Why Not a Woman?

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Women tend to disagree with Reagan's policies on the ERA, abortion, cuts in social services, peace and war, and the environment. In one poll after another, women have shown that they perceive themselves to be hurt more by Reagan's policies than any other group. For example: in 1981, $1billion was cut from the federal aid to dependent children. Most of the 3.7 million families on that program are headed by women. In 1982 and 1983, $5 billion was cut from the federal food stamp program. Women and children are 85% of the recipients. "The feminization of poverty" is a powerful catch phrase. It may haunt Reagan. "You can talk about the importance of union members, or the importance of blacks," says University of Michigan Pollster Michael Traugott. "But none of these groups compare in size to adult females."

A place on the ticket would have enormous symbolic power. Ann Lewis, like some other feminists, makes the Jackie Robinson analogy when she talks about a woman vice president. "If Branch Rickey had asked people whether to put a black on the field, would they have ever told him, 'Now'? Putting Jackie Robinson in a Dodgers uniform was good for the Dodgers, good for baseball and good for the country."

It may be that no woman will run on the Democratic ticket this year. In a sense, according to Ann Lewis, that does not matter. "The most important step in the revolution has already been taken," she believes. "We are no longer discussing whether a woman will be on the ticket, but when.'' —By Lance Morrow. Reported by Sam Allis/Washington, Barbara B. Dolan/ Detroit and John F. Stacks/New York