Welcome to Women's Issues' inaugural coverage of the Presidential campaign! This and future articles, as well as links to outside campaign coverage will be collected and updated in a special Election 2000 section. Check frequently!
We start with a short review of the information pertaining to women's issues on each candidate's web site (click on the candidate's name to go to the official campaign web site), and my personal view of the candidates. This is only a start, of course! As the campaign wears on, there will records to inspect, speeches to analyze, press coverage to dissect.
Thanks to the Internet, there's no excuse for being an uninformed voter. It's easier than ever to find out where candidates stand on issues. Three of the four front-runners even have pages especially targeted to women on their official campaign web sites: Bill Bradley, (Women's Issues), Al Gore, (Fighting for Women), and John McCain, (Priorities for Women). In contrast, George W. Bush doesn't seem to have an interest in telling us what his candidacy might mean to or for women. That, in itself, may be a kind of "information" about his stand on women's issues.
Bill Bradley, besides having the advantage of being first alphabetically (now that Gary Bauer has dropped out), also has the best liberal credentials on women's issues. He was a co-sponsor of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, has consistently supported affirmative action, and was instrumental in passing the Newborns' Protection Act which ended the so-called "drive through deliveries" some HMO's required. And, as he frequently points out, he has always been pro-choice.
Bradley's campaign literature and proposals address a number of issues of concern to women. He health care proposal would guarantee all children health insurance, as well as reduce the cost of privately purchased insurance for working parents whose employers don't offer such coverage. He as worked for and vows to continue working to insure the enforcement of Title IX, which requires equal funding for girls' and women's athletic programs. According to his literature, he led efforts in the Senate to enforce child support orders across state lines, and created and co-chaired the Interstate Child Support Enforcement Commission.
My personal view: Bill Bradley is an idealist with a plan. He is a "true believer" in liberal causes. I like his health plan in terms of the health care issue - Of course, if I had my 'druthers, we'd have universal coverage and be done with it. But President Clinton's effort toward that goal made it clear that such a plan was politically impossible just a few short years ago. Maybe the explosion in the uninsured and the budget surplus has made it more possible, but I'm not at all certain about that. So, my main concern about Bill Bradley is that "all or nothing" approach may prevent anything from being done on the issue. Tell us what you think!
As noted above, George W. Bush's campaign site does not address women's issues as a separate section. In addition, the issues section at his site contains very little information on most of the general policy areas affecting women. The pages devoted to abortion and affirmative action include only a summary of talking points. Abortion doesn't even get it's own page. It's lumped in with "social issues." But abstinence education gets several pages. 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, another large 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.
My personal view: You don't have to read too far between the lines of the above to see 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. What's your opinion?
Al Gore's record on women's issues is good, if slightly less stellar than Bill Bradley's. It should be noted that a number of the items in this section of his campaign site are actually accomplishments of the Clinton administration. The part Gore may have played in those accomplishments is not always clearly described. However, his record as a legislator is clearly consistent with the claims of his work in the Clinton Administration. He consistently supported legislation and efforts to close the pay gap between men and women in the workplace, and co-sponsored an early version of the Family and Medical Leave Act (which was subsequently vetoed by President Bush). While in the Senate, Gore co-sponsored the Civil Rights Act of 1990 (also vetoed by President Bush) which would have overturned a number of Supreme Court rulings from 1989 that made it more difficult for minorities and women to win discrimination suits. Also during his Senate tenure, he sponsored or voted for bills to increase research on women's health concerns, expand child health and pre-natal care, and to assist victims of domestic violence.
His Senate record also shows, as Bill Bradley pointed out, that Al Gore has not always been solidly pro-choice. However, his recent history shows a dedication to protecting both a woman's right to choose and the accessibility of abortions, and a number of pro-choice legislators have endorsed him in an open letter posted on his site. I believe this indicates an honest change of opinion, not a finger-to-the-wind vote-getting strategy. He may have "flipped" on the issue, but he has not "flip-flopped."
My personal view: I think Al Gore is an incrementalist, somewhat in the mold of President Clinton. While this could bring about some real gains in women's issues, I think, like Clinton, we'll all be wishing for more during a Gore term. In the "something is better than nothing" category, I'd have to say he's the man who will get something, at least. However, if he is elected, I am not certain whether he would go for all the "somethings" he could get, or would "trade" away some of those possibilities for things which may be less beneficial for women. Post your view in our forum!
The "Priorities for Women" section of John McCain's web site starts out by asserting that McCain's focus on campaign finance reform should be viewed as a benefit to women. In this, I have to agree with him. Women are getting better at using their economic power to sway legislation through campaign contributions, but they are still no match for the "Good Ol' Boy" network of corporate donors.
But John McCain has credentials more obviously related to women's concerns as well. He voted for the Family and Medical Leave Act, and has helped pass legislation to to increase funding for child care services for low-income working women. He has supported health and nutritional programs for disadvantaged women and children, and in his role as a Senator, he is currently working to provide immediate coverage to four million Medicaid eligible children who are not already enrolled in the program. His tax plan is aimed at benefiting small businesses, and his web site cites the statistic that employment growth in women-owned business exceeds the national average in almost every region of the country. It is clear that John McCain is paying attention to women's issues.
Many pro-choice women are disturbed by John McCain's position on abortion rights. McCain is both pro-life and anti-abortion, and has either sponsored or voted for legislation to ban certain abortion procedures and restrict access to abortion for young women through parental consent or notification bills. However, recent remarks regarding his teenage daughter and abortion do indicate that he may not be solidly anti-choice. While pro-life women may find that somewhat disturbing, pro-choice women may be equally discomfited by his record, which does not reflect any softness in his pro-life position. If, indeed, he has come to a "new understanding" that the issue of choice is not always best served by black and white positions, he has yet to put that understanding into action.
My personal view: I have long respected Senator McCain for his principled stands on a number of issues, most notably Native American treaty rights and health and nutritional assistance for the poor. In these two issues he has often gone against his party, and I believe this demonstrates that he is a person whose principles and policies are shaped more by his personal beliefs than by his political party. I do not know if this "new understanding" would translate into any change in his policies, but given his record on such things I have reason to think it might. However, if he is elected, I believe will be necessary for him to make some concessions to the right wing of the Republican party "for the good of the party." And I haven't a clue what those concessions might be. What do you think?
Don't forget to visit other About.com guides' coverage of the candidates! Here's a few sites on related issues to get you started:
Election 2000: The Candidates on GLBT Issues - Gay/Lesbian Issues
Election 2000 - Pro-Choice Views
Presidential Candidates on Life Issues - Pro Life Views
The Presidential Candidates and Small Business
For a more complete listing of election information at About.com visit:
Election 2000: Index to About.com Sites
Whatever your leanings, whatever your political views, be informed, stay informed and VOTE!
Karen