nerd’s eye view

It’s not Mel Gibson

May 23, 2006 – 10:16 pm | by nerd's eye view

Celinda Lake is on a book tour. She’s been working with conservative pollster gathering data for a collaborative project about What Women Really Want. I haven’t read the book but from hearing her speak it sounds like the book is a bunch of validating demographic statistics that help folks like me (childless, self-employed, non-traditional family structure) feel less freaky. The demographics also help propagate the idea that outside of the political arena, our similarities are greater than our differences. “They” are not the enemy, at least if they’re women.

I’m still pondering the value of these statistics. Apparently women make 51% of technology purchases and they bought some crazy number of light trucks last year. They’re also spending bank in hardware stores. And they do more than 80% of the shopping. This isn’t really helpful or enlightening news unless you’re in marketing. “Dude, chicks have money, let’s sell them stuff!”

I am probably misquoting the numbers but here goes: I think the figure for the number of women who, in the 2004 election, feared that they – or someone they knew – would be the victim of a terrorist attack was 79%. This is hugely aggravating and also, totally out of proportion to the risk. The other aggravating thing that Ms. Lake said – several times – was that after the war in Iraq, the changing demographics would make women’s issues considerably more critical in Washington. Health care and education, to name two big ones. For which we still have no exit strategy, plus, I wouldn’t put it past the administration to find ways to extend the “war” as a means of maintaining power. Why are “we” waiting? I found that aggravating too. Perhaps I misinterepreted, and it’s after the war that politicians will be forced to face those demands. But for now, look over here, something scary!

So what do women want? According to the book, we want control. The Seattle audience was pretty suspicious of this conclusion, asking several times in several different ways, who we think we are that we get to have “control.” There’s a transcript from a CNN interview with Lake and her research partner here that discusses more of the “control” issue.

I didn’t walk away feeling inspired or like I needed to rush out and buy the book. I thought that Ms. Lake had some interesting things to say about how politicians are not representing the true face of American women in their campaigns, but beyond that, it was just numbers to me. I’m sure there’s more of a story in there now that the research has been gathered, and maybe it’s apparent in the book, but at the talk, I felt like I was missing the grand conclusion. Maybe it’s the demographics themselves that have value, but I just didn’t find them all that interesting.

For perspective, I just finished reading Freakonomics. Now, THAT was an compelling use of demographic data.

As for the What Women Really Want data? I’d like to see it parleyed in to a compelling campaign that honestly addresses the agenda of American women. That’s what THIS woman wants.