Despite almost six years of pushing a “war on women” meme, despite patronizing them on a constant basis, despite giving and saying the government will give them free stuff, Obama isn’t doing so well with women, and this has Senate Democrat hopefuls worried
(Politico) Female voters powered President Barack Obama’s victory over Mitt Romney in 2012, as Democrats leaned heavily on social issues to rally single women and suburban moms to the polls.
But with two weeks until Election Day, the president’s diminished standing with women is quickly becoming one of the biggest liabilities facing Democrats as they struggle to hang onto the Senate majority.
In battleground states across the country, Obama is underwater with female voters — especially women unaffiliated with a political party — and it’s making it harder for Democrats to take advantage of the gender gap, according to public polling and Democratic strategists.
Already Democrats are taking a beating from men, who back Republicans over Democrats by double digits in most of the key Senate races. But to overcome that deficit, Democrats need to win over women voters by a wider margin in battleground states like Colorado, Iowa, Alaska, North Carolina and New Hampshire. That task that will be the primary focus of Democratic campaigns as they prepare an intensive voter turnout operation.
First, they must overcome the Obama factor. After defeating Mitt Romney by 11 points among women in 2012, the president has seen his approval rating drop sharply with females, particularly in the battleground states.
Are women wising up to Democrats? Certainly, they must understand just how bad Obama’s policies have been for them, particularly economically. It’s all nice and good to push the “pay gap”, among others, but like so many other memes Obama and the Democrats push, it has become extremely patronizing, showing a belief that women aren’t competent enough, are too delicate and fragile, are simply hot house flowers who need to be Taken Care Of by government. The rhetoric emanating from Obama and Democrats positions is unempowering for women. The economy under Obama has been less than good for women (well, most Americans).
Women still tend to do most of the shopping and cooking. They see the price rises. They see the buying power of their money decreasing. They have real world concerns. Yet, Obama and the Dems patronize them, and apparently think things like free contraception, sterilization, and abortion are the top issues for women
“He’s not doing as badly [with women] as he is among men, but it’s hardly anything to write home about,†said GOP pollster Whit Ayres. “Which is why many of these Democratic candidates are still struggling.â€
It’s also why Democrats are campaigning heavily on women’s issues. Begich and outside Democratic groups have launched ads blasting Sullivan on abortion rights and for opposing funding for Planned Parenthood.
Begich, running against Republican Dan Sullivan in Alaska, says that Sullivan, and by extension, wants to control women. It’s that “Republicans want to bring back the 1950’s” meme. Yet, women are waking up the notion that it is Democrats who want to make Government women’s sugar daddies. Women are not so stupid that they’re falling for the talking point that the “GOP wants to take away their birth control”. They understand that the TP is simply veiled talk about abortion. They are realizing that Obama’s crazy “Life Of Julia“, a life spent under the thumb of Big Daddy Government, is bad for them and extremely patronizing. The Life Of Julia parodies start to make sense.
Democrats still tend to do better with women than Republicans, but the gap has closed quite a bit. And that is dangerous for Democrats. They certainly do not women wising up.
Crossed at Right Wing News.
Read: Bummer: Obama’s DIminished Standing With Women Hurts Senate Dem Chances »
