At the start of the Presidential primary season, I reviewed the four major candidates, and had this to say about George Bush.

My personal view: I'm not keen on George W. Bush. Although I think he is personally a moderate, he has shown himself to be far too willing to bow to the conservative right on social issues - the very issues that most often affect women, and especially low-income women. I don't believe he would consider women's issues important enough to "fight for" when it came horse-trading time. In fact, I think women's issues would be the first thing on the table when the negotiating begins.

In the intervening months, I have seen nothing to change this view.

On the other hand, Governor Bush's page on abstinence education links to several pages of detailed explanation of his policy ideas on this subject. Despite studies which have shown little or no correlation between abstinence-only education and lowered rates of teen pregnancy, George W. Bush has made increasing funds for abstinence-only education a major part of his campaign. (For a detailed look at abstinence education programs and their effectiveness, see the article Abstinence-Only Sex Education by About.com Guide Margaret Sykes.)

Candidate Bush is also committed to expanding "charitable choice" - the provision detailed in my article "Charitable Choice is often Neither" - and removing barriers to the participation of faith-based organizations in government programs. Indeed, an extensive section of his Issues site is devoted to his plans for Faith Based Initiatives. Governor Bush believes that government should turn first to faith based organizations in providing services and help for the needy. Combine this with the expansion of charitable choice in government programs, and recipients may well end up with no choice but religious organizations for receiving the government services which they need.

In the area of education, Bush proposes accountability measures, coupled with a penalty for underperforming schools. His proposal includes funds to "promote excellence" in the form of merit scholarships and charter schools, however, none of the proposed funding would be used to help underperforming public schools improve.

George Bush's Social Security reform proposal centers primarily on allowing workers to divert up to two percent of their Social Security tax into personal accounts, which would be owned by the worker. As I reported in my article "Women's Social (in)Security," this proposal may hold more disadvantages for women, as they are more likely to be dependant on their husband's Social Security account - which, under this plan could be drained at the sole discretion of their husband.

Recent Statements by George Bush on the issues that concern women:

Abortion
"I think what the next president ought to do is to promote a culture of life in America -- as the life of the elderly and the life of those living all across the country, life of the unborn. As a matter of fact, I think a noble goal for this country is that every child born and unborn ought to be protected in law and welcomed in life."
-- Presidential Debate 1

Education
...we're going to say if you receive federal money, measure -- third grade, fourth grade, fifth grade, sixth grade, seventh grade, eighth grade -- and show us whether or not children are learning to read and write and add and subtract, and if so, there will be a bonus plan and -- but if not, instead of continuing to subsidize failure, the money will go to the parent so the parent can choose a different public school. The federal money attributed to the child will go to the parent for public school or charter school or tutorial or Catholic school.
-- Presidential Debate 1

Social Security
"And you bet we want to allow younger workers to take some of their own money -- see, that's a difference of opinion; the vice president thinks it's the government's money. The payroll taxes are your money; you ought to put it in prudent, safe investments so that $1 trillion over the next 10 years grows to be $3 trillion."
-- Presidential Debate 1

The Supreme Court
"Voters should assume that I have no litmus test on that issue or any other issue. But the voters will know I'll put competent judges on the bench, people who will strictly interpret the Constitution and will not use the bench to write social policy. And that's going to be a big difference between my opponent and me."
-- Presidential Debate 1