[Excerpted From _Political_Woman_Hotline_ #14a, July 18, 1995.]

Wonder of wonders! Concerned about the growing divisions
within America, U.S. News & World Report (7/10) commissioned
a poll by Celinda Lake (Democrat) and Ed Goeas (Republican)
to identify the nation's principal political groupings. Using
sophisticated "cluster analyses," the pollsters concluded
that "culture is now more important in shaping voters'
attitudes than race, geography, gender or political
ideology," and they identified seven major "tribes." For
maximum surprise, we'll list them in ascending order by the
percentage of the electorate they represent.
7%: Dowagers (picture The Golden Girls). "Mostly elderly
women with low education levels."
12%: Agnostics (Frasier). "Older baby boomers, mostly
secular... the most middle class group of all."
15%: Conservative Activists (Alex P. Keaton): "Two thirds are
men. Have the highest incomes... Can often be found listening
to talk radio."
15%: Populist Traditionalists (Roseanne's husband, Dan):
"Tend to be male and under 45. Married, with few college
graduates and many union members and gun owners."
15%: Stewards (Thurston Howell from Gilligan's Island):
"Married but with no children at home, often retired."
16%: Ethnic Conservatives (picture Louise Jefferson/Edith
Bunker): "61% are women. The most ethnically diverse group.
18% are African Americans, 27% are Roman Catholics and 14%
are Southern Baptists."
*20%. Liberal Activists (Murphy Brown): "Likely to be a
working woman or single, the least religious, relatively
young, the most educated."