Woo These Voters

Whoever winds up with the Democratic nomination will have to vie with President Bush not just in turning out the party faithful but also in wooing swing voters. In nearly every election, pollsters and pundits settle on at least one demographic du jour — the voting bloc that could (and sometimes does) turn the election. A look at the target voters in presidential elections over the years.

NASCAR Dads
2004
Politically disaffected, working-class white males (with or without Confederate flags) who lean toward Bush

Security Moms
2004
Formerly known as Soccer Moms, they are now preoccupied with terrorism and the safety of their family

Office-Park Dads
2000
New-economy white-collar suburban males who swung to George W. Bush because he supported lower taxes and free markets

Soccer Moms
1996
Busy suburban wives who shuttle their kids around in SUVs and came out in force for Bill Clinton

Reagan Democrats
1984
Blue-collar white males who fled the Democratic Party in favor of Ronald Reagan's social conservatism

Working Women
1976
The increasing number of women in the work force who were wooed by Jimmy Carter's progressive politics

Silent Majority
1968
Conservatives who rejected '60s radicalism but had little visibility until Richard Nixon gave them a name — and mobilized them by promising national unity and victory in Vietnam