And how does this theory account for lesbians from divorced families (like myself)? Also, in most families these days, divorced or not, it seems fathers take a larger role in the lives of their children compared with past eras where fathers were often not involved with their children much at all.
I’ll second the statement that it depends on the woman. I know for sure that at least some women like a sensitive guy who can be nice to them and tries to see their point of view. I am such a guy.
If the women who prefer tough guys are the ones who are tough and authoritarian themselves, then they can have their tough guys because I would not get along with those women.
I like “take charge” people in general. Not bossy types, but people of action. People who are alive, vibrant and passionate. Not timid people. (Not to say I hate timid people, but they are not my preference). I think strong, assertive men can also be sensitive.
I don’t equate the length of marriage with “successful marriage.” Some people stay for convenience, economics, social status, fear, etc. But that is another topic, I presume.
Does anybody mind if I pick on this comment a little more? Good. 
What do you mean with this “defending me” stuff, sleppytimebaby? Are you talking about a guy who’d ride in on a white horse and slug anyone who was rude to you or looked at you wrong, to defend your honor? Yick.
(“Remember, men, we’re fighting for this woman’s honor- which is probably more than she ever did.” -Groucho ;))
When a guy gets, ahem, ‘friendlier’ with my girlfriend than I’d like, or stares too much or something, I definitely start thinking about yelling at him, or punching his face in. I wouldn’t actually DO it. Not just because it’s stupid, would get me arrested, and she wouldn’t want me to do it, but because that’s not ‘defending,’ manly, or noble. It’s the action of a possessive, violent, potentially dangerous asshole. It’d just be a matter of time before a guy like that started punching YOU. None of this has anything to do with politics, really. A liberal who goes around doing that is just as nuts as a conservative.
If you’re talking about a guy who wouldn’t sit by when someone insulted you, my question is “what do you need a guy for there?” Insult him back yourself! Defend YOURSELF. Didn’t you hear chivalry is dead?
Like I said before, if we’re talking about defending a girl against violence, that’s a whole other situation. The fact that I’m a registered Green would go the hell out the window if my girlfriend was in danger, which I think is true of most guys of any political affiliation.
I’m with Marley. If you’re bothering my girlfriend, she can let you know, I’m not gonna be the meathead guy that goes, “MMMM! Woman mine! Og smash!” But I’ll bust out with my kung fu grip if I need to lay some smack down.
That could very well be it. Part of the problem being, that it may take quite a while to figure out which it is that you actualy have on your hands.
As to the “tree-hugging wuss”, well, those are entirely different issues: wusses, and heroes, come in all flavors and colors, some hug trees and some drill for oil. And expounding further could finally tip over the thread into the eternal “Nice<tm> guys v. brutes” argument so I’ll stop there.
Bless my eyes, how I missed this the first time 'round I do not know. Because you have said in one sentence, and with great clarity, what I was attempting to mumble in several.
Hurm. I’ve always assumed that my radical politics would turn off women, so I shut up about it & gave up on ever having a serious relationship. Have I been going at this all wrong? Are you saying I need to be as blatant & radical as possible?
So, as a registered Green, would you respect another man’s right to take action if his gf was in danger? Is there some contradiction you see between your politics & this aspect of your personality?
Why should a Green be a wuss? Or, why would you hold to a belief system that contradicts something that important?
CanvasShoes: brilliantly put.
I also agree that it is pointless trying for universal generalisations about men or women.
I really dislike the asociation of liberal with “wuss”. It takes some guts to stick up for principles which seem currently to be reviled in the US. Even more to actually act on them. The bloke I want is Atticus Finch, not whats-his-name from Die Hard. So while I do want someone who will stand up and do the right thing, that’s not some macho jerk who swaggers around beating his chest.
Does this strike anyone else as bizarre? I’m unlikely to be able to maintain a relationship with a member of the Canadian Alliance, or a Stalinist, or someone who believes in the abolition of yogurt, or someone who is airheadedly apolitical to such a degree that he only cares about the economy insofar as it affects the price of K.
(All of which makes it rather fortunate that I’ve got me my very own lil bleeding-heart homeless-shelter-working leftie English punkboi. snuggles punkboi)