Women saved Bill Clinton. Women rescued Dick Blumenthal. Women elected Bill Finch Bridgeport mayor over Chris Caruso.
Guys, for the most part, are easy to predict in a political campaign: You raise my taxes and I rearrange your face! (Bring in the plastic surgeon.) Women are driven by an assortment of issues, processing a different filter than voting men, and that’s why all these drama-queen columnists around the state forecasting Governor Dannel Malloy’s political obituary need a make-up job. Jesus, the guy’s in office six months and they’re breaking out the bagpipes. We heard this mania about Barack six months after his oath.
Clinton would have been driven from office had women bailed on him in public opinion polls. As a result, enough Senators held firm at his impeachment trial for Clinton to win acquittal. Following Dick Blumenthal’s monumental Vietnam War gaffe, national media said toast, stick a fork in him, he’s dying the gooey death. So they thought. Women took a close look at Linda McMahon and measured Dick’s body of work against Ms. Turnbuckle. Dick wins comfortably.
In Bridgeport in 2007 Caruso had the male vote locked up. Polls showed it, focus groups showed it. What Caruso could never understand, despite being told to the contrary, is women wanted more than just one issue. (Was Caruso the only honest person in the city?) What about jobs? What about education? What about keeping my kids safe in school? What about cleaning up the neighborhood? What about your maturity level? What about listening to what I have to say? What about having the good sense to understand the difference?
Men must be completely apoplectic about a candidate to sway an election. This doesn’t mean you ever ignore male voters because the issues are narrow. Women, however, tend to decide elections. Why? Because there’s more of them and they break later than men. They play hard to get. It’s why Finch could overcome a double-digit polling lead by Caruso two months before the primary.
But do not assume for a second that just because you’re a female candidate you have the female vote locked up. Paging Linda McMahon. Paging Hillary Clinton. Paging Sarah Palin. Female candidates don’t have a monopoly on female voters. And do not assume because you once had female voters in your corner you’ll have them forever. Female voters make candidates earn and keep support.
In less than three months Democratic voters, a majority of them female, will decide on Bill Finch, Mary-Jane Foster, John Gomes and Charlie Coviello for mayor. Let the voter romance begin.
Since you claim women can multitask mentally, which I believe men also do; there is a full plate to choose from this primary and election. The increased taxes July 1st, the increased city taxes after the election in the city, and the cuts in service statewide and forthcoming citywide. Who is going to fall on their sword for the boss politician? Nobody!!!
Women are definitely a better judge of character than men. We can see right through a phony person. There’s something to say for a woman candidate who has given back to her community; helped victims of domestic violence WAY BEFORE she had any thoughts of running for public office. That says a lot about a person’s character.
BG, You Go Gurl!
Finch has reached an all-time Rocky Mountain Poll low in his negative push-polling against Foster.
Clearly he feels threatened by Mary-Jane and by women. That’s why in his immediate cabinet there aren’t any bidets!
This I-Am-Woman crap is so-o-o 1970s. You can turn the same argument used here and say women are indecisive.
Voters are voters. There are many different factors, gender being one. Fun to read about though. Why don’t we get one going for the McLevy Green Wine-Tasting Society?
Yeah baby, Helen Reddy! What’s wrong with the 1970s? We had some of our best drinking conversations in the 1970s at Sol’s Cafe downtown. Amazing we’re still alive. Why didn’t those wimps Gilmore (happy birthday) and O’Malley stick around for a few more cocktails? Oh that’s right, they had wives! We knew who controlled those votes.
I think the women’s vote is important. Many times politicians ignore this vote and it comes back to bite them in the ass. I think women look at all the issues involved in a campaign and vote accordingly.
This city is full of smart hard-working women who have been ignored for too long. The Finch administration has gotten rid of very competent women that were on board in the beginning. Just to name a few MCAT, R Bakalar, Nancy Hadley, my wife Pat Fardy. These women were strong independent thinkers, something that scares this administration.
There is an untapped gold mine of these women in Bridgeport and they need to be part of this campaign to unseat Finch & Company.
I think a more appropriate solution instead of rescinding women’s right to vote is to make households only have 1 vote. Every election cycle have the household register which spouse would be the one voting so either party could decide instead of relying on income as the qualifier. In any event, this would be more in line with what the founding fathers had in mind as opposed to everyone and their brother being able to cast a vote. It was intended to be only people with skin in the game and assets on the line would be the ones voting (i.e. property owners). I’d also like to see those on welfare or otherwise milking the govt teat not be permitted to vote until they are productive *contributing* members of society. The idea of everyone having a right to vote is a scary notion when you think about it and gives franchise to a lot of people who quite frankly just don’t deserve it.
Ronin,
An interesting post even if it was presumably offered as a fantasy concept.
So, a household has to make a decision before there are candidates announced, a platform offered, etc. about which one of a couple will get to vote? I imagine such a law may assist in the creation of more divorces at a minimum …
And what happens where there is a divorce? Does each party retain one-half a vote only to be restored to potential full voter status when they re-marry?
And a household of one is a preferred status because they do not have to go through a battle to see who gets a vote? So will there be more out-of-wedlock births among the politically active youth? Is there a military preference for people who have served the country to protect our freedom to vote? And what would your status be if you were on a party Town Committee but lost your vote to your spouse who happened to be for the other candidate?
I guess it could help cut down on necessary ballots but might do nothing for confusion at our Registrar’s office. And on election day it would be a free-for-all with people claiming to be voters when actually their spouses had the right. Would it cut down on the celebrating at certain watering holes?
Lots more work to be done on this thought Ronin …
Ronin,
That had to be one of the dumbest things I have ever read on the OIB site. Let’s keep the little ladies in the kitchen barefoot & pregnant? Women fought long and hard trying to gain the right to vote. However I think you are partially correct on a variation of one point. Perhaps we should make voters take an IQ test.
You will find in America a female is less likely to be involved in political scandal or corruption and they are the real workers behind the scene. Just look when Joe Ganim was mayor, it was 3 female district leaders in the DTC who really pushed the vote out for Joe.
The black female is the most loyal voter in the Democratic Party nationwide.
As for Bridgeport, just for a start three women come to mind and it doesn’t matter if you agree with them, all three are first honest, strong and are hard workers who are leaders. They are Carmen Lopez, Marilyn Moore and Sauda Baraka, there are more but these are the type of women to have on your team.
MJF is scheduled to appear on the TV show Bridgeport Now Live in late July.
8:10pm – nuclear safety activist Nancy Burton call-in. Is a nuclear meltdown possible at Connecticut’s Millstone plant, if a tornado hits it? Bridgeport was hit by one last year and recently warning and hit in Mass.
8:30pm – How was Bridgeport an industrial world leader? Charles discusses Bridgeport history. Tonight channel 88 and streaming soundviewtv.org.
By the way, we think the city has done a good job with some projects, such as the Arcade renovation and will show pictures and discuss. Also with Ellsworth Field, we thank the city and also the Black Rock Community Council for all their good work. The new building is well done.
Anti, more appropriately the CANDIDATES should take an IQ test.
THEN WHO WOULD SERVE?
It always takes a female to do a man’s job and to be honest I usually favor women candidates.