Many other gender factors can come into play this year. Women may be from Venus and men from Mars, but how they vote depends on the way their planets are in alignment. Marriage influences ballot choices. A majority of married women, for example, say they'll vote for President Bush and a majority of unmarried women say John Kerry is their man, according to published polls, continuing the recent trend that more married women with children vote Republican than Democratic. Now there's another problem for the senator. In the year 2000, 68 percent of married women actually voted and 52 of unmarried went to the ballot box. (It's the Nuptial Gap, stupid.)
At their convention in New York, Republican delegates carried orange signs saying "W stands for women," and Democratic pollster Celinda Lake acknowledges that "George W. Bush is literally the best Republican we've seen at targeting women voters."
The president offers substance by detailing what he means by "empowerment" and the "opportunity society," which ought to appeal to both married women, mothers and unmarried women who work. "Flex time" is about giving women opportunities to trade overtime in for time off. Tax cuts benefit women, too.
The Independent Women's Forum exposes the myth behind feminist rhetoric against tax cuts. "Women should oppose feminists' implicit assumption that women are better off when government has more and individuals have less," writes Carrie Lukas, the forum's policy director. "After all, surrendering resources is tantamount to surrendering independence."
Cutting income taxes reduces the government's burden on women (and their husbands) and offers more freedom to mothers to choose whether to work or stay home. Women - single and married - are increasingly investing in and working for small businesses and tax cuts help them expand their opportunities, income, independence and choices.
What do women want? Security most of all, and a president who can best keep Venus and Mars in alignment.