Fifty-four percent of married women are more likely to vote for President George W. Bush, while 35 percent of single women back Bush, according to a recent Gallup Poll.

Frank Newport, Gallup Poll editor-in-chief, said Bush is getting a majority of votes from married people, not just married women. He said married men and women are more likely to be Republican and that is where most of Bush’s support is.

“I think Kerry is losing all voters to Bush, including women,” said Republican Chair of DeKalb County, Mary Simons.

She said Bush has proven he is capable of taking care of the country, especially after Sept. 11, 2001.

Some don’t believe the polls are accurate in predicting Kerry’s loss of female voters.

“I do not believe Kerry is losing female voters to Bush,” said Eileen Dubin, DeKalb County Democratic Central Committee chair.

Dubin said the polling is not reliable because they are not necessarily talking to people who will be going to the polls and they are not polling new voters.

“I think those opinions are constructed,” said Marie Zidek, a junior prevention and rehabilitation exercise major. Zidek said the data is not factual and is used to persuade people to think in a certain way.

Some agree the polls accurately reflect female support of Bush.

“I heard it today because of [Kerry’s] strategy for war on terrorism,” said Isabel Gomez, a junior journalism major. “The women are not buying it. They’re not accepting the strategy he has come up with to stop the war on terrorism.”

Gomez said Kerry should focus more on issues like social security, health and medical to help him win the race.

County board member Julia Fullerton, R-8, said the media and polls seem to indicate women are deeply concerned about national security and view Bush as the person best suited to address it.

“I think women are encouraged that our president is steadfast in his commitment to make sure America is safe,” she said.

However, Dubin said that, in general, women are against war.

“Traditionally, women are against war – especially immoral wars. They, as well as the rest of the country, are tired of losing husbands, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters to this war,” she said.

Also, Dubin said Bush had not addressed women’s issues while in office.

“We have a poverty-level population that has grown over 1.4 million over the last four years. Many of these people are women – both single and married – that do not find themselves able to cope with day-to-day affairs,” Dubin said.

However, Fullerton argued that Bush has addressed women’s issues while in office.

“Our President is working to assist women in other countries, like Afghanistan, in obtaining the right to vote, to obtain an education and to participate in how their societies operate,” Fullerton said.