Both Mr. Bush and Vice President Al Gore are hoping to garner the women's vote, which is seen as crucial to winning the election. But she bristles at the thought of being labeled that way. A new mother from White Plains, N.Y., who's just resigned from her job, Ms. Walsh is a registered independent who voted for Bill Clinton in '92 and Bob Dole in '96. It really depends on the person. With all the hype about the power of women's vote this year, the complexity of individual voters like Walsh sometimes gets lost in the media frenzy.
Women are by no means a monolithic voting bloc.
In fact, things like race, religion, and geography can play a greater role in women's voting behavior than gender. And any politician forgets that at his or her own peril. There are areas where women are more liberal than men, and men are more conservative than women, but to say women are 'X' or men are 'Y' is a mistake. Many pundits contend they're on the right track. If women really vote on the issues, they'll be much more informed and invested.