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Kwame Holman talks to female Republican delegates about their perceptions of why their party is weak in support amongst women voters.

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A RealAudio version of this NewsHour segment is available. Susan Molinari discusses the Republican gender gap and the pressures of being the keynote speaker. The Online NewsHour presents full coverage of the Republican National Convention in San Diego, including delegate interviews, regional analysis, interactive forums, and political retrospectives.

MS. WARNER: Republicans are having trouble with women voters, a problem they must address if they hope to win in November. Not surprisingly then women and the issues they care about have received special attention here in San Diego. We begin with this report from Kwame Holman.

KWAME HOLMAN: Every day this week there are dozens of convention-related events in and around San Diego, but only one today at which the Singing Senators performed.

KWAME HOLMAN: Majority Leader Trent Lott and Senators John Ashcroft, Jim Jeffords, and Larry Craig provided the entertainment for an event honoring Republican women officeholders from around the country. Special tribute was given to three retiring members of Congress, Barbara Vucanovich of Nevada, Jan Meyers of Kansas, and Senator Nancy Kassebaum of Kansas, all of whom hold chairmanships in the Republican Majority.

SEN. NANCY KASSEBAUM, (R) Kansas: I am so proud of our party today. I think it was a wonderful kick-off last night. (applause) We showed the strength and the diversity of our party. I think it bodes well for a very positive victory for the Dole-Kemp ticket in November. (applause)

KWAME HOLMAN: Today's event also was to promote the election of more Republican women officeholders, but many of the women here say they first must deal with the Republican Party's gender gap problem. Loleta Didrickson is Illinois's state comptroller.

LOLETA DIDRICKSON, Illinois Delegate: Well, I do believe that there is a gender gap. Polls are showing us that that's true. White males are attracted to the Republican Party. So now we have to roll up our sleeves and make certain that our message is pointed to women and minorities. And, in fact, this is the party, the Republican Party is the party of Lincoln, whose Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves and, in fact, it was the Republican Party that garnered the vote for women in this country. So we have a good, rich history, and a good legacy. We need to make certain that our economic message gets out for both women and for minorities.

KWAME HOLMAN: Rita Noll, a Kansas attorney, says she's puzzled by her party's gender gap.

RITA NOLL, Kansas Delegate: I think there is, in fact, a perceived problem. But I am not sure why. Perhaps the media has not taken a good look at what the Republican Party is, and all of us who are there, all of us women who are actively in the trenches whether working for candidates or being candidates for office, or supporting candidates for office by financial contributions, Republicans are involved--women are involved in all aspects of the Republican Party.

KWAME HOLMAN: Few of the women here fall into the gender gap profile of the low to middle income non-professional, a group that voted in large numbers for Bill Clinton four years ago. The women here in San Diego say they must narrow the gender gap if Bob Dole is to win in November. Mississippi Delegate Stephanie Punches says the Republican Party is addressing the issues that will do just that.

STEPHANIE PUNCHES, Mississippi Delegate: Economic issues, less taxes, more money in your pocket to spend on your family, better education, opportunities for your children, and more solid economy for the future.

KWAME HOLMAN: Wanda Morrison is a Kansas farm owner.

WANDA MORRISON, Kansas Delegate: If we can safeguard Medicare and Social Security, I don't know of any woman who wouldn't like to have the taxes lowered in her household so that she has more command over the money that she spends.

KWAME HOLMAN: Jennifer Dunn is a Congresswoman from Washington State.

REP. JENNIFER DUNN, (R) Washington: Now we've got the team going. We've got members of Congress all over the country who are home, who are explaining what really is happening, that we really are cutting taxes, we really are going to leave more money in people's pocket to spend as they want to spend it, not as the federal government decides they should. As we do this, that's going to be the message that women will listen to, and as you have seen the numbers close on the two presidential teams, you will see the numbers close by November 5th among women.

KWAME HOLMAN: Elizabeth Dole was the featured speaker at today's events.

ELIZABETH DOLE: Thank you. You know, I'm reminded of a story about John Adams. John Adams at one point--some of you may have heard this--said in a letter to his wife, Abigail, “I cannot write to you about politics because you are a woman.” And you know something, I think that's maybe why John Adams was only a one-term President. What do you think? (laughing)

KWAME HOLMAN: Mrs. Dole assured the audience her husband is doing all he can to close the gender gap.

ELIZABETH DOLE: Certainly no one has worked harder to bring down those barriers for women than Bob Dole. And I'm sure you would agree with me on that. (applause) He's always put a lot of trust in the women who are working for him, and he wants women to develop their full potential and be able to contribute to this society to the fullest extent. And, of course, many of you know that he's been out campaigning for women for office through the years. (applause)

KWAME HOLMAN: Polls show that to win in November, Bob Dole doesn't have to attract the majority of women voters, but it's believed he'll have to narrow the gender gap with Democrats considerably to have any chance at all.

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