Why was the gender gap so wide this year?
But there has been a consistent thread of disagreement for decades over what role the government should play. It’s not a big gap, but it is statistically significant, about 4 percentage points or 5 points in many studies, Kellstedt said. As a group, women tend to like bigger government with more health and welfare programs; men lean toward smaller government that spends less, except on the military.
Sort of the social safety net versus rugged individualism. Or Obama versus Romney.
There are lots of possible reasons the genders see this differently.
Besides women’s traditional role as family nurturers, they also live longer than men and so are more likely to rely on Social Security and Medicare. Women are more likely to be poor. They’re more likely to be single parents struggling to pay for child care, education and medical bills. Men may feel many social programs are expensive and won’t benefit them.
“Women tend to believe that government has a role to play, that it should be a partner in their life,” said Democratic pollster Celinda Lake. “Men tend to think it’s been a good day when the government hasn’t done anything bad to you.”
When the nation as a whole drifts to the left or right on the big government-small government debate, the gap between men and women fluctuates. Men and women shift their views in the same direction, Kellstedt said, but men as a group tend to change their minds faster and move their views farther.
Blowback
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How is fighting that fight?
It’s the first I’ve heard of it being proposed.
Mimzey on November 25, 2012 at 11:45 AM
Women look for value. From their point of view, government is not providing good value for their tax dollar and they want something tangible in exchange. They don’t necessarily want free. They’re paying for something, and it has to something they can use.
RINOs are people too on November 25, 2012 at 11:46 AM
And you don’t think that if we give exceptions for rapes that that wouldn’t undermine the WHOLE argument against abortion. Do you not see the headlines now “Pro lifers believe that life begins at conception except for the poor poor innocent babies who have rapist fathers.” “Life a constitutional right unless father is a rapist.” The meme would just change. Until we learn to deal with a hostile media- changing our principles is only going to make us turn into the other side.
And as far as fighting the fight- because it is worth fighting for. Why fight the wealthfare fight, fiscal fight etc? I mean Repubs could have won easily if we offered free stuf..
melle1228 on November 25, 2012 at 11:47 AM
How = Who.
Mimzey on November 25, 2012 at 11:48 AM
Can you give an example of what you claim their reasoning is?
Mimzey on November 25, 2012 at 11:50 AM
Because again Lynn believes the talking points. Even before Roe v. Wade alot of states made exceptions. And furthermore, most pro-lifers would just be happy with abortion going back to the state level where we can fight culture easier. Even if R v. W was overturned, states would still have an option to allow or outlaw abortion.
melle1228 on November 25, 2012 at 11:50 AM
I totally agree that changing the mindset about abortion should be a big part of the battle. It disgusts me that too many women view an office visit for an abortion as a mere inconvenience.
lynncgb on November 25, 2012 at 11:54 AM
Exactly.
There are many people who believe that if Roe was overturned it would mean abortion would be illegal. It wouldn’t. It would simply be left up to the states.
This is so obviously true and easy a concept to understand, it seem unlikely that it would not be more widely understood without a conscious and deliberate effort to deceive.
Mimzey on November 25, 2012 at 11:56 AM
How many women have you interviewed who have gotten an abortion? How many expressed to you that they had one because of a “mere inconvenience.” As long as you frame women’s desire to be economically successful as a “mere inconvenence” you reduce their dreams and aspirations to nothing. Young people can make mistakes, but its the woman whose life always is inexorably altered by an unplanned pregnancy.
And how many times have you spoken with mothers who already have two kids and can not afford a third who choose an abortion, are they sluts too? Your side just doesn’t get it.
libfreeordie on November 25, 2012 at 11:59 AM
The appearance of wanting to overturn Roe is what I meant. If Republicans aren’t serious about wanting to overturn Roe then why do we let voters think we are?
In the interest of full disclosure, let me tell you I am pro-choice but in favor of prohibiting mid to late term abortions. And if abortion laws were decided at the state level, I don’t believe it would stop any woman from getting an abortion. There are way too many states that will never totally outlaw it.
lynncgb on November 25, 2012 at 12:06 PM
Part of it, of course, is that women are ruled more by emotion than they are by reason. So if it’s something that makes them feel better about things, regardless of whether it’s fiscally sustainable, they will support it. It’s just part of a woman’s biology. There’s also the fact that, for thousands of years, women were accustomed to needing to be taken care of. Except for very well off women who didn’t really need a man for food and shelter, most women had to rely on husbands. All “feminism” has done for us is trade a man for the government. We are just as dependent as we ever were.
NoLeftTurn on November 25, 2012 at 12:07 PM
I can answer-lots including member of my family. It was my generation who was the beneficiary of Roe v. Wade. And most were upset because they were lied to about abortion being like a mole being removed. One of the least talked about things is how abortion has victimized women who get abortion.. Abortion hasn’t given women more freedom– it has given men less responsibility. I highly doubt YOU have talked to most women who have had an abortion outside of your “womyn’s studies class.” Go volunteer at an organization like Rachel’s Vineyard and tell me how freeing an abortion is..
Learn to read.. Lynn is on YOUR side and the “mere inconvenience” was the abortion not the pregnancy.
melle1228 on November 25, 2012 at 12:09 PM
Actually before Roe v. Wade a lot less women were getting abortion. One of the founders of NARAL- Bernard Shaw even admitted that their statistics “like 10,000 women’ dieing in back alleys was a myth and made up.
And I don’t agree with you that abortion will eventually be legal. Technology has advance since 1973 and being able to see and preform surgery while babies are still in the womb will ultimately convince the younger generation who grows up with this technology that the unborn deserve a right to life. Furthermore, viability is a concept that is changing and getting sooner and sooner.
melle1228 on November 25, 2012 at 12:12 PM
Exactly!
melle1228 on November 25, 2012 at 12:12 PM
Thats weak.
How many would admit it if they did?
Self evaluation of the reasons for ones actions can be deceptive at best.
Anyone whos honest about people knows this is true.
Mimzey on November 25, 2012 at 12:13 PM
I’m on your side on this one…and I would like to believe that the majority of women who seek an abortion are not happy about it. But the statistics are rather alarming. There are waaaay too many women NOT BEING CAREFUL in the first place. That too me is abandoning their primary responsibility when it comes to having sex.
lynncgb on November 25, 2012 at 12:15 PM
Yes. Hopefully you are correct, and we can convince the young adults of today that viability occurs before birth… and that small life deserves protection. I think that’s an argument we can win.
lynncgb on November 25, 2012 at 12:22 PM
No they’re not sluts, but they are making poor choices. You guys are all about choice. What about the choice not to get pregnant in the first place? Your attitude is part and parcel of the infantilization of women. You guys act as though it’s 1912 instead of 2012 and women have no other options.
NoLeftTurn on November 25, 2012 at 12:35 PM
I agree. Thats why feminists are so against women seeing untrasounds before abortion. It’s not the procedure itself. Untrasounds are part of the abortion process. They don’t want women to see what it is that they are doing.
They stand for decisions made in ignorance and not information based on objective reality.
They are not much different than any other ideological extremist.
Mimzey on November 25, 2012 at 12:42 PM
I wish every woman who seeks an abortion could be persuaded to carry her baby to full term…and give the child up to another woman who would love nothing more. I think we should be able to be more successful in advocating for adoption than we currently seem to be. Are that many women so opposed to “sacrificing” (if you could even call it that) nine months of their own life….to be able to give the gift of life to her child and to another family? Asking for a small opportunity to possibly be able to change the decision of any woman that is considering abortion, doesn’t seem to be asking for much.
lynncgb on November 25, 2012 at 1:16 PM
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