The Voters: Men Are Fuming, Women Despairing

From The New York Times:

It is not exactly the year of the angry man, but it may be something close to that. A recent New York Times/CBS News poll found a sharp difference in the way men and women say they are going to vote in November.

Men say they will vote for the Republican candidate rather than the Democratic candidate in their districts by a margin of 45 percent to 32 percent. The numbers are nearly reversed for women, with 36 percent saying they will vote Republican and 43 percent saying they will vote Democratic.

Ever since 1980, when Ronald Reagan inspired more men than women, the difference in the way men and women vote has been a significant part of American politics. Women have been more likely to favor Democratic candidates, an advantage Democrats have come to count on. Women also historically outnumber men when it comes to showing up at the polls.

But this year may be different. Even though women are still more likely to vote Democratic, the poll suggests that they may stay home this year, giving more of the decision-making to men by default.

The poll suggests that men are angrier than women, and that their anger may be more motivating than the sense of hopelessness expressed by women, particularly on economic issues.