Gender Gap dooms Liberals.

[flamingfingers]

Why are women not supporting Christy despite her 'women only' coffee klatches and her "Families First" proclamations? Do women see through the campaign mode and want real leadership? What is Christy doing to turn women off?

Voter gender gap an issue for B.C. Liberals

By Keith Baldrey, Special to Coquitlam Now March 20, 2013
It's often said that men and women seem to be from different planets, and that certainly seems to be the case when it comes to political attitudes in this province.

Women in B.C. are less worried about the economy than men, view health care as a higher priority and attach less importance on the government balancing its budget.

And they are decidedly negative towards the B.C. Liberals, particularly Premier Christy Clark.

Those conclusions can be gleaned from drilling down deep into the latest Ipsos-Reid poll, which shows British Columbians favour the New Democratic Party over the B.C. Liberal party in a big way.

The NDP has been leading in public opinion for some time, but marked differences in public opinion on some key issues is what's most striking.

And they go a long way in explaining why the NDP has such a big lead in the polls these days. About one-half of the electorate is female, and it appears that close to 60 per cent of that base wants the B.C. Liberals out of office.

If we assume men and women voted in equal numbers in the 2009 election, about 375,000 women cast their ballots for the B.C. Liberals. Today's polling suggests more than 125,000 of them have deserted the party they voted for last time (Angus Reid pollster Mario Canseco says the B.C. Liberals are "retaining" only about two-thirds of their voter base in the last election, which suggests at least a third of their women voters have bolted).

And it's hard to envision a scenario that will lead to those female voters returning to the B.C. Liberal fold, particularly when you examine that party's re-election strategy.

For example, Clark and her party are trying to make the economy the key issue in the election campaign on the long-held belief that people don't trust the NDP when it comes to that issue.

However, one of the more telling findings of the Ipsos-Reid poll is the fact that women give the NDP more credit than the B.C. Liberals on those same economic issues Clark keeps emphasizing.

When it comes to job creation and managing government finances, women give the NDP a slight but noticeable edge. They're split down the middle on which party would best manage the economy.

When you factor in what appears to be a serious personal animosity among women towards Clark herself, it's hard to see how this gender gap is going to close at any time.

Almost half (42 per cent) of women "disapprove strongly" of the job Clark's been doing as premier. Men strongly disapprove of Clark's performance as well, but some of them seem more forgiving to her party and are willing to vote for it.

A majority of women, however, now appear to be strong NDP supporters. The NDP boasts the support of 56 per cent of women, compared to the B.C. Liberal's level of just 27 per cent.

Aside from focusing on an issue - the economy - that half the electorate doesn't rank as the top priority and thinks the other party is better on anyways, the B.C. Liberals have another conundrum to solve.

Given that the premier seems to be fairly unpopular, does showcasing her in a 28-day election campaign - with constant appearances on television and radio - further entrench that unpopularity or help to reverse it?

Clark herself insists she's a great campaigner (although I don't think there's much evidence to back that assertion up) and can close the gap during the campaign.

But women voters appear to be turned off her and her party in a big way and seeing and hearing more of her day after day may simply worsen the problem.

In fact, it can be argued Clark's unpopularity may indeed be linked to the fact she has been in campaign mode since she became premier. Everything she has done seems to be about politics and not about crafting government policy.

There is plenty of internal grumbling within the B.C. Liberal government on just that point. The controversy over her staff crossing the line and mixing government business with partisan work for the party is an example of the constant campaigning that has been going on.

And a big portion of them, many of them women, have grown very tired of it.

Keith Baldrey is chief political reporter for Global B.C.

Read more: http://www.thenownews.com/news/Voter+ge ... z2OPkyPz22

[Carmencat]

What is Christy doing to turn women off?

She is an idiot.

I love how (some) men think that just because she is a woman, women will automatically support her. Do men automatically support all men because they are male?

[bob vernon]

The answer is simple. Women have been trained for millions of years to recognize insincerity. Men, for millions of years, have been bred to use insincerity to get what they want. Christy is using insincerity, like a man, to advance in the world and women recognize it. Unlike many other female politicians, who bring people together to make progress, Christy uses insincerity and lies.

She had a role in the BCRail scam, along with the roles of her ex-husband and her brother, and women can see right through her denials. The lack of public records in the Ethnogate thing is another big piece of evidence. How did the rest of her office launch Ethnogate without her knowing? Women have seen through her forever. Some men fall for the phoney smile.

Remember the old Eagles' song:
City girls just seem to find out early
How to open doors with just a smile

It's all she's got. No vision, no ideas. No compassion for the poor....... or families. And women detect it.

[George+]

EXACTLY!

[Carmencat]

I stick to my asssertion that Christy is an idiot, but I also agree with bob that she is insincere. Christy loves being a politician (as she has said herself) but it is a game to her.

I will also add that she is an embarrassment to women. How she answered the *bleep* question was bad enough (I can't imagine someone like Carole Taylor dignifying that question an answer) but her comment comparing a limp microphone to her ex husband shows how lacking in common sense she is. If a male politician had made that comment about an ex wife (ie. she just lies there) he would have been hounded until he either issued an apology to all women, or resigned. But because it was a woman making the comment she was given a pass. She plays on that, and I find it unacceptable and repugnant.

