Women Voters Buoy Obama’s 2012 Hopes
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With persistent economic woes gripping much of the electorate, President Obama today pivots his re-election pitch towards women voters, who backed his candidacy enthusiastically in 2008 and may prove more influential in 2012.
In an address before the National Women’s Law Center, Obama will celebrate the role of women in the civil rights movement and the steps he’s taken to keep their spirit alive, organizers say.
But despite advancements in gender equality under Obama — including the appointment of two women to the Supreme Court and enactment of a health care overhaul that provides insurance parity and free preventive care services for women — polls show he and Democrats face a difficult path towards rekindling active political support in the months ahead.
“I think there will be currency for Obama when women learn about what he’s achieved, but I do believe that many women have no idea about the concrete accomplishments that have been secured over the last few years,” said National Women’s Law Center co-president Marcia Greeberger.
“It’s very understandable that there isn’t a lot of understanding about these details and knowledge about these details, especially on the part of women,” she added, “when they’re having to struggle with jobs and family responsibilities, sometimes multiple jobs. There are just so many hours in the day.”
In 2008, Obama won 56 percent of the women vote, 13 points more than won by Republican Sen. John McCain, according to the national exit poll. Four years later, support for Obama and Democrats among women has dropped off sharply.
During the 2010 midterm elections, for example, women divided evenly for Democratic and Republican House candidates — 49 percent to 49 percent — the best showing for Republicans among women in a national U.S. House vote since 1982.
“Women are very concerned about the health care bill that was passed a year ago, concerned about the federal government taking decision making from them as the head of the household as it comes to making decisions about health care,” said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the highest ranking Republican woman in Congress.
Women small business owners, she added, “see firsthand how the federal government is making it more difficult on them to start businesses. So there’s going to be a real battle for the women’s vote in 2012.”
The most recent ABC News/Washington Post poll found that just 48 percent of women said they approve of how Obama has handled his job, while 50 percent said they outright disapprove.
But there are signs women could actually be helping to keep Obama’s approval — and his chances for a second term — afloat.
Women have a more favorable view of Obama’s job handling than men by eight points, according to the latest ABC poll.
Moreover, when asked who they trust more to do a better job creating jobs, women choose Obama over congressional Republicans by a 45 to 37 margin. The numbers are even higher among younger and minority women. Men trust the GOP more, by a 43 to 35 gap.
“I would give him a B,” said third-year University of Pennsylvania medical student Caroline Nelson, 27, who voted for Obama in 2008 but said she’s become frustrated and disinterested with him since.
“I think that he compromised a couple of the issues I thought he was really going to push for, especially the environment which is an important one to me,” Nelson said. “And I also think that the way he handled the debt crisis, he gave in a little more quickly than I would have liked to see. I know he’s working with really tough opposition, but I think that our credit rating and stuff like that he’s partly responsible.”
Still, Nelson said she’s likely to vote for Obama again, and maybe even donate a small amount to his campaign, two signs that despite any disillusionment among Obama’s ’08 supporters, many may just need extra encouragement to turn out again.
“Women are very important to this campaign. That’s why they are one of the core constituencies we’re focusing on in our outreach,” said an Obama campaign official of the dynamic.
Obama volunteers have been conducting women-to-women phone banks in targeted markets to talk about legislation or accomplishments that have a specific benefit for women, the official said.
The campaign is also compiling a list of surrogates, led by First Lady Michelle Obama and Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, to drum up support for Obama among women voters on the campaign trail.
“How about the very first bill my husband signed into law – it was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to help women get equal pay for equal work,” Mrs. Obama told a crowd of mostly women supporters at a Jacksonville, Fla., fundraiser last month.
“Why did he do this? Because, as he put it, we believe that here in America, there are no second-class citizens in our workplace,” she said. The law allows women to sue their employers for alleged pay discrimination even years after the fact.
Lilly Ledbetter, 73, whose pay discrimination case inspired the law, is also likely to be at least an unofficial surrogate for Obama on the trail. ”I’ve never been so proud of anything,” she said, telling of her travels to college campuses nationwide to talk it up.
“It sent a strong message to the women, minorities and working families across this nation,” she said. “I am just working as hard as I can to hope to try to keep Obama in office another term so he can keep what he started, because in my opinion it really takes two terms for a president to succeed in all their goals.”
