Jennifer A. Dlouhy: Phrase anatomy:Who will be the 'soccer moms' of 2008 campaign?

WASHINGTON -- There were the "angry white men" whose revolt against Democrats at the ballot box in 1994 put Republicans in charge of Congress for the first time in decades.

Then came the "soccer moms," the minivan-driving mothers who lived in the suburbs and were drawn to former President Bill Clinton's empathetic appeals.

By 2004, the same group of women had gotten an entirely new label; suddenly, they were the "security moms," who were won over by President Bush's promise to get tough on terrorism.

For 2008, pollsters and political commentators are racing to win the unofficial competition to confer the next catchy nickname on a coveted constituency.

"We always seem to need a shorthand for these groups, whether it's 'angry white males' or 'soccer moms,' " said Karlyn Bowman, a polling expert at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. "There's something to every one of those (labels), but they're not perfect explanations."

Republican pollster Whit Ayres said the unofficial contest began after "soccer moms" hit the lexicon. The title was so apt -- and catchy -- it inspired strategists and pollsters to try to come up with the next great political label.

"Ever since then, some pundits and consultants have been in competition to find the next 'soccer mom' label," he said

Political monikers have been around forever, but they've been especially popular during the past three decades, as polling consultants seek to define groups of potential voters and tell candidates how to court them.

Democratic pollster Celinda Lake says the labels make it easier to explain to campaigns and candidates exactly who they should be targeting.

"I think that it helps the press and candidates when they can visualize who they're talking to," Lake said. "A number of pollsters have been involved in applying a label to a key swing group because it helps people visualize them."

Instead of referring to "non-college educated women, ages 35 to 55, 1.2 kids" -- demographic details only the wonkiest might love -- candidates get a better idea of "what you should be picturing," Lake said.

But some voters bristle at being pigeonholed.

Megan Jordan, a wife and stay-at-home mom of two boys who lives in Gulfport, Miss., complains that the labels don't fit the real world and are "far too one-note."

"Labels such as 'soccer mom' and 'security mom' and 'alpha mom' or even 'single anxious female' imply certain behavioral expectations, certain givens, certain limitations and propagate stereotypes," said Jordan, who has complained about political catchphrases on a blog at plainjanemom.com.

"No one likes to be pigeonholed," Jordan said. "Slot me into a group, suggest that the fit is snug, and you take away my individualism, and I begin to believe that you don't even see me."

Democratic pollster Anna Greenberg says the political winds change much more slowly than the rush of new political labels every two years.

"It's all basically the same people year to year, but every year, we want to come up with a new (title)," Greenberg said. "In fact, our demographic changes happen slowly; there isn't a new group" every election.

No single catchname has caught on for 2008, though there have been nominations. Some pollsters have been talking about the "single anxious females," whose vote choices would be determined by their fears about terrorism, making ends meet and health care coverage.

"Military moms" recently emerged as an option, suggested by New Hampshire political expert Jennifer Donahue to The Washington Post. Those women, who have a husband or child in military service, are disenchanted with the war and are up for grabs, the analyst said.

Lake has dubbed one coveted group the "waitress moms," mostly non-college-educated women who are going to make their political decisions based on concerns about the economy or security.

Other candidates:

• "Mortgage moms," identified by analysts before the 2006 elections to describe women voters worried about keeping their families afloat.

• "Starbucks Republicans," moderate and young suburban dwellers who are fiscally conservative -- except when it comes to splurging on a latte at the local coffee joint.

• "Wired workers," anointed in 2000, who listen to iPods and carry Blackberry devices.

• "Office-park dads," dubbed in 2002, blue-collar workers who are struggling to get ahead.

Although the labels often focus on gender, one of recent history's most established voter monikers covered both sexes. The "Reagan Democrats" in the 1980s were traditional blue-collar Democratic voters who voted for Ronald Reagan because they were cultural conservatives at odds with Democratic planks favoring abortion rights and gay rights.

About the writer:

• Reach Jennifer A. Dlouhy at jdlouhy@hearstdc.com.