Althouse: Fighting against the gender gap, 2 opposing gubernatorial candidates — one male, one female — strain to show you they care about what their gender is supposed not to care enough about.

October 6, 2014

Fighting against the gender gap, 2 opposing gubernatorial candidates — one male, one female — strain to show you they care about what their gender is supposed not to care enough about.

Scott Walker — male and Republican — has the male vote by a 62 to 34 percent margin. Walker's ad, called "Teri," assures us that he "cares about women":

[EMBEDDED VIDEO REMOVED]

And Mary Burke — female and Democrat — has the female vote by a 54 to 40 percent margin. Burke's ad, called "Quince & Apple," assures us that Burke "really understands how to make a business work":

[EMBEDDED VIDEO REMOVED]

The gender gap numbers come from the Marquette poll that was released on October 1st. Looking back at that poll, which showed Walker ahead by 5 points, I see there's a really abstruse clarification about the margin of error. The loss of that margin of error argument must have really hurt.

41 comments:

MadisonMan said...: I'm not sure which ad is better. For me, maybe the Quince and Apple (their stuff is pretty high-priced, if you ask me, though; the kind of thing you buy for an elderly Aunt if you can't find any other gift, or maybe something you get for a neighbor if they're watching your house while you're gone).

With Burke, though, I can't shake the feeling that she's been duped into running by some power behind the throne. In other words -- I don't see a strong leader. As Governor, would she actually be leading, or would other Democrats work to subvert her? I don't know. I'm not sure if this is a sexist position or not. Woman can after all lead in different ways than men that I might not respond to.

Walker is, in contrast, a leader, love him or hate him. I know what I'll get if he is elected. There is comfort in that.; 10/6/14, 9:09 AM
Bob Ellison said...: Quince and Apple makes jam, has ten employees, and uses "statistical modeling" thanks to Mary Burke?; 10/6/14, 9:17 AM
Todd said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 10/6/14, 9:21 AM
Todd said...: Too may typos in first go round...

I was not overly impressed with either ad. Thought the Walker ad had too long of a lead in (tragic story no doubt but took up a lot of ad time to explain) and the Burke ad did not make a lot of sense to me. Why did she help them? In what capacity was she consulting with private business owners and assisting them? Was that while she was in the positions mentioned in the ad or in the gaps? Great, she individually helped business owners with their businesses, how will she translate that one-on-one to the office she is seeking?

The upside to the Walker ad is it goes to the heart of the "war on women" mime.

Again, not overly impressed with either.; 10/6/14, 9:23 AM
sane_voter said...: I prefer mimes that are trapped in a box.; 10/6/14, 9:26 AM
MadisonMan said...: Todd, I had the same questions about Burke's involvement. Was this so long ago that it was when she was in State Govt? (In which case, not impressed -- the stuff would've originated from others below her)

I realize when you watch ads you're not supposed to think, of course.; 10/6/14, 9:27 AM
Bobber Fleck said...: I expect the 2 debates to decide the race. From what I've seen, Walker is a policy wonk who understands the details of governance. Expect Walker to go deep into the issues and cite details.

The question will be if Burke can show substance and a command of the issues at a level below the standard Democrat sound bites.

Burke is perceived as a lightweight and will have to prove otherwise. Walker is a known quantity with little to prove.; 10/6/14, 9:30 AM
garage mahal said...: I know what I'll get if he is elected. There is comfort in that.

More chaos. More lawsuits. More investigations. More brain-drain. More copy-cat ALEC legislation. More pollution. More manipulation. More cronyism. More Tea Party social welfare experiments.

Every single initiative that would be put forward in Wisconsin will be to the benefit of Scott Walker and his allies. How does that help Wisconsin?; 10/6/14, 9:36 AM
traditionalguy said...: The contrast as strong. Voters can trust Walker to do good things in government that really help them.

But Burke is just lying about every idea she claims she will support...a mere politician's gamesmanship.; 10/6/14, 9:39 AM
cubanbob said...: garage mahal said...
I know what I'll get if he is elected. There is comfort in that.

More chaos. More lawsuits. More investigations. More brain-drain. More copy-cat ALEC legislation. More pollution. More manipulation. More cronyism. More Tea Party social welfare experiments.