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“Women Voters Buoy Obama’s 2012 Hopes” – ABC News
So Barry thinks that women voters are not as smart as men voters!
How insulting is that?!
This is just another divide up the pie and go at it piece by piece starting with the easy stuff.
It is this type of behavior that has driven American’s apart.
NoBo is not a uniter, he is Barack “subdivide” O’Bama.
Posted by: Noz | November 9, 2011, 7:48 am 7:48 am
Noz stated …”starting with the easy stuff.”
Please clarify.
Posted by: E | November 9, 2011, 8:02 am 8:02 am
As usual the news media is trying to put their usual spin in the headlines to help the President.
There dreaming….
Posted by: Freedom | November 9, 2011, 8:07 am 8:07 am
Noz States “Barry thinks that women voters are not as smartest as men voters”. Please cite where in the article you got that from. And where in the article are you getting your whole “not a uniter” statement?
Posted by: E | November 9, 2011, 8:11 am 8:11 am
I pay no attention to these articles. When you read stuff on the internet, papers, tv, whatever, so many are biased…there are rumors and stretching of the truth. I’m sick of the scare tactics and mud slinging. Why bother to vote? They are all corrupt. In my small town the same old same old got in again…people complain but then don’t get out to vote and the same people get in again. So again, why even bother? It’s a shame. Just like the circus of presidential wannabees in the GOP. I wouldn’t vote for any of them. Romney has the same healthcare program as this president. Hypocrites.
Posted by: Barb | November 9, 2011, 9:16 am 9:16 am
E, the easy stuff, the low hanging fruit in the eyes of the NoBo reelection folks would be the groups that he won by big margins in 2008. Barry isn’t a uniter because he’s constantly singling out different sub divisions of society. He did it during his 2008 campaign talking about the religious gun clingers.
Now I don’t want to say too much because Axlegrease might actually read some of these things but I wouldn’t sectionalize the voters into different groups, especially as president. I would always talk about what’s good for all Americans. It’s counter productive as president to constantly talk about Rich vs Poor, Black vs White, Women vs Men, Latino’s vs Whatever, Young vs Old, Cats vs Dogs, Repubs vs Demos, Ali vs Fraizer, Chicago Way vs American Way, Shovel vs Planning Ready, Yada vs Dada.
Posted by: Noz | November 9, 2011, 9:25 am 9:25 am
Posted by: Barb | November 9, 2011, 9:16 am 9:16 am
Hey Barb, try not voting for any more lawyers, that will ensure change.
Posted by: Noz | November 9, 2011, 9:28 am 9:28 am
“E, the easy stuff, the low hanging fruit in the eyes of the NoBo reelection folks would be the groups that he won by big margins in 2008. Barry isn’t a uniter because he’s constantly singling out different sub divisions of society. He did it during his 2008 campaign talking about the religious gun clingers.”……….. lol Says the people blaming the unemployed for not having a job when the math says we have a job shortage. The people hating liberals and the poor. The people that blame poor mothers alone for all their issues. The people that try to sell unions are all that ruined jobs. The hate the teachers people. The list is a flipping mile long. I swear you guys are just bat crazy on the right anymore. Everything you heap on Obama you do.
Posted by: Secondlook | November 9, 2011, 9:43 am 9:43 am
Posted by: Secondlook | November 9, 2011, 9:43 am 9:43 am
From Obama’s civility memo :
When people make a valid attack on something that I’m obviously weak on don’t respond by launching a personal attack on the citizen that’s pointing out my flaw. Try and obfuscate with some off topic thing that I actually did right.
Posted by: Noz | November 9, 2011, 10:01 am 10:01 am
I’m frustrated too Barb.
Only difference is I will vote all incumbents out, and mean it. That means Obama as well. You said it yourself that he is just as corrupt. Want change, then vote that way.
I used to be a straight party ticket puller. That hasn’t worked very well as of lately. Especially when people now realize that one party is just as bad as the other. Instead of throwing my hands up, I’ll vote. I will spread my vote around to vote out all the incumbents. If the newbies screw up, I’ll vote them out too.
I will NOT recognize that the current elected officials are not working for our behalf, but re-vote them back in. That is insane.
I don’t know who I’ll vote for president. Only know who I won’t vote for at this point.
Posted by: dd23 | November 9, 2011, 10:06 am 10:06 am
Women all want the government to pay for everything, so they can blissfully have their kids, and not have t pay any of their bills.
