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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, JULY 27, 1984
PAGE 9
feminism is quite strong. Indeed, it is her deepest conviction." Her mar
riage to Brooklyn-born real estate developer John Zaccaro (24 years, 3
children) is also quite "modern"--even to the point where she has retained
her maiden name, out of respect to her mother, she says. Mr. Zaccaro, said
TIME:
has adapted to a self-effacing role as the proud and supportive
husband of a very modern woman•.•• If his wife actually became
Vice President, Zaccaro says, he would remain in Queens and con
centrate on his business, rather than move to Washington. Says
he: "She does her thing and! do mine."
Also in the same issue of TIME, Ms. Ferraro was asked:
"One thing you're up against, surely, is the old-fashioned notion
that a woman's role is to help
the
man. Will the stereotype of
woman as helpmate complicate your candidacy?"
Ms. Ferraro answered, in part:
"Why should it? Walter Mondale sees the vice presidency as he
exp�rienced the office himself. He redefined the vice presidency
[in the Carter administration]•.•• The job will not be redefined
again because I'm a female.
!
ain't going to be any helpmate."
Democratic campaign strategists have already drafted guidelines to politi
cal campaign etiquette for Mr. Mondale and Ms. Ferraro to follow in public.
The aim, reports the July 30 U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT, is to
avoid offending either traditionalists or feminists by insuring
that Ferraro does not appear overly aggressive or subordinate to
Mondale. Among the new rules: No hugging or kissing. Walk side
by side to avoid a question of who goes first.
The candidacy of Ms. Ferraro highlights one other growing trend in America.
As the July 23 issue of NEWSWEEK put it, "American women have emerged��
powerful and rebellious political force." Both major political parties are
showing, this year, that they recognize this trend is here to stay. Almost
half of the delegates to the Democratic convention in San Francisco were
women. Nearly that many female delegates (44%) will be at the Republican
convention in Dallas in August.
More than 10,000 women hold elected offices across the country. Political
experts emphasize that the emergence of women in politics is the logical
end result of the wholesale entrance of women into the work force since the
Second World War.
The feminization of American politics has led to the so-called "gender
gap," whereby a widening percentage of women are said to be opposed to Mr.
Reagan, his party and policies. But the gender gap extends in another
direction as well. While one poll after Ms. Ferraro's selection showed
that a plurality of women--49% to 41%--prefer Mondale-Ferraro, the same
survey found men favoring Mr. Reagan 58% to 36%.
A leading expert on
American political attitudes, Kevin Phillips, analyzed this two-way gap in
the July 22 LOS ANGELES TIMES: