We're Still Listening

They entered the ring again last night and there was an occasional feint toward women or a jab at one of our issues, but overall.....lots of talking at us... not much talking with or to us...

long on statistics ... short on empathy

Kerry did mention equal pay for women, something women have said that they want to hear about but haven't:

"If we raise the minimum wage, which I will do over several years to $7 an
hour, 9.2 million women who are trying to raise their families would earn
another $3,800 a year.

The president has denied 9.2 million women $3,800 a year, but he
doesn't hesitate to fight for $136,000 to a millionaire.

One percent of America got $89 billion last year in a tax cut, but
people working hard, playing by the rules, trying to take care of their kids,
family values, that we're supposed to value so much in America -- I'm tired of
politicians who talk about family values and don't value families.

What we need to do is raise the minimum wage. We also need to hold onto
equal pay. Women work for 76 cents on the dollar for the same work that men do.
That's not right in America.

And we had an initiative that we were working on to raise women's pay.
They've cut it off. They've stopped it. They don't enforce these kinds of
things."

And both candidates talked about their competing health care plans.

Kerry reaffirmed his commitment to procurement goals for minority businesses (no mention of the 5% goal for WBO's); Bush talked about ending contract bundling (which the data show he has not done; OMB said recently that bundling is at an all time high).

But it all seemed to come from their heads ... even when they talked about the strong women in their lives (Kerry seemed even less able to connect with feelings here).

I'm still looking for the guy who can genuinely speak from the heart without losing his head...

I'm still looking for the "real deal."

Are Kerry and Bush Talking to Women Voters?

One wonders whether the current "excitement" about the election will wane as November approaches ... drowned in a torrent of bellicose rhetoric that increasingly makes one think... what's the difference between these two guys?

During the summer, less than 1 in 10 women participating in a LifeTime/Rock the Vote Poll reported hearing the candidates or media talk about issues that they said would influence their votes: equal pay, violence against women, health care, child care, balancing work and family.

Anyone think that's changed? If not, why would we think that women will care enough to make time to go to the polls? Just because they've registered, doesn't mean they will come ...

Perhaps tonight's domestic issues debate will provide both light and heat on these issues...

Without both, turnout among women may not be all that the candidates (especially Kerry) expect...

Choosing a Female Role Model...Hobson's Choice?

As people ask me how I think the election will turn out in November I struggle to decide what to say...

myth and literature don't treat women prophets well

there is Cassandra, given the gift of prophecy by Apollo, but later cursed (punished for having refused his sexual advances; clearly quid pro quo harassment). Her curse was to be an accurate predictor of dire consequences whom no one would believe ... see, e.g., advice to Troy "don't accept gift horses" ...

and

Pollyanna, now the common name for any person regarded as being foolishly or blindly optimistic. In Porter's book, Pollyanna was all smiles and enthusiam until dark times rocked her world and our heroine had trouble dealing ...

So shall I be optimistic and dismissed as foolish?

or

shall I predict dire consequences and be dismissed as unbelievable?

A Hobson's choice....

but then that's a subject for another post...