A hilarious factoid in The Economist from a poll of married couples, asking whether both spouses always voted the same way. 73% of the married men said yes. “The wives’ response? Just 49% said yes.”
Also interesting is that unmarried women, who accounted for nearly a quarter of all votes cast in the 2012 presidential election, voted decisively for Barack Obama. Why?
The key to the puzzle appears to involve attitudes to government safety nets, and a shared sense among unmarried women that they are trying to survive without any back-up in a harsh, increasingly insecure economy (unmarried women are disproportionately likely to work in jobs which do not offer health cover, for instance). Put another way, the conservative battle-cry of “Leave me the Hell alone” sounds different when you are literally on your own.
2 Comments
My mother married two ultra conservatives. (one after another) In her very old age, she told me that she went right behind them and cancelled their votes. Two subjects not allowed in our house were Religion and Politics.
J and I always vote the same way except when we don’t. I’m certain of this. “>D