Debbie Schlussel: Studies: On Election Day, Men Smart, Women Stupid
You've heard of the gender gap, the much-proven theory that women tend to be liberal and men tend to be conservative, women tend to vote Democratic and men tend to vote Republican.
Well, there's also the stupid factor. Study after study consistently shows that men know way more than women about the issues and who takes which positions on them. Even on so-called "women's issues," like healthcare and education. Yup, women voters are dumb. We didn't say it. The studies did . . . studies conducted by . . . women.
From my September 29, 2005 column, "Commanderatrix in Chief: Desperate Housewives Pick a Prez":
Every presidential election year, Harvard's Shorenstein Center conducts 26 polls. Each time, the school finds that women didn't quite know what was going on. Men, on the other hand, were more likely, during the preceding day, to have thought about the elections, talked about it, and read or heard about it on the news.The University of Pennsylvania Annenberg Public Policy Center does a similar set of polls and studies each presidential election year, conducted by two women professors. The results of these studies are even more disturbing. Out of 25 questions on policy issues, women lag behind the men on most of them. In 2000, women lagged behind men in knowledge of all policy issues but one (on which they were equal).
The men knew more about the Presidential candidates' positions on taxes, weapons treaties, gun control, and even "traditional women's issues"--healthcare, education, and abortion.
Sorry, but I don't want "Thelma and Louise," Star Jones, and the women of "Desperate Housewives" picking my President. Keep them out of the ballot box and busy whining, crying, and obsessing over a broken nail and the handsome plumber next door, instead.
The women voters in these surveys bested the men on one issue: They knew what Oprah wore on the previous day's episode. Just kidding. But it's a safe bet.
Yes, there are exceptions . . . like yours truly and our my many sagacious and street-wise readers of both sexes. But we're talking general trends. And the trend is: Women voters = Ignorant voters. Gee, no wonder the Dems get their votes so much more easily.
Posted by Debbie on November 7, 2006 12:57 PM to Debbie Schlussel