Tuesday, December 11, 1984
University of Arizona professors disagree with results of a recent Associate Press survey in which half the people polled indicated they felt the Democratic Party was hurt by running a woman in its presidential ticked.
The survey, which was released yesterday, said 1,476 Americans were polled by telephone and asked, “”In general, do you think it helped or hurt the Democrats to have a woman on the presidential ticket?””
The presidential election was lost before it began, said Peter Goudinoff, a UA political-science lecturer.
“”To say a woman hurt the Democratic ticket is like saying that someone broke a set of dishes during a thermonuclear war,”” Goudinoff said.
“”The ticket was dead anyways,”” he said, implying that the Republicans were in a sure-win situation before Geraldine Ferraro was announced as the Democratic vice-presidential candidate.
Political-science professor Donald R. Hall said voters who opposed and supported habing a woman on the Democratic ticket canceled each other out.
“”Some people voted for the Democrats because a woman was on the ticket and some did not vote for them because a woman was on the ticket,”” he said.
To certain groups, such as conservatives and Southerners, a woman vice president would not be very appealing, Hall said.
The survey indicated that in certain matters such as foreign policy, handling a national crisis, dealing with enemies and standing up for the country, a female candidate was perceived to be weaker than a male candidate.
The fact that so many Americans felt Derraro hurt the Democratic ticket is demonstrative of the slowness with which perceptions of women’s capabilities are changing, said Myra Dinnerstein, chairwoman for the committee on women’s studies.
Dinnerstein said that it was difficult for Ferraro, being the first female vice-presidential candidate, because she was targeted for everyone’s adverse feelings.
“”However, I think that having a woman in that key position helped women in general,”” Dinnerstein said.
Ferraro made a new beginning for women, she said. “”We will see more women in key roles in the future,”” she added.
But whether Ferraro’s nomination indicates a change in attitudes town women is still undecided, Hall said.
“”This could just be a novelty.””