Every single initiative that would be put forward in Wisconsin will be to the benefit of Scott Walker and his allies. How does that help Wisconsin?"

That you aren't bright enough to understand how it would your state doesn't mean it wouldn't help your state.; 10/6/14, 9:46 AM
MadisonMan said...: garage, and if Burke is elected, then what?

It's not like she'll have a Democratic Legislature (an argument in her favor for being elected, of course, to tame the idiot Republican Representatives, of which there are many -- more than the Democrats, even, but only because the Republicans hold a majority).; 10/6/14, 9:47 AM
Mark said...: All I know is that I have learned to ID that Walker ad in the first half second so I can leap for the TV remote and hit either mute or off.

I have a 6 year old and having that ad come up during the Badger game was not cool.

Not exactly the conversation I wanted to have with my first grader. No more live TV for us until the election, if it's not on the DVR and we are skipping commercials then the screen goes off when kid is around.

Neither ad really changes my views, but one really isn't very kid friendly.; 10/6/14, 9:54 AM
mccullough said...: Mark,

How do you explain the beer commercials?; 10/6/14, 9:58 AM
Curious George said...: "As commerce secretary, Wisconsin lost jobs in a good economy"; 10/6/14, 10:05 AM
Seeing Red said...: Oh. Please. mark, try talking to your 6 year old whats oral sex mommy? Or why isn't oral sex sex after Bubba.

Your precious snowflake won't be traumatized by that ad.

You should be old enough to remember the news back then.; 10/6/14, 10:21 AM
Seeing Red said...: Sometimes I don't think mark is a mark.

Or he's sipping hot chocolate in his Dr. dentons.; 10/6/14, 10:22 AM
RecChief said...: garage mahal said...

Every single initiative that would be put forward in Wisconsin will be to the benefit of Scott Walker and his allies. How does that help Wisconsin?

Judging the last 2 votes, I guess his allies make up more than the state.; 10/6/14, 10:26 AM
Mark said...: The beer ads about people acting stupid doesn't need much an explanation and can be laughed at.

How many ads graphically describe violence on a typical afternoon? Normally, zero.

How many afternoon TV ads talked about Bill Clinton's oral sexcapades, seeing red? I don't recall a one.; 10/6/14, 10:37 AM
mccullough said...: Football is a violent sport.; 10/6/14, 11:01 AM
T J Sawyer said...: I prefer to present the "margin of error" this way:

One of every twenty polls like this will show results that are in error by more that 4.1% This might be one of those times! Interpret the results accordingly.; 10/6/14, 11:11 AM
Curious George said...: "Mark said...
All I know is that I have learned to ID that Walker ad in the first half second so I can leap for the TV remote and hit either mute or off.

I have a 6 year old and having that ad come up during the Badger game was not cool.

Not exactly the conversation I wanted to have with my first grader. No more live TV for us until the election, if it's not on the DVR and we are skipping commercials then the screen goes off when kid is around."

What a bunch of BS. Prime time TV shows often run ads during their networks afternoon sporting events...and often show actual depictions of violence including beatings and shootings.; 10/6/14, 11:11 AM
Achilles said...: "How many afternoon TV ads talked about Bill Clinton's oral sexcapades, seeing red? I don't recall a one."

At best Clinton abused his subordinates and is the poster child for serial harassment. At worst the several women who accused him of rape are more truthful than the guy who lied on camera and has discussions about the definition of the word is.

