism and service to country rather than violent details of the war . so those not into war but are big on volunteer work and providing services and other help could relate to it.

[Auntie Bush]

2. The culture fight begins, he said, by recognizing "the testosterone

factor". That's why I believe Wes Clark on the ticket could help in the South more than Edwards. General Clark certainly should appeal to the military crowd...where Edwards may appeal more to the woman. Since Kerry is already doing well with woman ...we need Clark. He's more macho than Edwards.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

3. Southerners see Bush as a "rancher"? They might not be stupid but they

sure are gullible.

[Pepperbelly]

4. the Democrap-Gazette is a gop rag ... and if they are publishing this ...

story, it suggests to me that they are beginning to lose among white males as well.

It is my city's newspaper but you know what? I buy fewer than a dozen of their broadsides anually.

[Wright Patman]

14. Southern white males

do not read newspapers to any great extent. They listen to wingnut talk shows while tuning between the latest country music battle hymns while driving to NASCAR races.

[struggle4progress]

30. Not all of us! Some spend our time trying to give Texas back to Mexico!

[Pepperbelly]

36. I am a southern white male and I do none of those things.

Stereotype much?

[Wright Patman]

37. I am too and neither do I

But I realize I'm in the minority.

[Thor_MN]

5. This is a good thing, IMO, if it can be maintained indefinately...

As long as the NASCAR dads are divided from females, they can't make more!!! :)

[cally]

16. Too funny!

Yep keep the freeper maless divided from women!

[AndyTiedye]

22. That's Why The Freepers Are That Way

they're not getting any....

[Nay]

7. Advertising really works, doesn't it?? Chimpboy is no RANCHER.

Yet, the fools out there like him because he is a "likeable guy, a rancher...someone who relates to their self-perceived streak of rugged independence" ARRRRRGH!!!! How many times has it been pointed out that he is a blueblood New Englander, who has lived on Daddy's money all his life, a snobbish Yalie, and bought that goddamned pig farm SIX MONTHS before he started running for President?? And that he is SCARED of horses and will not ride one? And that the most "ranching" he has ever done in his damn film clips has been clearing brush? Jesus H. Christ, people are so effing stupid!

OH, and another thing, when it is pointed out that Chimpboy graduated from Yale, the Bushies say (and I quote) "Yes, he is a SMART MAYUN!!" even after I explain what a gentleman's C is, and after I remind them that an A student of lesser means was denied a spot at Yale so Chimpboy could coke-snort his way through.

BUT when Kerry goes to Yale, it's because he is a pretty-boy, privileged, Frenchie-boy, blueblooded asshole. ARRRGH!

[shrdlu]

33. Nay knows dubya...

The ranch is a prop, a movie-set, and thanks to the gullibility of our co-opted big-foot media, a splendid bit of phony image-making. It is probably stocked with rent-a-cows. They reinforce the image and allow dubya an agricultural exemption on his property taxes.

[Gman]

8. Testosterone should be a controlled substance

threre's plenty of reasons for labeling it and controlling it.

[Mari333]

10. This study is an eye opener..............

http://www.postpartum.net/friendship%20and%20stress%20research.htm

[DeepModem Mom]

11. Seems I read somewhere, Mari, that "woman-talk"...

and its benefits to women, date back to earliest human history. It is a form of therapy in itself; I have experienced it at work in countless talks with female friends.

[Mari333]

15. Yes, me too

No wonder the patriarchal religions attempted to ban or belittle women meeting in groups...we knew it all along, what was good for us...and now we have scientific proof...
ah ha!

[justjones]

21. This proves it. We need a FEMALE president.....

Who better than to handle the stress of being the leader of the free world? Who won't automatically succumb to the flight or fight extinct and start unnecessary wars?

Women.

But we didn't need proof. We already know this.:):bounce:

[llmart]

39. Good article, Mari333.

There has always been a school of thought that men are deeply envious of the close relationships women have with other women, because our society doesn't allow for that in men. I am a great observer of human behavior and in my not-so-scientific observations, that is very often true. It is evidenced in the way men put women down when they see them in groups talking/laughing/sharing, etc. I think it's definitely true of men older than 45. The younger generations seem like they are not so threatened by women's relationships.