They are fools.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | November 9, 2011, 10:13 am 10:13 am
Women have been the backbone of the Democrat party for decades. If we did not count the female vote, Clinton and Obama would not have been elected. 50% disapproval among women is more serious than 50% disapproval among men.
Posted by: foggy | November 9, 2011, 10:27 am 10:27 am
Noz, I still don’t see where in the article President Obama is, as you state, sectionalizing the voters. I don’t see any woman versus man comments attributed to him.
Posted by: E | November 9, 2011, 10:55 am 10:55 am
I’ve always had the feeling that women to Republicans were there to have children and keep quiet like the good little Stepford Wives they seem to be. Women hold lots of power and IF they see either party going after their freedoms and rights, those women WILL rise up and SPEAK VERY LOUDLY through their votes. NEVER take them for granted!!!
Posted by: demNme5 | November 9, 2011, 11:03 am 11:03 am
@E
While we are waiting for NOZ to respond to your wordsmith-ed question, why don’t you share some of your favorite Obama-is-a-uniter moments.
Posted by: foggy | November 9, 2011, 11:03 am 11:03 am
Thanks for the compliment Foggy. But alas, I think you have me mixed up with someone else. I don’t recall ever talking about favorite Obama as a uniter moments.
Posted by: E | November 9, 2011, 11:32 am 11:32 am
@E
If you had already talked about it then I wouldn’t have asked you to.
You have made it clear you object to the characterization of Obama as a divider but the only evidence you cite is the lack of divisive comments attributed to Obama in this blog post.
If you have a case to make that Obama is not divisive then make it.
Posted by: foggy | November 9, 2011, 12:01 pm 12:01 pm
No that won’t work foggy. The other day there was an article about C. Rice talking about a scary experience she had while working under the Bush administration. Half the comments weren’t about her story but were people just bashing Cheney who was mentioned briefly at the beginning of the article as having relayed the news to the Bush officials. Those commenters deserved getting called out for bringing baggage with them when they commented. This article above is a simple article about Obama talking before an organization and there are no divisive or non divisive comments attributed to him. The comments are from other people. I don’t mind people bringing up an issue that is presented in the article but Noz’s comments have nothing to do with this article. Likewise, our conversation is taking off in another direction. I doubt that was the intent in creating a comment board.
Posted by: E | November 9, 2011, 12:13 pm 12:13 pm
The ONLY women voters who could possible ‘buoy obama’s 2012 hopes’ would be those women who have placed their abilities to critically think for themselves [and for their nation] on the shelf of ‘Let the liberals in learning institutions and MSM tell you what to think and do.” Why do I say this? Here’s why.
1. Because whether a woman believes in the religion of evolution or God or Allah or Buddah or Shiva or Gaia, it’s irrational to believe that human sperm + human egg could possible produce anything but a human being. But that’s exactly what those women who fanatically believe in a healthy woman’s right to commit unjustified homicide believe. It’s that belief that allows healthy women to kill an unborn human being at any stage of gestation without a quiver of conscience.
2. Because these women actually believe that they are better off financially, socially, physically, emotionally than their mothers and grandmothers were! Really? My grandfather and father both worked outside the home and provided their wives and children with a solid roof over their heads, good clothes on their back, transportation, medical/dental/optometrist visits, and tasty food in their stomachs. Women were allowed to stay home and make their house a home and not just some place where food/clothes/stuff is kept until it’s time to leave again. Our families took family vacations, went to the movies, played games at the kitchen table, worked in our gardens…all of which made us a closer family which took care of each other. Compare that to what liberal men haters like Gloria Steinem has done for women. Or women like Pelosi. Now women have to work outside the home as well as their husbands to provide the same things our fathers and grandfathers provided with a single income. Our kids are being raised by strangers/television/video games. Women are so busy any more that they don’t emotionally bond with their children or their husbands like they used to and relationships suffer and end.
Because of the women’s “rights” movement, the cost of living increased as did family income. Thanks Gloria and Nancy. Those of us who want to stay home and put our families before ourselves can’t. American singles can’t afford to rent by themselves and so lots are now staying home with mommy & daddy. When I see some ‘professional’ looking woman driving in her little environmentally friendly car with an Obama sticker on it, I just shake my head at their willful ignorance and want to cry at the damage women just like her have done the past 40+ years.
