"Security moms" -- that voting population most beloved by pollsters -- are not flocking to support Republican candidates with nearly the same force as they did in 2002 and 2004, the Washington Post reports. Security moms, which typically refers to "married women with children" for whom terrorism is of highest concern are "an especially significant factor in many of the most competitive suburban districts on which control of Congress will hinge," the Post reports. According to data compiled by the Pew Research Center, these voters are now "more inclined to vote Democratic than at any point since Sept. 11, 2001."
Andrew Kohut, who directed the Pew poll, told the Post that the "negative impact of Iraq is hurting not only Bush but also the Republican Party." The Republicans, who did such a good job scaring the daylights out of voters in the last major elections, may not have as much success this time around. The Post attributes "disaffection with President Bush, the Iraq war, and other concerns such as rising gasoline prices and economic anxiety" as the leading concerns that are shaping voter attitudes.
No longer, Kohut explained, is "terrorism alone enough to keep married women and other voters in the GOP fold." As Iraq has become an increasingly unstable situation for American troops, and so many of the security moms' kids are among those troops, Republicans can no longer point with impunity to having beefed up security. As the Republican machine continues to spin, it is probably time that the GOP realized that moms -- and the rest of us -- will no longer be baited by fear and terror.
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