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SEPTEMBER 19, 2000

As part of recent efforts aimed at bringing in the support of women voters, George W. Bush will appear on the Oprah Winfrey show today.

But the Bush campaign isn't necessarily touting his appearance on the highly-rated talk show as an attempt to attract more women to the Republican ticket. Instead, the campaign says his presence as just one of the ways Bush is targeting the middle class.

As part of his focus on the middle class, Bush released "Real Plans for Real People: Blueprint for Middle Class" on Monday. It details his views on education, health, social security, taxes, family, and community, and highlights how he differs from Democratic challenger Al Gore on these issues.

However, political analysts are questioning whether or not Bush's new campaign focus will draw a significant portion of the middle class to his side. Women.

In addition to recent dips in the polls, Bush's support among women voters has dropped heavily for the past two months. According to a Gallup poll, the 46 percent of women who backed Bush in July dropped to 33 percent as of September 8.

In contrast, Gore's support from women went up 13 points during the same time.

With one poll finding that 61 percent of undecided voters are women, gaining support from women voters appears to be a crucial strategy for both candidates. Today's appearance on Oprah, which is the number one rated show among women ages 25-54, could help Bush pick up some percentage points.

Whether or not he will complement Oprah on her choice of footwear, as Al Gore did when he appeared on her show earlier this month, remains to be seen. But what Bush will focus on while he is in Chicago, the location of the Oprah show, is preventing school violence.

Get Bush's Blueprint:
Real Plans for Real People: Blueprint for Middle Class (PDF 3.36MB) (George W Bush 9/17)

Relevant Links:
The Oprah Winfrey Show - www.oprah.com

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