Clinton Plans Major Appeal to Women

ABC’s Jake Whitman Reports:  Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton will launch a new effort today aimed at courting female voters.

Clinton speaks this morning at the annual luncheon held by Emily’s List, a political group favoring Democratic female candidates who support abortion rights.

Clinton will use the speech to announce the drive, planned to coincide with Women’s History Month.   The effort will use social networking tools and other Web technology to develop a nation-wide network to promote Clinton’s candidacy.

The Clinton campaign will also enlist the help of several prominent female supporters, including tennis champ Billie Jean King, 1984 vice-presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Clinton’s advisors tell the Times that they estimate 60 percent of voters in the 2008 Democratic primary will be women.   The advisors say their goal is to win at least twice as many female votes as any of Clinton’s rivals.