Tara
October 21st, 2008, 07:46 PM
Women are playing an important role in this years election, and there are some who believe that our gender will end-up selecting the next President. Women like Hillary Clinton have certainly contributed to our sense of empowerment, and confidence that we can reach the highest office in the land, if we want to. Here's an article from today's Jersey Journal that is on point:
Women may well determine who wins presidency
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
BY AUROROA J. VASIL
SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL
Sarah Palin. Hillary Clinton. No matter what your political persuasion is, these names alone show that women have played a role in the 2008 presidential election unlike ever before. When it comes to women and elections, some trends are certain.
Women tend to be more undecided in choosing a candidate than their male counterparts. A majority of those who consider themselves Democrats, 58 percent, are women. Female voters not only outnumber male voters in recent decades, they also outvote them. For example, in the 2004 presidential election, 54 percent of those who voted were female, whereas 46 percent of voters were male.
Clearly, women voters are an important voting base. However, in spite of these patterns, questions remain about the female vote in the upcoming election that are not easily answered by demographics and statistics alone. What issues will be the most important for women voters at the polls? Will Barack Obama be hurt by McCain's choice of Sarah Palin for V.P., or will he retain female Democrats and independents who are more swayed by issues?
Hillary Clinton's candidacy for president left voters bitterly divided. While many disliked the former candidate, it is undeniable that she had a strong base among women. A CBS News poll from May found that 49 percent of registered voters stated that Clinton's run for the Democratic nomination made them more interested in the 2008 political campaign.
This data exemplifies the enthusiasm Clinton's campaign generated. During the Democratic primaries, Clinton handily won the states of Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Nevada, New Hampshire and New Mexico. Coincidentally, these are now key battleground states.
An important subgroup of women we need to pay attention to this campaign is what conservative pollster Bill McInturff coined "Wal-Mart women." Comprising 17 percent of women, these women are in low-to-middle income brackets, are often single moms or retired women, are primarily white, and as the name suggests, literally do their shopping at Wal-Mart in order to save money. This suggests that these women are more focused on the economy, rather than the traditional "SHE" issues of social security, healthcare, and education.
Clinton's primary wins in predominantly white states like Ohio, Indiana, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania can partially be attributed to this base of Wal-Mart women. It will be interesting to see whether Obama can reach out to these women on economic issues.
John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin obviously adds a twist to the decision facing women this November. Palin can be viewed as the prototypical modern American mom: successfully balancing work with raising children, strongly emphasizing morality and family values, and sticking true to her guns - literally. But does this mean that Palin will get more female voters to choose McCain?
A recent CNN poll shows that 14 percent of registered voters say that a woman running for vice president with McCain makes them more likely to vote for McCain. While this is not a large number, it could make a difference. Barack Obama also needs to make sure he gets the votes of ex-Hillary supporters. Pollster and former Clinton advisor William Arnone found that 77 percent of the "most fervent" Hillary supporters back Obama, and 11 percent plan to vote for McCain.
Another obvious point is that Obama clearly has the edge in terms of women's issues. Obama is pro-choice, and McCain and Palin are both pro-life. In terms of equal pay for equal work, Obama supports equal pay for women, while McCain, and shockingly Palin, are against it. McCain does not even list "women's issues" as a campaign issue on his Web site, while Obama does.
Hillary Clinton summed it up in her statement "No way, no how, no McCain, no Palin!" Surely the Obama campaign hopes that female voters (and especially Clinton diehards) follow Senator Clinton's strong words.
Obama's campaign Web site boasts a list of national women leaders who support him. Although the odds are on his side, only time will tell if Obama gains the women vote and becomes the next president of the United States.
For more info, visit: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/womenissues
Women may well determine who wins presidency
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
BY AUROROA J. VASIL
SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL
Sarah Palin. Hillary Clinton. No matter what your political persuasion is, these names alone show that women have played a role in the 2008 presidential election unlike ever before. When it comes to women and elections, some trends are certain.
Women tend to be more undecided in choosing a candidate than their male counterparts. A majority of those who consider themselves Democrats, 58 percent, are women. Female voters not only outnumber male voters in recent decades, they also outvote them. For example, in the 2004 presidential election, 54 percent of those who voted were female, whereas 46 percent of voters were male.
Clearly, women voters are an important voting base. However, in spite of these patterns, questions remain about the female vote in the upcoming election that are not easily answered by demographics and statistics alone. What issues will be the most important for women voters at the polls? Will Barack Obama be hurt by McCain's choice of Sarah Palin for V.P., or will he retain female Democrats and independents who are more swayed by issues?
Hillary Clinton's candidacy for president left voters bitterly divided. While many disliked the former candidate, it is undeniable that she had a strong base among women. A CBS News poll from May found that 49 percent of registered voters stated that Clinton's run for the Democratic nomination made them more interested in the 2008 political campaign.
This data exemplifies the enthusiasm Clinton's campaign generated. During the Democratic primaries, Clinton handily won the states of Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Nevada, New Hampshire and New Mexico. Coincidentally, these are now key battleground states.
An important subgroup of women we need to pay attention to this campaign is what conservative pollster Bill McInturff coined "Wal-Mart women." Comprising 17 percent of women, these women are in low-to-middle income brackets, are often single moms or retired women, are primarily white, and as the name suggests, literally do their shopping at Wal-Mart in order to save money. This suggests that these women are more focused on the economy, rather than the traditional "SHE" issues of social security, healthcare, and education.
Clinton's primary wins in predominantly white states like Ohio, Indiana, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania can partially be attributed to this base of Wal-Mart women. It will be interesting to see whether Obama can reach out to these women on economic issues.
John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin obviously adds a twist to the decision facing women this November. Palin can be viewed as the prototypical modern American mom: successfully balancing work with raising children, strongly emphasizing morality and family values, and sticking true to her guns - literally. But does this mean that Palin will get more female voters to choose McCain?
A recent CNN poll shows that 14 percent of registered voters say that a woman running for vice president with McCain makes them more likely to vote for McCain. While this is not a large number, it could make a difference. Barack Obama also needs to make sure he gets the votes of ex-Hillary supporters. Pollster and former Clinton advisor William Arnone found that 77 percent of the "most fervent" Hillary supporters back Obama, and 11 percent plan to vote for McCain.
Another obvious point is that Obama clearly has the edge in terms of women's issues. Obama is pro-choice, and McCain and Palin are both pro-life. In terms of equal pay for equal work, Obama supports equal pay for women, while McCain, and shockingly Palin, are against it. McCain does not even list "women's issues" as a campaign issue on his Web site, while Obama does.
Hillary Clinton summed it up in her statement "No way, no how, no McCain, no Palin!" Surely the Obama campaign hopes that female voters (and especially Clinton diehards) follow Senator Clinton's strong words.
Obama's campaign Web site boasts a list of national women leaders who support him. Although the odds are on his side, only time will tell if Obama gains the women vote and becomes the next president of the United States.
For more info, visit: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/womenissues