[Donald G]

It would make this string more valuable if people supporting any given party would pay less attention to posting information consistent with their political party goals ... and more information about their candidates. Emotionalized political rhetoric vs. information of vale to voters.

[Merry]

Much as I would LOVE to see more women in politics, particularly in executive roles, I'm not stupid enough to vote for a woman just because she's a woman. For most people, the most important consideration when deciding who to vote for is electing folk who share a similar world view, regardless of gender.

It would be great if a few more women wound up in office but, unfortuately, far too many women who wind up in powerful political roles do so because they cater to the male constituency in their respective parties, whose views are not necessarily in synch with female voters.
.

[flamingfingers]

It would be great if a few more women wound up in office but, unfortuately, far too many women who wind up in powerful political roles do so because they cater to the male constituency in their respective parties, whose views are not necessarily in synch with female voters.

Well... I could argue that point, obviously not applicable to Christy because she has used her 'womanly attributes' to do exactly what you say. However, I would suggest that women such as Carole Taylor, Diane Watts (as exemplars) have made their mark by being intelligent, putting forth decent policies and honoring their role as public servants who are/were actually concerned with listening to their citizens and responding appropriately.

[damngrumpy]

Women can see right through her and the men are starting to understand the
implications of leaving her in charge of the Province.
This election is all but over before it began. The Liberals are now running to
save the party more than anything else. Women will vote and men sometimes
vote. Women are not falling for the myth's out there and the Liberals are in deep
trouble.
Look at the polls, if there is dedication to the NDP the Liberals, the Greens and the
BC Tories in significant numbers it indicates there are not that many undecided
voters. That being the case the Liberals are going to have tough time changing the
minds that are made up for change and that now is around sixty percent of the voters.
Liberals Doomed Yes

[Alvis]

This is actually similar to the implosion that the Republican Party in the USA is going through.
Mind you the BC Liberlas will jump ship and build up the BC Cons and people will be tricked once again like the failure of the BC Social Credit Party. Socialeralservative Party of BC.

I tried to work BC Reform in there but I failed which is fitting as they failed too.


On a side note I find it ironic that if old WAC Bennett were around today, and tried to implement all the things he was famous for he'd be crucified as a "Socialist."

[logicalview]

This is actually similar to the implosion that the Republican Party in the USA is going through.
Mind you the BC Liberlas will jump ship and build up the BC Cons and people will be tricked once again like the failure of the BC Social Credit Party. Socialeralservative Party of BC.

I tried to work BC Reform in there but I failed which is fitting as they failed too.


On a side note I find it ironic that if old WAC Bennett were around today, and tried to implement all the things he was famous for he'd be crucified as a "Socialist."

Define "failure" exactly. How often have the NDP been in power? And other than in 1996 when they deliberately lied and fudged the budget to secure re-election, how often have they been re-elected? And what happened in 2001? Oh yeah. They were wiped out 77-2. Now THAT is failure.

[Alvis]

Define "failure" exactly. How often have the NDP been in power? And other than in 1996 when they deliberately lied and fudged the budget to secure re-election, how often have they been re-elected? And what happened in 2001? Oh yeah. They were wiped out 77-2. Now THAT is failure.

Oh I forgot the BC Liberals have never once lied about anything....HST.
You call the BC NDP a failure but hey, they are still around and a government in waiting. Pretty horrific failure isn't it? Where are the BC Socreds and BC Reform these days? Where will the BC Liberals be in 4 years time?

[hobbyguy]

I have to agree with Alvis about WAC. Policies like "nationalizing" BC Hydro and positions like arguing that dental care should be included in MSP would be looked at as very far left today.

Politics in general have been dragged so far "right" that the policy positions of the left, the NDP, are not far off from the policies of the Social Credit party of 50 years ago. The policies of the old Social Credit party brought a lenghty period of constant improvement in the standard of living for the citizenry as a whole - which is why WAC just kept on getting elected.

So arguably, if you ant to look at historical record, you almost have to include the the "old" Social Credit party in the mix on the "left".

Gender isn't the issue it used to be. Competency and policies are the issues. If Christy had the skill set of someone like Carole Taylor, we would be having a totally different conversation.

It is just possible that the gender gap in the polls for Christy is because some old fools like me can be charmed by batting eyelashes...and the polling without that factor is a more objective result.

[LANDM]

Well... I could argue that point, obviously not applicable to Christy because she has used her 'womanly attributes' to do exactly what you say. However, I would suggest that women such as Carole Taylor, Diane Watts (as exemplars) have made their mark by being intelligent, putting forth decent policies and honoring their role as public servants who are/were actually concerned with listening to their citizens and responding appropriately.

And yet you, of all people perpetuate that she has successfully used some sort of womanly attributes, as you call them, by referring to her as a Mother You Would Like To **** (have sex with). By fixating on wanting to have these types of relations with the Premier of BC, over and over for months on these very forums, you have diminished females in positions of power by fixating on their gender and by sexualizing them.

[flamingfingers]

^She 'sexualized' herself and women clued into that immediately. Coupled with the fact that PCC does not have the intellect, leadership qualities or sophistication to garner respect from women, she indeed deserves her 'doom'....