Posted by: Katie | November 9, 2011, 12:29 pm 12:29 pm
@E
What is it with the left and free speech? Why should anyone on the planet be governed by what YOU think this comment board is for? We get plenty of morons and sycophants here that never criticize their leader or their party. Are you one of those?
Posted by: foggy | November 9, 2011, 12:29 pm 12:29 pm
Ah. I’ve got your number now Foggy. I was trying to have a conversation of substance. But read back over your comments and you will see you keep trying to skirt around what I am saying and instead trying to put words in my mouth and stick me in a box. If you have bothered to even read what I have written then you may recall I mentioned something about the unfortunate act of people carrying too much baggage with them wherever they go. That doesn’t create a situation ripe with opportunity to truly discuss.
Posted by: E | November 9, 2011, 12:47 pm 12:47 pm
“Noz, I still don’t see where in the article President Obama is, as you state, sectionalizing the voters. I don’t see any woman versus man comments attributed to him.” – E
I was talking in generalities E.
Obviously Devin, who wrote the Blog Piece, thinks there’s an effort by the NoBo team to target “women” voters hence the Blog Title.
More importantly though, in the picture, isn’t that Herman Cain behind the woman on the left? I wonder if he might be groping her behind. She does have a little smile on her face.
: o )
Posted by: Noz | November 9, 2011, 1:06 pm 1:06 pm
Got it Noz. Thanks for the response. Have a good day.
Posted by: E | November 9, 2011, 1:22 pm 1:22 pm
Moron. Got it.
Posted by: foggy | November 9, 2011, 1:25 pm 1:25 pm
I think that once a lot more women lose their jobs and need , they’ll warm up to Cain. He is a job creator. Most women probably like that a lot. And I was listening to Rush Limbaugh, and he said that the women who don’t like Cain’s leadership style are just man-haters. Probably poor gold diggers, too.
Posted by: buzz | November 9, 2011, 2:10 pm 2:10 pm
“Have a good day.” – E
You too E and remember to vote conservative in 2012.
Posted by: Noz | November 9, 2011, 3:48 pm 3:48 pm
Haha. Good one. I’ll stick with independent though. Keeps people guessing. :)
Posted by: E | November 9, 2011, 4:32 pm 4:32 pm
Who are the women going to vote for the gop ….HERMAN CAIN?
Posted by: Ricado | November 9, 2011, 7:44 pm 7:44 pm
Speaking of woman voters, I wonder if Obama is helping Peggy Joseph put $3.50 gas in her car.
“I’d never thought this day would ever happen. I won’t have to worry ’bout putting gas in my car, I won’t have to worry ’bout payin’ my mortgage. You know, If I help him, he’s gonna help me.” – Ms. Peggy Joseph, Obama Supporter, 2008
The DNC will surely create new ads showing Ms. Joseph’s enthusiastic support of Obama in 2008 and the current prosperity she’s enjoying after so much Hope and Change. Right?
Ms. Joseph was a high-profile and enthusiastic Obama supporter and donor. Jake should follow up with her to see what she plans to do in 2012. Strange that the media isn’t curious in the least.
Posted by: Chuck | November 9, 2011, 8:56 pm 8:56 pm
“Who are the women going to vote for the gop ….HERMAN CAIN?”
Posted by: Ricado | November 9, 2011, 7:44 pm 7:44 pm
Sure, except for the gold diggers, welfare queens, and jobless dim-witted Marxists shacking up with strangers at an Occupy park.
Posted by: Chuck | November 9, 2011, 9:04 pm 9:04 pm
Any woman who supports the GOP is nuts. Sorry, but the Republican Party proves daily that they think women are second class citizens. They want to control their bodies through legislation. (Look at the Mississippi bill that just got defeated for proof). Republicans don’t like women. Period. (Unless they’re barefoot and pregnant and standing in the kitchen preparing dinner)…..
Posted by: Searambler | November 10, 2011, 9:49 am 9:49 am
Anybody who supports Obama or th Dems are nuts. Sorry, but I have to see it’s the Dems who hate women and women backing him have been poorly brainwashed. Republicans are usually religious which mean they care about people. Democrats are anti-women, of course you can see women are still stupid enough to support him, seeing as he and his party are the real women haters. Dems hate women. Period!
Posted by: Matthew | November 14, 2011, 12:05 am 12:05 am