ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, April 14, 1996 TAG: 9604150120
SECTION: NATL/INTL PAGE: A5 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Facing a huge gender gap that could cost Bob Dole the White House, many Republicans argue a female running mate could help save him.
``We better play the female game - hard-core,'' said one Republican National Committeeman, who thinks Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas would be a good pick. ``Anybody who underestimates the women's vote is crazy.''
New Jersey Gov. Christine Whitman also is mentioned often, but both women would face questions about whether they're ready to run the country should anything happen to Dole, who's 73.
Female voters - who helped hand Republicans the Congress in 1994 by sitting home - likely hold the key to the White House this year.
And Dole has a lot of catching up to do: A recent Pew Research Group survey shows Clinton leading Dole by 12 points; according to a New York Times poll, the lead is 18 points; a survey done for the Democratic group Emily's List put the gap at 19 points.
During the GOP primaries, women did a big yawn. In New York, 41 percent of those voting were women, while women likely will make up at least 51 percent in the general election.
Clinton has set up an office within the White House to reach out to women, and his early TV ads laser in on issues dear to the female heart, such as violence against women and GOP budget cuts.
Clinton has numerous women holding key campaign jobs, including Ann Lewis as deputy campaign manager. Women also hold the three top strategy posts at the Democratic National Committee and a woman is running his convention in Chicago.
Dole countered last week by tapping the high-profile and combative Mary Matalin, a strategist from the Bush campaign, only to have her resign Friday. She bailed out, saying criticism of her marriage to Democratic operative James Carville was a distraction Dole did not deserve.
Still, Dole's top Senate aide is Sheila Burke, and his finance chairman is Jo Ann Coe.
Some Republicans brush off the gender gap. Matalin, for instance, calls it a ``myth,'' arguing voters split more on marital status, home ownership, income and whether they have children.
Matalin scoffed at the likelihood Dole would look to a woman for a running mate just to score points with that half of the population.
``We don't do this stuff token-wise, like the Democrats do,'' she said.
LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines KEYWORDS: POLITICS PRESIDENTby CNB