Gender As a Political Constant

Perhaps Matt Randall, a 22-year-old interviewed by the Los Angeles Times shortly before the 2000 election, put it best when he said, “Bush is a guy’s guy. He’s from Texas, so he’s more of a he-man, leatherneck type.… Gore, he’s sensitive. He’s supposed to be for the environment. He’s always talking about kids and families.” ¹ Randall’s assessment of the two candidates epitomizes the “gender gap,” or the greater likelihood for Democratic candidates to appeal to women, and Republican candidates to appeal to men. That the gap has become a force that helps to shape presidential campaigns can be seen in the two major candidates’ efforts during the 2000 campaign to appeal to the gender that was less likely to vote for them: George Bush by campaigning on a platform of “compassionate conservatism” and emphasizing education reform, and A1 Gore by highlighting his record as a Vietnam veteran and a tough investigative reporter.