The Boston Globe
Women voters voice their uneasiness with GOP platform
RAN 2/22/96
By Janet Wilson
Globe Correspondent
MANCHESTER, N.H. - Rhona Charbonneau has been a registered
Republican for a half-century, but after Patrick J. Buchanan's
victory here this week, she's ready to call it quits.
``I have been a Republican since I was 22, but I'm on my way
out,'' said the former state Republican chairman and legislator.
``People talk about our party being one big tent, but there is no
room for me in the tent anymore.''
She is part of a widening gender gap evidenced in Tuesday's New
Hampshire primary. Republican women voters slipped to 43 percent
from 48 percent in 1992, according to exit polls provided by
Viewer News Service. But Democratic women voters outnumbered their
male counterparts 58 percent to 42 percent, up from 54 percent
last time.
For Charbonneau and others, the alienation is sad, cutting against
decades of women being actively involved in Republican Party
politics in the Granite State. And it could hurt the GOP badly
come November.
Only one in three Republican voters surveyed here this week
believe Buchanan can beat President Clinton in November - lower
ratings than both Sen. Bob Dole and former Gov. Lamar Alexander
received. Buchanan received the highest percentage of male votes -
62 percent, and the lowest number of female votes - 38 percent.
Compounding the fractured party's problems is the divisive issue
of abortion. Nearly two-thirds of all Republicans surveyed said
they disagreed with the party's platform seeking to ban abortion.
A whopping 80 percent said they were not part of the religious
right, which has made abortion a key issue.
Yesterday, New Hampshire women on all sides of the spectrum
expressed disgust with negative advertising, distrust about
politicians' honesty, and worries about the economy. But they
talked about abortion more than anything else.
``I had a very hard time,'' said Nancy Remick, a registered
Republican who works in the Hopkinton town clerk's office. ``There
was not much of a choice.''
She made up a list of positives and negatives, and decided to vote
for Lamar Alexander because he seemed good on the environment. She
reluctantly left out abortion, the most important issue to her,
because none of the Republicans seemed to agree with her.
``I don't think it should be an issue. I have the right to do what
I want. They're fighting about something that shouldn't even be
discussed,'' said Remick.
Charbonneau said she, her two daughters and many friends feel
ignored and alienated from the Republicans because of the abortion
platform.
Charbonneau said if Buchanan wins the GOP nomination and runs
against President Clinton in November, ``I will not vote. First of
all, I happen to be pro-choice.''
But Barbara Hagan and other women voters couldn't be happier.
``They've got a candidate,'' said Hagan, president of New
Hampshire Right to Life, referring to supporters of abortion
rights. ``Bill Clinton was at the front of the march in Washington
for abortions as soon as he got in office.''
For some, of course, abortion didn't have a thing to do with it.
``I didn't want to waste my time this year,'' said Linda Royal of
Hooksett, a working mother of three who has voted in the past, but
not this time. ``None of them know what they're doing.''
This story ran on page 20 of the Boston Globe on 02/22/96.
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