Who's who of political types

UK

Mondeo Man: The term was created when Tony Blair spotted a man polishing his Ford Mondeo and decided he was the kind of 30-something middle income homeowner whom Labour needed to win over from the Tories in 1997.

Worcester Woman: The women from provincial cities seen as crucial swing voters in 1997. One recent opinion poll suggested she felt like "Letdown Lady" after 13 years of Labour rule.

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Motorway Man: Is a political term used by polling companies in the UK. The phrase was coined in the run up to last year's general election and describes a type of floating voter who it is believed can determine the outcome of an election by the way he casts his vote.

Pebbledash People: Voters identified by the Tories in 2001 as the group they had to win. They were married couples aged 35 to 50, white-collar workers and professionals, who lived in semi-detached - often pebbledashed - homes in the suburbs.

Bacardi Breezer Generation: Ex-Cabinet minister Stephen Byers urged Labour to get in touch with 18 to 25-year-olds in danger of being lost to the democratic process.

Essex Man: Popularised in 1980s and 1990s England. Essex Man as a political figure is an example of a type of median voter and was used to help explain the electoral successes of Margaret Thatcher in the previous decade. A consumer of luxury goods and products.

US

Soccer Mom: The phrase broadly refers to a middle-class suburban woman who spends a significant amount of her time transporting her school-age children to their sporting events or other activities.

Reagan Democrat: A term used by political analysts to denote traditionally Democratic voters, especially white working-class northerners, who defected to support Republican President Ronald Reagan in both the 1980 and 1984 elections.

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