For mayor, a feminine mystique

Could it be his approach to education and healthcare, the so-called kitchen-table issues? Or is there something deeper at work - a certain intangible magnetism? Whatever the reason, Mayor Thomas M. Menino is a huge hit with the ladies.

The four-term mayor has support across all demographic segments in the city, but Boston's women really send his approval ratings soaring. No less than 80 percent of women in a Boston Globe poll last week said they approve of how Menino is handling his job.

That compares with 64 percent of men in the survey who approve of Menino's job performance. When it comes to his negative ratings, only 13 percent of women disapprove of his performance, compared with 27 percent of men who disapprove.

Menino, who has hinted that he may run for a fifth term next year but has made no announcement, struck a beefcake pose, playfully flexing his shoulders and pectoral muscles, when asked in an interview to explain his greater appeal to the fairer sex.

Then he said seriously that he believes women appreciate some of the issues he has focused on at City Hall. "We put a lot of emphasis on schools, which I think is a women's issue; more emphasis on healthcare, which is another one," he said.

He was quick to add that women in the city may notice the involvement of his wife, Angela, in domestic violence prevention efforts and other community activities.

"She's part of the team," he said.

Andrew Smith, the University of New Hampshire pollster who conducted the poll for the Globe, said party identification may also explain his female appeal.

He said women in Boston are more likely to be Democrats, like Menino.

One East Boston woman, who participated in the poll and said she "strongly approved" of the job the mayor had done, said her support was based on his ability to seem in touch, and a readiness to help in a pinch.

"If something has to be done, he does it," said Patricia Love. "If there's a big fire or something going on, he's there. And if something's going on and you need help with it, he's there to help you."

Despite concerns in the poll results about crime and schools, residents pointed to their personal encounters with the mayor in explaining their enduring support for Menino. More than half of residents claimed to have met him personally, a figure Menino called "unbelievable."

"I don't do it intentionally," he said. "You go to community meetings, and you talk to people. It's part of your everyday life."

He called the poll good news for his possible continued tenure. But he still would not say if he will do what 61 percent of residents said he should: run for a fifth term in 2009.

"I'm pleased by it, of course, but we still have a lot of work to do," Menino said.

John C. Drake can be reached at jdrake@globe.com.