My DW wants to know why Nick Clegg is attracting female votes: She just does not get it.

Well I actually agree with 98% of the lib dem policies but I do simply also love Nick Clegg, he is infinitely more shaggable that Gordon and 'Dave' is just a bit cringey.

I LOVE Nick Clegg

Not an expert on the Lib Dem manifesto but am impressed by Vince Cable - he seems to be one of the few people who a. saw the financial crisis coming and b. is prepared to tackle the City rather than let everything go back to normal mega-bucks rip off culture.

I think there's a theory that generally women are more involved in public services - a higher proportion of people working in sectors like the NHS and education are women and women in general are higher users of public services (partly because women do the lion's share of looking after other people, young and old).

Oh and if you apply that to the new theme tune, then

(Brown) is vain but lots of fun
(Clegg) pulls the mail on time
and
(Cameron) toots and huffs and puffs

IndigoSky that will make DS' Thomas marathons slightly more entertaining...

I'm choosing to vote Lib Dem because I agree with most of their policies, not because the party is lead by Nick Clegg or because I am a woman.

However, as a working woman one of the factors influencing my vote is because the Lib Dem manifesto promises to protect existing tax credit arrangements paying for childcare and to actually increase the hours to 20 hours per week that can be taken in batches that suit the parents (not the arbitrary 2.5 hours per session currently in place).

I imagine that will appeal to a lot of woman voters, but I am not sure that women would vote purely on that issue alone if there were other policies they substantially disagreed with.

I think it's unfair to dismiss the voting choices of people who vote based on how much they like each candidate. It's not how I would choose to vote but it's a valid one even if you believe it's a bit daft. Throughout human history we have always made snap judgements about people based on their appearance and manner. It's not altogether a daft thing to do with politicians - on the world stage a politician who is comfortable in front of the cameras, looks smart, can make points clearly, appears honest (even if not being so) will probably achieve his or her goals much more effectively than someone who looks uncomfortable in their own skin and cannot articulate an argument.

I am not a die-hard party supporter, I am a floating voter. I'm not voting for either Labour or Conservatie. I watched the first debate ready to find fault with both, but I was unexpectedly and pleasantly surprised by how sincere (even if somewhat harried) Gordon Brown seemed.
Cameron, OTOH, seemed very insincere. Combine this with a manifesto that tries to come across as family friendly and all for the people, and a couple of weeks later a poster saying 'let's cut benefits' (when the Tories have realised they have lost the middle ground to Clegg so are retreating to their natural right) and Cameron's perceived insincerity simply reinforces my idea that if I took a gamble and voted Conservative they would break a lot of manifesto promises once in power.

Rightly or wrongly, an individual's manner and appearance have a big effect on how people interpret what they say. Labelling this as sex appeal is misleading and patronising; it's more about cultivating a well-groomed, trustworthy appearance to get people prepared to listen to what you say. That's part of a politician's job surely?

Sorry, that was long.

I'm a big Nick Clegg fan, but it's certainly not a sexual thing. He's palpably honest and expresses who he is, rather than what a machine politician should be.

I prefer his manner and the way he does business. In the same way, I way prefer Evan Davis and Justin Webb on the Today programme to John Humphreys.

I'm sure he would want to push through his party's programme but that it what we vote for. You can push through your programme in a positive way. You don't need continual confrontation. I think it's genuine with him. It's how he is.

And yes, I love the way that Miriam refuses to be pushed around. I like the way they clearly share parenting, which is what the rest of us do.

Buddah> He's not taller than Cameron, both public schoolboys, but Cameron is far nicer.

Coolfonz. No, swampie,David is handsome and I bet he's ten times better looking than you! he's got lots of girly fans, unlike you!

I think it's all subliminal.

NC talks a lot about co-operation, more discussion and less confrontation. These are very female ways of approaching decision making. Maybe women are feeling that he will offer a change of style.

I don't think for a minute that any of this rhetoric would last long if he actually got behind the Prime Ministerial dispatch box. He would be as keen as any other PM to push through as much of his own party's legislation as possible.

We shouldn't worry our little heads about policies - he has all his hair, lips (unlike DC) and appears to be the tallest of the party leaders. That's all you need

Fair enough - but as a voter it doesn't inspire me with confidence (and in other circs I might be a potential convert).

Well, there are women who prefer to be called 'chairman' rather than 'chairwoman' or 'chair' - may be her personal preference.

True - in fact have just had a look at their current 'front bench' team and there are 5 women (here though none of them are in what you could call top jobs. I'm quite unimpressed - I would have expected better (and I note that Lorely Burt is described as 'chairman' of the parliamentary party).

I've read that women are supposed to be more influenced by family issues in their voting choices, and so it might be that the LibDems appear to be more family friendly than the other parties.

Having said this, I'm rather dubious about 'women' as a group (or 'men' as a group) voting in any particular way.

LOL at IndigoSky's post. (I spend my days in the island of Sodor mind)

Are there any female prominent lib dems? Thinking hard, but none come to mind . . .

Sadly as I'm in a 2 way Cons/Lab marginal I'm not going to vote LD or Plaid - otherwise would be choosing between the two, though not (luckily for Plaid) on physical attractiveness.

He does nothing for me. Very average, middle-managerish.

I've always swayed between Labour and LibDem, so I've naturally been interested to hear what Nick Clegg has to say, anyhow, but last Thursday I saw a man who tries to engage with his audience and as well as appearing to be very intelligent, seems to treat his audience as if they're capable of critical thought, too.

Oh, and I definitely would

Louis Theroux was Nick Clegg's fag apparently.

Cameron looks like Henry

I can't decide if Nick Clegg looks like Percy or not

And Gordon Brown is James

Because women are more likely on average to be poor, and those who are fed up with Labour & poor are less likely to want a change to the Conservatives? Just a guess.

Or - another guess - because women are more risk averse (because of being on average poorer and tending to have more responsibility for dependents) and therefore are looking for a 'safe option' and see the lib dems as having a more convincing economic policy?

Cameron has a face like cling-film covering a ball of coffee blancmange.