Just my opinion.

[Just Me]

29. When THAT hormone is no longer in control, peace on earth is,...

,...possible. I am NOT kidding.

Although we, humanity, have evolved greatly,...that testosterone is still in charge. AND, as proof,...55+ year old men are taking Viagra to maintain their sense of superiority while perpetuating the myth that women somehow make life so miserable with their "hormonal imbalances".

BAH!!!!

Men have been "in charge" and in their historical footsteps left chaos and death and oppression and pain in their path. They won't even share!!!!!

Of course, not all men are responsible for such things,...only those whose testosterone-driven egos bring humanity to its freakin' knees.

God,...I am tired. I am soooooooo tired of witnessing the worst of human capacity being rained upon the potential of humanity. I imagine that, humanity is a terrible disappointment, with notable exceptions,...to God.

[NWHarkness]

12. Racism still prevails

"In certain parts of the South, it has become culturally unacceptable to be a Democrat,"

And yet, in those same areas, there are large numbers of African-Americans who are Democrats.

Two plus two still equals four.

[DeepModem Mom]

13. A friend in Mississippi told me recently that racism...

still is the underlying factor that determines the politics of that state.

[steely]

19. I hate to admit that I agree...

A number of times I've travelled on biz all over the south, but the Mississippians I've met seemed pretty hard nosed on that matter. And in all cases, I wasn't the one who got us "on topic". There seemed to be a lot of held-over sentiment regarding the war between the states too.

[justjones]

25. By "on topic," do you mean the subject of race comes up in your

conversations? Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but I'm assuming you are "white" talking to other "whites" (which only matters in terms of the topic at hand:)).

[steely]

38. Yes, unfortunately, that's what I meant...

And your assumption is correct.
I one case I was handed some literature in the workplace -
The other involved someone butting into a discussion about the CW (we were talking genealogy).

editted for spelling

[Syrinx]

17. seems like the police beatings, etc., happen more in New York and Cali

[NWHarkness]

20. Relevance?

The existence of racism elsewhere does not mitigate or excuse it in the South.

[Syrinx]

26. just tired of the south being called racist

when there is just as much, if not more, racism elsewhere.

[NWHarkness]

32. Understood

But to get back to the point, don't you regard the statement that being a Democrat is "culturally unacceptable" in an area where there are millions of blacks who vote Democratic, as racist?

If being a Democrat is "unacceptable", and most blacks are Democrats, doesn't it follow that blacks are not considered "acceptable?

[Syrinx]

34. I think it's an odd statement, but it doesn't strike me as racist

I don't see how leaning Democratic can be considered "unacceptable" when half of the women and about a third of the men are supporting Kerry.

[shanti]

35. i see your point with clarity

if the south has a culture that is dominated by white males, who vote predominately republican, the converse is unacceptable.

bingo.

[toopers]

40. That's an huge and absurd stretch.

If that were true then you would also have to agree that there was no difference in ideology between blacks and republican males -- that the only difference was skin color. I think that if you were to interview black male democrats and white male republicans you would discover a huge difference in ideology.

[AndyTiedye]

24. Naw, Just More Likely To get Videotaped and put on TV

[Syrinx]

27. I hate to shock you

But there are camcorders and tv stations below the Mason-Dixon line too.

[Syrinx]

18. I guess I'm a woman then

The Dem-Gazette is a piece of shit -- it's the home of Paul Greenberg -- 'nough said.

[Solly Mack]

23. I suggest Olson expand his circle of southern women friends

It's a generalization to say I am somehow not strongly democratic as others simply because I was born and raised in the South. He might opt to utilise more accurate phrases like some are, most are, many are, or even, more likely to be..but don't lump us all into one group. Cause I'm not your stereotypical southern belle.

[Rebellious Republican]

28. Well, I am a white macho southern middle aged ex-military male

And I am voting a STRAIGHT Democrtic ticket! But then I have some branch's on my family tree! :evilgrin:

[MattNC]

31. as a young, "clean-cut", Southern male

John Kerry and almost every Democrat on my voting ballot has my vote.