Public Policy Polling: Palin and Women

Public Policy Polling ^ | April 10, 2010 | Tom Jensen

[2ndDivisionVet]

A Sarah Palin bid in 2012 would give Republicans a chance to make history by being the first major political party to nominate a women for President. But there's a major constituency in the party that doesn't seem to be too interested in putting Palin forward- women.

In 9 of 12 states where we've looked ahead to the 2012 GOP nomination contest Palin polled higher with men than women. Across those dozen states her level of support from men is on average 2.8 points higher than it is with women. If Palin is going to win her party's nod it doesn't appear an unusual level of support from women supporting her as a trailblazer is going to be part of that equation.

The reason for that may be pretty simple - Republican women are more moderate than Republican men and when it comes to supporting Palin their ideology trumps any kinship they may feel based on gender.

Here's the state by state breakdown:

(CHART AT LINK)

[2ndDivisionVet]

FReeper ladies, are they right?

[bwc2221]

For whatever reason, women are overwhelmingly more liberal. I was recently looking at a poll of the Pennsylvania governor's race. The only group giving Arlen Specter higher percentage than women were blacks. Women back Specter with a greater percent than union members.

I agree. Can any FReeper women let us know why their gender has become so overwhelming liberal.

[bwc2221]

By the way, Public Policy Polling, with its ties to the Democratic Party, is not one of the polling organizations in which I have a great deal of faith.

[marajade]

I don’t think so. I’d say women feel an extremely strong bond for their fellow sister.

[QualityMan]

Married women tend to be less liberal than their “liberated”
single counterparts.

In direct response to your question, I think that women tend to vote for their personal security, which, ostensibly, the government claims to provide to them, and men tend to vote for freedom, unless the male is really a feminized panty-waist that is married to some kind of gloria steinem clone or something...

[Abby4116]

I think a lot of it has to do with her demonstrated pro-life stance.

I don't have a problem with it, but a lot of women do, although they won't admit it. The explains Specter's popularity amongst women also.

[9YearLurker]

Part of the reason is that women on average are less informed politically and have less exposure to business. Another part of it may be that women on average live longer than men and thus have more reason to be concerned about being cared for in old age.

[marajade]

“I don’t have a problem with it, but a lot of women do, although they won’t admit it. The explains Specter’s popularity amongst women also.”

I’m conservative; although because I believe the issue of abortion is strictly between a woman and her doctor as a medical issue rather than something that should be statutory, I am viewed as liberal.

I would agree with your statement.

As a woman I would say the issue of abortion is about freedom to a woman and most conservative men would say its murder. This issue is extremely difficult to resolve between the sexes.

[marajade]

“Part of the reason is that women on average are less informed politically and have less exposure to business.”

That’s because they don’t engage with relationships that encourage them to do so.

When I was looking for a husband when I was single and younger that character quality along with someone who would be able to lead in a relationship was higher on my list than how handsome a man was.

[longtermmemmory]

IOW there are women who are conservative by marriage only.

These are the women who have the “gay friend” or the fancy man home decorator.

It is really sad.

[AZLiberty]

Freeper ladies don’t have any ‘splainin to do. I think Sarah Palin’s hotness could easily give her an additional 2.8 percent support on the male side.

[DRey]

I will vote for her if she is the candidate, but I'd rather vote for another real conservative. I think the poll is accurate. Republican women do not block vote. That's the key here. We don't hold a grudge against our male oppressors of old, and we do not feel oppressed now so therefore hell bent on electing a woman president. Given this, I think Republican women for the most part are looking for the best candidate. And if we're going to elect a woman president, she had better be a woman that is not going to make the rest of us look stupid. That's my estimation. Flame away.

[exDemMom]

As a woman I would say the issue of abortion is about freedom to a woman and most conservative men would say its murder. This issue is extremely difficult to resolve between the sexes.

As a woman, I would say that abortion has nothing at all to do with freedom. In fact, I'd characterize it as a way to keep women back. More men than women are pro-abortion.

[greeneyes]

I like what I have seen so far with Palin. But I think her communication skills need to be improved, if she is to have a chance to win.

I also want to hear more specifics about her solutions. She talks about common-sense solutions, but doesn’t elaborate. I will not vote for a “pig in a poke”. That’s what the people who voted for Obama did.

The devil is always in the details. I want the details. I will vote for the most conservative, and sensible candidate and if it is a women that is icing on the cake. I am a principled voter-not an identity polictics voter.

[Brices Crossroads]

AARP of North Carolina

PPP is a Democrat push poll. Its client list, consisting of Unions, proabortion groups, anti Religion groups, the NEA, NAACP and enviro-Marxist organizations is listed below. Their poll would make good fishwrap and that is about it.

Client list:

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees

Blueprint NC

Chatham Coalition

Childcare Providers Together Michigan

Conservation Council of North Carolina

Common Sense Foundation

Equality NC

Faith In America

Friends of Dorothea Dix Park

Greater Cleveland Partnership

Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce

Lillian’s List

Maryland for our Future

National Education Association

National Popular Vote, Inc.

NARAL Pro-Choice NC

NCGO!

NC Justice Center

NC Policy Watch

NC Sierra Club

Nevada State Education Association

North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers

North Carolina AFL-CIO

North Carolina Association of Educators

North Carolina Conservation Network

North Carolina Democratic Party

North Carolina Democratic Senate Caucus

North Carolina Democratic House Caucus

North Carolina Medical Board

North Carolina NAACP

Parents for Educational Freedom, NC

Partnership for North Carolina’s Future

Planned Parenthood Action Fund of Central NC

South Carolina Education Association

I saw a CBS poll recently (not the most objective) and it had nearly 50% of women wither without enough information on Palin or undecided on her. In other words, persuadable.
While the negatives outweigh the positives right now, the decided are relatively few. There has not been a campaign yet. She will gain support in virtue of stating her positions. And her yet to be named opponents will have to be compared to her which will garner her more support.

She is in a very strong position.

[marajade]

Each is entitled to their own opinion.

[MNJohnnie]

I’m conservative; although because I believe the issue of abortion is strictly between a woman and her doctor as a medical issue rather than something that should be statutory

So then you also agree with the notion that prostitution is strictly a matter between a hooker and her trick?

You agree then that a drug addiction is strictly a matter between the user and the dealer?

Sorry but this is a rationalization used by those unwilling to confront the hard facts.

If one does not surgically intervene via abortion a baby is born. Because one surgically intervened, a baby is prevented for living.

No other way to cut that but to call it murder. Perhaps in your mind it is justifiable homicide, but homicide it is.

The mother should not get to choose if that life is allowed to exist. She has no more moral, or intellectual, authority to determine whether that life is allowed to exist then she would if the child was born, then murdered.

Using your rational, you would have no problem if the mother were to murder the child any time she feels like it up to age 18. After all, whether that child is to live or die it is wholly her decision in your world view.

The time for the mother to make that decision about pregnancy is prior to conception when the egg has no potential to be life without the introduction of the sperm. Once conception has taken place, any intervention to abort the fetus is murder.

Trying to manufacture some philosophical smoke and mirrors about a "woman and her body" is merely a weak rationalization used to avoid confronting the harsh facts.

[ansel12]

As a woman I would say the issue of abortion is about freedom to a woman and most conservative men would say its murder. This issue is extremely difficult to resolve between the sexes.

Conservative women are pro-life.

[ansel12]

I don’t think so. I’d say women feel an extremely strong bond for their fellow sister.

Palin does better with men, than with her "sisters".