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Exclusive: McCain closes huge gap on key question for women (Erased 34% deficit)
Politico ^ | 9/22/08 5:15 AM EDT | DAVID PAUL KUHN

Posted on 09/22/2008 11:43:39 AM PDT by Red Steel

Since picking Sarah Palin as his running mate, John McCain has obliterated what had been a 34-percentage-point deficit in a poll of likely women voters on the question of which candidate has a “better understanding of women and what is important” to them.

The two are now effectively tied, with McCain's 44 to 42 percentage lead within the margin of error of the most recent poll conducted by pollsters Kellyanne Conway and Celinda Lake for Lifetime Television. In Lifetime's July poll, women preferred Barack Obama on the same question by nearly three-to-one— 52 to 18 percent.

In this latest poll, conducted Sept. 11-15, age remained a key determinant in response to the question about women’s concerns. Young women, ages 18-34, chose the Obama/Biden ticket as more empathetic to their needs, while women aged 35-64 went for McCain/Palin. Unlike black and Hispanic women, White women saw McCain and Palin as most understanding of their concerns.

About one in four women who supported Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the primaries now said McCain and Palin have a better grasp of women’s needs than Obama and his running mate, Sen. Joe Biden.

The Lifetime poll reveals a diversity of women’s views on several issues, with many of those differences related to a respondent’s race, party identity, marital status and generation.

However, those demographic differences faded when it came to the Democrats’ strongest showing in the poll, on a question regarding the economy. The women polled favored the Obama/Biden ticket 57 to 32 percent on which candidate “will help middle class families the most.” Polling has shown all year that the economy tops voters' concerns.

The survey comes as women overall favor the Democratic ticket, 48 to 44 percent, according to the weekly summaries of Gallup polling. That marks a wider margin than Democrats enjoyed in 2004 on Election Day, but less than in 2000.

That Democratic drop-off with women since 2000, Gallup polling shows, is tied to Obama’s recent downtick in white support among women and men alike. All summer Obama had roughly similar support among white women as Al Gore did in 2000.

Gallup finds McCain now leads with white women 51 to 40 percent, a wider gap than the GOP enjoyed among white women eight years ago.

However, it appears that Obama’s message of “change” has struck a chord with women, who in the Lifetime poll gave the Obama/Biden ticket a 14-point advantage on the question, 51 to 37 percent over the McCain/Palin ticket.

Overall, women said Obama and Biden would best “reform the way Washington, D.C. does business” by 47 to 40 percent. But white women narrowly favored the McCain/Palin ticket on that count.

And, independent women gave the GOP ticket an 8-point advantage on the change issue.

When women were asked which ticket could better “win” the war in Iraq, white, Hispanic and independent women, as well as women of every age group, voiced more confidence in McCain/Palin.

But when these women were asked which candidates can most likely “end” the war in Iraq, Obama/Biden earned significantly more support. Women under age 55, Hispanic women, and independent women had more trust in the Democrats. Yet white women voiced more confidence in McCain/Palin to end the war.

Women overall did say the Republican ticket was more ready to lead, though Latinas and black women sided with Democrats. Democrats have a narrow advantage overall, 47 to 40 percent, as more capable reformers of government, though female independents and whites sided with the GOP.

The Lifetime Television/Every Woman Counts campaign poll of 534 American women likely to vote was conducted September 11 to 15, and has a margin of error of 4.4 percent.


TOPICS: Front Page News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: electionpresident; mccainpalin; womenvote

1 posted on 09/22/2008 11:43:40 AM PDT by Red Steel
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To: Red Steel

but the polls are still close— really they are /s


2 posted on 09/22/2008 11:48:10 AM PDT by lonestar67 (Its time to withdraw from the War on Bush-- your side is hopelessly lost in a quagmire.)
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To: Red Steel

From the smaller polls, McCain is making huge gains with women, Jews, racist Democrats, etc., etc., but is still behind in national polls. Something doesn’t add up...


3 posted on 09/22/2008 11:48:45 AM PDT by piytar
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To: Red Steel

“Obama/Biden ticket as more empathetic to their needs”

It is all about pandering. How about what is best for the country and the majority of Americans so this country can continue to create opportunity instead of handouts. Wait I forgot for a minute the mantra of the Democratic party, everyone deserves more without adding the the force that generates more.


4 posted on 09/22/2008 11:48:56 AM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: Red Steel

If McCain is doing this well in The Stalker Channel® poll, then he must be doing pretty well.


5 posted on 09/22/2008 11:56:59 AM PDT by Aquinasfan (When you find "Sola Scriptura" in the Bible, let me know)
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To: Red Steel

Why would this sort of info be released for public consumption?

It is negative for Barry Hussein.

I dont understand...


6 posted on 09/22/2008 12:00:09 PM PDT by Canedawg (Show me an old Liberal and I'll show you someone with no brains. - Winston Churchill)
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To: Aquinasfan

ROFL!!! My friend, that is simply Hilarious.

Stalker channel for Lifetime. That is great.


7 posted on 09/22/2008 12:00:39 PM PDT by Wilder Effect
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To: Wilder Effect
"Men are terrible and will hurt you, because this is Lifetime." </familyguy>*


*Season 6, episode 2, "Movin' Out (Brian's Song)"
8 posted on 09/22/2008 2:30:37 PM PDT by According2RecentPollsAirIsGood
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To: Red Steel

“I have a Dream”..........or some such nonsense like that ....</sarcasm>


9 posted on 09/22/2008 4:59:04 PM PDT by HP8753 (Live Free!!!! .............or don't.)
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