A Woman on the Ticket?

By Susan Tifft

Eventually, the vice presidency will become "the logical next step

The six Democratic presidential hopefuls who appeared before the annual convention of the National Organization for Women (NOW) early this month may have promised only "to consider" a female running mate. But they stumbled over each other trying to say it with conviction. "I would be proud to run with a woman on either end of the ticket," insisted Colorado Senator Gary Hart. Said Walter Mondale: "I see some contenders in this room."

Indeed, 1984 is being touted as the year when a woman for the first time could conceivably become the vice presidential nominee of a major party. Most political handicappers say the odds are long, but some women have nonetheless made the vice presidency their rallying cry. Says Ann Lewis, political director of the Democratic National Committee (D.N.C.): "They think of this as the logical next step."

Not without good reason. Women now constitute 53% of the nation's voting-age population. In 1980 their turnout rate (59%) caught up with that of men and, for women under 45, surpassed it by 3 points. According to the American Political Report, a conservative newsletter, 6 million more women than men are projected to vote in 1984. As important, many voters seem to be warming to the idea of a woman candidate for Vice President. "The party is ready for it," says D.N.C. Director Michael Steed. "What's more, the country is ready for it."

If a woman is on any top ticket in 1984, it is likely to be a Democratic one. There are two-thirds more women Democrats than Republicans, and on galvanizing women's issues, such as the Equal Rights Amendment and abortion, the Democratic Party is usually viewed as more sympathetic. Come convention time, however, there will be countervailing pressure on the nominee to use traditional yardsticks, such as geographical and ideological balance, to select a potential running mate. "It's a no-win situation," comments one D.N.C. official. "If the nominee chooses a woman, he'll be accused of caving in to the activists. If he doesn't, he'll still just be a good ole boy."

Moreover, there are no female Democratic Governors or Senators, two conventional springboards to the vice presidency. Admits Stephanie Solien, executive director of the Women's Campaign Fund: "The pool of women who would make a good candidate is quite small." Herewith, the women most frequently cited on the Democrats' short list:

> Corinne C. ("Lindy") Boggs, 67. A six-term House veteran from a 45% black New Orleans district, she voted against Reagan's budget cuts and supports a nuclear freeze. She could help Mondale in the South, but her antiabortion record hurts her with many women's groups.

> Dianne Feinstein, 50. Mayor of San Francisco since 1978, she is an able administrator and a political moderate in a town that does not automatically view that as a virtue. She could win votes in electorally rich California, but her lack of national experience and the fact that she is Jewish might prove political liabilities.*

> Geraldine Ferraro, 48. A three-term Queens, N.Y., Congresswoman, she is secretary of the House Democratic caucus. She would bring an ethnic and urban balance to, for example, a Glenn candidacy. Says she: "I am from Archie Bunker's district, but Edith elected me."

> Martha Griffiths, 71. An effective Michigan Congresswoman for 20 years, she has served on the boards of nine corporations. Griffiths was elected Lieutenant Governor in 1982. She has an impeccable record on women's issues, but scores low on geography: Front Runners Glenn and Mondale are also Midwesterners.

> Patricia Schroeder, 43. An outspoken feminist and a Colorado Congresswoman since 1972, she is a leading member of the House Armed Services Committee. She is given high marks for her knowledge of military issues, but is often perceived as a predictable anti-Pentagon liberal.

Frank Fahrenkopf, chairman of the Republican National Committee, predicts that Republicans will be the first to nominate a woman for President or Vice President because "historically the Republican Party is where women have made the most advances." Indeed, should Ronald Reagan bow out in 1984, putting George Bush in the race for the presidency and leaving the vice presidency open, there are several G.O.P. women with running-mate potential. Not given serious consideration: Reagan's United Nations Ambassador, Jeane Kirkpatrick, a card-carrying Democrat whose hard-liner image is considered a turnofffor many women voters. The possible contenders:

> Elizabeth Hanford Dole, 47. As Secretary of Transportation, Lawyer Dole was the Administration's first female Cabinet member. Her North Carolina roots could help a Republican in the traditionally Democratic South, but her vice-presidential prospects are complicated by the fact that her husband Senator Robert Dole has his eye on the presidency.

> Nancy Kassebaum, 51. She is one of the Senate's two women (the other: Republican Paula Hawkins) and scion of Alf Landon, the 1936 G.O.P. presidential nominee. A moderate on economic and social issues, Kassebaum has supported the ERA and legalized abortion.

> Sandra Day O'Connor, 53. As the first female Supreme Court Justice, she is an obvious prospect because of her visibility. She has a solid record in Arizona electoral politics, but is unlikely to forsake the nation's highest bench for the G.O.P.'s No. 2 spot.

Many women are encouraged simply because the pressure is mounting for a female Vice President. "The talk of a woman on the ticket is very healthy," says Texas State Treasurer Ann Richards. "Whether it actually comes to fruition or not, it serves another purpose." That purpose: to build women's voting strength and give voice to women's issues. Already, about 40 women's rights organizations, representing 15 million women, are engaged in a national nonpartisan voter-registration drive bearing the Slogan IT'S A MAN'S WORLD UNLESS WOMEN VOTE.

--By Susan Tim. Reported by Hays Corey/Washington, with other bureaus

*The unpleasant fact: the major parties have never had a Jewish presidential or vice-presidential nominee.

With reporting by Hays Gorey This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.