Women Talk About the 'First Time'

Oct. 17, 2006 — -- Picture a pretty woman in a TV commercial saying this: "You want me to tell you about my first time. … I like doing it in the morning. … Once I did it in a old woman's garage."

The ad is meant to be provocative, but it's not about what many might think.

It's a public service announcement to get people to the polls, and it's targeting a specific audience: unmarried women who vote in much smaller numbers than their hitched counterparts.

Why?

Kellyanne Conway of the Polling Company says single women can't relate to anyone in Washington.

"Unmarried women generally look at the political landscape and find nobody talking to them," Conway said.

But when unmarried women were specifically targeted in the 2004 presidential elections, they came out in record numbers.

"A record 4 million more turned out than had turned out before," said Celinda Lake of the firm Lake Research Partners.

The group sponsoring the sexy public service ads, Women's Voices.Women Vote., is nonpartisan.

But the campaign asks the question: Who would benefit if more unmarried women headed to the polls?

"Unmarried women voters are one of the most loyal, untapped resources for the Democrats. They vote two-thirds plus Democratic," Lake said.

Women stand to flex their muscles not only at the ballot box next month, but also as candidates.

They are close to gaining two more seats in the Senate for a record total of 16.

Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar and Missouri Democrat Claire McCaskill could beat their male challengers.

"Female candidates are looked upon by both sexes as being more ethical, as being above the fray, as trying harder to enact good governance, as being impervious to corruption," Conway said.

There are exceptions to the rule.

This year, there are three key House races in which women are battling female incumbents, and the Foley scandal is often used as a bludgeon.