Yeah, I think that people misunderestimate the importance of sexual virility in the modern era.
1992: Clinton 46yo, GHWB 68yoJust off the top of my head, I'd guess that the sweet spot for single women in their male politicians is roughly the age of 45-55; when male politicians [at least at the presidential level] get somewhere around the age of 60, they start to be too old for single women.
Clinton cuter, more sexually virile than GHWB1996: Clinton 50yo, Dole 73yo
Clinton cuter, more sexually virile than GHWB2000: W 54yo, Gore 52yo
decide for yourself
[Gore sticking his tongue down Tipper's throat, at the DNC convention, probably did more to help him with single women than we realize]2004: W 58yo, Kerry 61yo
I think it's fair to say that W was cuter and more sexually virile than Kerry2008: Obama 47yo, McCain 72yo
Also, if anyone brings up the question of Reagan -versus- Carter:
1980: Reagan 69yo, Carter 56yoNote three things:
1) Reagan was a former movie star, with movie star good looks, so he won the "cuter" vote hands down, and the Reagan publicity machine went to great lengths to promote his virility - remember Reagan challenging Carter to arm wrestling, or chopping wood on his ranch, or dying his hair black? - the Reagan publicists were fully aware of the power of perceived virility.2) Reagan in 1980 was at only a -13 year disadvantage with Carter, whereas GHWB was at -22 years against Clinton in 1992, and McCain was at a whopping -25 years against Obama in 2008.
3) In 1980, the Boomers, and their corrosive influence on American society, hadn't fully come of age yet. The Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964, so they were between 16 and 34 years of age in 1980, and hadn't yet really started voting en masse. Instead, the bulk of the voters in 1980 would have been "greatest generation" types who had served in WWII [and in 1980, there might still have been just a smattering of WWI veterans still hanging on - they would have been only about 80 years old at that point].
In shorter words, issues are not the measure women use. Shallow women are killing this country.
“1996: Clinton 50yo, Dole 73yo
Clinton cuter, more sexually virile than GHWB”
Typo — you meant Dole I think. While we engaged in this productive discussion of the merits of female suffrage :), let me say that for Bob Dole to go on to become a Viagra salesman disgusts me. The taciturn Kansan acted like a whore.