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Politics | 08/19/2008 9:03 am

McCain Not a Ladies' Man?

By The Staff at wowOwow.com
© AP

Barack Obama’s campaign is trying to convince Americans that John McCain won’t be successful in wooing women voters.

Dana Singiser, who oversees Barack Obama’s women’s outreach efforts, issued a memo Monday, arguing that the Republican presidential hopeful made a major effort to reach women voters in June because he’s so far behind his Democratic opponent in garnering the female vote.

"Despite his campaign’s outreach efforts, McCain’s attempt to bridge the gender gap has fallen flat," wrote Singiser. "He fares worse among women than any presidential candidate since Bob Dole in 1996."

Singiser, who is a former Hillary Clinton aide, noted that women have outvoted men in every election since 1964, and that during this year’s Democratic primaries, the women’s vote reached at least 59 percent in 14 states.

"During the Democratic National Convention next week we will mark Women’s Equality Day, the anniversary of women’s suffrage in the United States,” she said. “Eighty-eight years after the right of American women to vote was written into our Constitution, the women’s vote will make the difference in this election."

CBS News and CNN note that McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds did not respond directly to the Singiser memo, but said: "Barack Obama is spinning this issue to disguise his support for higher taxes, and refusing to acknowledge that the legislation he’s promoting has more to do with paychecks for trial lawyers than the struggles of working women."

Bounds said the Equal Pay Legislation, which Obama supports, would benefit trial lawyers in part because it could lead to frivolous lawsuits.

Here are five reasons, according to the Obama campaign, that McCain can’t get the women vote:

1.) Women voters don’t trust McCain because of his extreme positions on the key issues important to them. Obama leads McCain by 10 points (42% vs. 32%) when it comes to which candidate women trust more. (The August 5 poll also found that 14% said they trust neither, and 5% trust both.)

2.) Women want change from the last eight years of neglect for America’s middle-class families and women’s economic security.

3.) Equal Pay: 77% of women believe the next president should address the issue of providing women with equal pay for equal work. McCain has opposed legislation to provide more effective remedies to victims of pay discrimination, and legislation to overturn the Ledbetter decision — a pay discrimination case filed by Lilly Ledbetter against Goodyear. The case was thrown out last year by the Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision delivered by conservative Justice Samuel Alito.

4.) Health Care Costs: McCain’s health-care plan "isn’t expected to make a major dent in the number of uninsured Americans," and he would – for the first time in our nation’s history – tax health-care benefits. Only 27% of women are very confident that they will be able to afford health care for themselves and their families. There is a disproportionate number of women who are uninsured or in danger of losing their coverage.

5.) Women’s Reproductive Rights: 62% of women believe that Roe v. Wade established a constitutional right, but McCain has bragged about consistently receiving a zero rating from pro-choice group NARAL during his 25-year voting career. McCain has repeatedly voted against federal funding for family planning, and accessibility of contraceptives for women. McCain’s support among Republican pro-choice women dropped by 9% after hearing his positions.

188 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Linda P
Marjorie and Lady G, I’ve missed you and needed you. I’ve been stuck by myself over at one of the other threads - (senior moment: now I can’t remember if it’s the McCain veep one, or the Liz answers about John Edwards thing.) Anyway, Mugsy Peabody has been busy trying to flog me, along with occasional remarks from others, and I am exhausted without reinforcements! Meantime, I’ve made the executive decision to give the pink flak jacket a whirl in the Kenmore, and my hair needs a bath after so many days inside my pink battle helmet. And then I’m going to curl up in my little foxhole and try to get some shut-eye. I just hope I don’t have to wake up in the morning to a hail of Mugsy’s cheap shots! I’m seriously considering having my gun re-painted to match my jacket and helmet. Hope to catch up “witch ya’” sometime tomorrow. Sweet dreams.
By Linda P on 08/22/2008 12:54 am
sibelle daubigne
Marjorie, LOL LOL LOL LOL I love it!
By sibelle daubigne on 08/20/2008 7:13 pm
sibelle daubigne
Marjorie,LOL LOL LOL LOL I love it! it’s your right to download! Plus i know Mc Cain is your type , he is my type too! I like them short and robust! lol lol
By sibelle daubigne on 08/20/2008 7:27 pm
Star Lawrence
Someone described him as the Energizer Bunny the other night. He is perky!
By Star Lawrence on 08/21/2008 11:59 am
sibelle daubigne
Yes,he is! And if you don’t really like either one, choose the perky one! lol
By sibelle daubigne on 08/21/2008 12:34 pm
Diana T
Thank you, James, for your support. McCain has one of the very worse voting records when it comes to womens issues. The record stands on its own, and if people would simply dealve through the Congressional Record or numerous other sites that are easily obtainable on the web, they could see for themselves. And, a voting record is what it is, stands on its own, and one can’t be accused of being a bully. I’ll go to the mattresses on this one. So, from all women that care about their futures, their bodies, and their daughters right to choose, my accolades. p.s. And, you are right about the language…
By Diana T on 08/19/2008 12:44 pm
James the Game
Thanks, Diana.
By James the Game on 08/19/2008 1:25 pm
DeBúrca obj
I noticed you get quiet in here James. Please do not allow yourself to be bullied.
By DeBúrca obj on 08/19/2008 8:24 pm
James the Game
Thanks, DeB’ . Sometimes it’s like combat karate in here. Ha.
By James the Game on 08/19/2008 8:30 pm
Diana T
By Diana T on 08/20/2008 6:15 pm
DeBúrca obj
Thank you! I just got an evite from Obama to attend the speech in Springfield IL on Saturday. I’d go if I didn’t have to drag a 6yr old along! It’s a long drive and I doubt that there would be a hotel room in the city. I am assuming we’ll probably know who the VP is by Saturday, unless he plans to spring it on everyone then.
By DeBúrca obj on 08/20/2008 6:31 pm
Diana T
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/21/mccain-doesnt-know-how-ma_n_120… Hi, James, I am using an old thread for this. I find it hard to believe that McCain is this vague as to where his pillow is. Is he going to keep using the “I’ll get back to you” every time he doesn’t want to answer a question? I dont’ know how many times I’ve heard him say it. Really!
By Diana T on 08/21/2008 10:29 am
James the Game
Us commoners can’t even relate to those folks with $13 million worth of houses. So many homes you can’t remember how many you’ve got?! That reminds me of when Elton John went bankrupt several years ago. He owned 25 homes, no wonder! And people idolize ‘stars’ like this? To me, they’re absolutely contemptible. Especially if they profess to believe in God. Money is their God. Why doesn’t he give some of that money to charity, if he doesn’t even keep track of it?
By James the Game on 08/21/2008 1:28 pm
Diana T
James, I guess because Mrs. M gives so much to her charities. Someone said that he was joking when he said it, for this peasant trying to hang onto one house, somewhere I dont’ see the humor. Ha-ha….
By Diana T on 08/21/2008 1:41 pm
James the Game
Well, it’s good to give to charity, but… “As He looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ‘I tell you the truth,’ He said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” Luke 21:1-3
By James the Game on 08/21/2008 1:48 pm