The figurehead for the war on women.; 10/6/14, 11:15 AM
Skeptical Voter said...: Did she plagiarize her business plan for Quince & Apple?; 10/6/14, 12:07 PM
John Scott said...: Of course if it were Mary Walker(R) and Scott Burke(D) the gender poll would be about the same. More than
Iikely, though, it would be only Scott Burke running ads appealing to the opposite sex.; 10/6/14, 12:30 PM
Crunchy Frog said...: I wonder how many people in the target demo even know what the hell a quince is.; 10/6/14, 12:54 PM
Alex said...: Sonny: Hey, whaddya gonna do, nice college boy, eh? Didn't want to get mixed up in the Family business, huh? Now you wanna gun down a police captain. Why? Because he slapped ya in the face a little bit? Hah? What do you think this is the Army, where you shoot 'em a mile away? You've gotta get up close like this and - bada-BING! - you blow their brains all over your nice Ivy League suit. C'mere...
[kisses Michael's head]
Michael: Sonny...
Sonny: You're taking this very personal. Tom, this is business and this man is taking it very, very personal.; 10/6/14, 2:35 PM
Alex said...: Try and spin 54-40 advantage. You can't. Walker is toast.; 10/6/14, 2:37 PM
MikeR said...: The comment on margin of error is not abstruse. They're just trying to convey the idea of "standard deviation".
Surveys are not precise. Rerun it with different respondents and you'll get a different answer. About 2/3 of the time you'll get within one standard deviation, the "margin of error". But that means that about a third of the time, Walker might not really be winning and the survey just showed he was ahead because of luck in choosing the sample.
When you're separated by two standard deviations, it's closer to 95%.; 10/6/14, 2:51 PM
wildswan said...: Reminds me a bit of the recall which was supposedly very close until Walker won.

Another slogan

Mary Burke
She pretends to work
We will really pay.; 10/6/14, 3:26 PM
Bob Ellison said...: I thought Marge Inovera had retired, since Click and Clack have stopped recording shows.; 10/6/14, 3:44 PM
Curious George said...: If you're wondering why Burke's campaign used Quince & Apple in their ad, well it turns out that Quince and Apple has received a personal loan from Mary Burke.

I mean what else are they going to say, they owe her money.

Once again Mary Burke's only tangible asset is the big pile of cash her family gave her.; 10/6/14, 5:18 PM
garage mahal said...: At least Burke doesn't have to give out sloppy blow jobs to billionaires to fund his campaign and legal defense attorneys.; 10/6/14, 5:41 PM
Drago said...: garage mahal said...
At least Burke doesn't have to give out sloppy blow jobs to billionaires to fund his campaign and legal defense attorneys

LOL

Yes, the party of Clinton is now talking about figurative "sloppy blow jobs" (as opposed to actual ones) and legal defense attorneys!

Prerequisite for lefty status: Zero. Self. Awareness.; 10/6/14, 6:45 PM
Drago said...: Should we discuss the sloppiest of sloppy blow jobs given to Marc Rich?

I think garage would like to, since he brought it up.; 10/6/14, 6:46 PM
jr565 said...: Burke doesn't really understand how to make a business work. Or even if she does she's only saying that because saying what she REALLY wants to do won't get her elected. But once elected she'll revert to form and be the same democrat/liberal we all know her to be.; 10/6/14, 6:57 PM
Curious George said...: The two entities that vouche for Mary Burke's business prowess:

1) Her daddy and brother

2) A couple she loaned money to.

55 years old and that's it.; 10/6/14, 7:11 PM
Curious George said...: I don't think Mary Burke is really into giving blowjobs garage.; 10/6/14, 7:12 PM
Drago said...: Curious George: "I don't think Mary Burke is really into giving blowjobs garage."

garage will say anything to assist his latest cult love interest.

Of course, this love is utterly unrequited. Still, garage soldiers on. Anything for his betters.

You'd think garages status as a Friday Night Hero would carry more weight.

Alas.; 10/6/14, 7:37 PM
David said...: Yep, the average Wisconsin guy is really going to empathize with those two.

Apparently Burke also thinks the average Wisconsin guy can't wait for a Trader Joe's to open next to Menard's and Cabela's.

Memo to Mary: You are running for Governor of Wisconsin, not Governor of Madison.; 10/6/14, 9:42 PM
Unknown said...: ---and often show actual depictions of violence including beatings and shootings.---

Not to mention increasingly explicit erectile dysfunction medication ads.; 10/6/14, 9:46 PM
Achilles said...: garage mahal said...
"At least Burke doesn't have to give out sloppy blow jobs to billionaires to fund his campaign and legal defense attorneys."

Yeah, too bad walker doesn't have a bunch of family money to self fund.

And given that the only thing Obama has done more than golf is go to fundraisers it really takes a special kind of stupid with a good helping of hypocrisy to post something like that.

Obama fundraiser attendance: ~100%

Obama Intel brief attendance: ~40%; 10/7/14, 2:19 AM