The Political Consequences of Motherhood

Chapter 3. Soccer Moms, Hockey Moms, and Waitress Moms:1980–2008

74 Chapter three Soccer Moms, Hockey Moms, and Waitress Moms: 1980–2008 The paradox that began to unfold in chapter 2 is further documented in this chapter. In the prior chapter, we saw that despite changes in American culture and institutions that allowed women to adopt numerous roles, motherhood remained a primary way in which women were connected to political discourse; though there was significant variation in the frequency with which campaigns used it. In fact, the arrival of the women’s movement marked a revival of political appeals targeted at mothers, and the use of motherhood became a strategy employed primarily by the Democratic Party. This chapter examines years that encompass several antithetical events: the rise of the Religious Right; the emergence of a gender gap that advantages the Democratic Party; “The Year of the Woman,” which ushered a record number of liberal Democratic women into Congress; and the “Republican Revolution,” which ushered even more conservative Republican men into the institution. During this period, an increasing number of prominent female voices were heard in Washington, at the same time, not coincidentally , that “family values” became a popular political trope of conservatives. Republican presidential candidates made use of motherhood and mothering by emphasizing the need for government to support traditional family structures and values. In contrast, the Democratic candidates framed women ’s continued economic and political independence in terms of motherhood , focusing on the challenges faced by working women. Both parties presented women’s interests as mothers’ interests, and they returned to some of the prior rhetoric about the virtues of mothers and motherhood. As women became increasingly cherished members of the electorate due to their higher voting rates and larger numbers, motherhood became more Soccer Moms, Hockey Moms, and Waitress Moms 75 prominent in candidate appeals to women and a more visible part of the media ’s description of presidential contests. the importanCe of the 1980s In the 1980s, motherhood returned as a prominent way to engage female voters. Even though women had voted in greater numbers than men in presidential elections since 1964, from 1980 onward the proportion of eligible female voters turning out to the polls had been greater than the proportion of eligible male voters. This meant that women cast millions more votes than did men, making them important targets for both parties. The desire to win these votes meant that campaigns from both parties talked about motherhood and family, attempting to show that they would be best for women. Democratic and Republican candidates alike made claims that that they would protect children from the dangers of war or terrorism. They made promises to help women balance work obligations with those of parenting. They declared that they would help families by offering government support , or alternately, promising that the government would stay out of the way. They spoke about creating a culture that reflected traditional family values . Speaking about families and the needs of parents became a universal way in which to appeal to voters, and, I argue, to female voters in particular. Chapter 4 demonstrates that the campaign appeals centered on national security , child care, and traditional values successfully tapped into differences between female voters with children. The Election of 1980: A Turning Point The 1980 election was a turning point for women’s influence in presidential politics, marking the emergence of a consistent gender gap in male and female voting patterns.1 During the national party conventions, both parties engaged in considerable debate about women’s rights; the result was two party platforms that reflected a new dimension of party polarization (Wolbrecht 2000). Yet despite this divergence, the 1980 election was not overtly contested on the basis of women’s rights (Hartmann 1989, 155). That is to say, neither the Democratic incumbent Jimmy Carter nor the Republican challenger Ronald Reagan sought to mobilize female voters with “women ’s issues.” Instead, they focused on foreign policy, defense, and the econ- 76 the politiCal ConsequenCes of motherhood omy; sometimes placing these issues in rhetorical frames that may have resonated more strongly with women (Hartmann 1989). They did this, despite the fact that for the first time the parties took very distinct positions on abortion and the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in their platforms. The parties and the candidates clarified their differences in their acceptance speeches at the nominating conventions. Carter lambasted the Republicans for creating a “fantasy America” where “women, like children, are to...