So, women don’t, in fact, vote with their “lady-parts.” After months of Democrats pounding Republicans over their alleged “war on women,” and tens of millions of dollars in ads appealing to women on contraceptives and abortion, the “gender gap” is now gone, and Obama and Romney split the female vote. A new AP poll finds Obama and Romney tied among women voters at 47% each. It’s a victory for women over the Democrats’ sexist campaign theme.
I always thought the Democrats’ “War on Women” theme was offensive and demeaning to women. Do Democrats really think that female voters only care about issues like contraception, abortion, and women’s health issues? If so, they have a very outdated, antiquated view of which issues are important to women.
Of course, some women care about some of these issues, at times quite passionately. But women are also increasingly breadwinners, small business owners, entrepreneurs and, of course, mothers. They care even more about the economy, taxes, and regulation. They worry about the debt burden we’re leaving behind for future generations. They worry if their kids will be able to find jobs after school.
The democrats left all these issues on the table and focus their outreach to female voters on issues that seem inconsequential when 23 million Americans are looking for work, and the national debt has passed $16 Trillion.
Overall, the AP poll found Romney taking a 2-point lead over Obama among likely voters, 47-45. Worse for Obama, Romney has gained the edge on likability. Obama is at net +6, 51% favorable, 45% unfavorable. Romney, though is at net +10, 52% favorable, 42% unfavorable.
And on the issues that will decide the election, Romney has a clear advantage. By 7 points, 51-44 voters prefer Romney on handling the economy. On handling federal spending, Romney has an 8 point advantage, 51-43. Obama has even lost his edge on “protecting the country” with 47% of likely voters preferring Romney to 46% picking Obama.
The sample for this poll is D+4. While I think the actual electorate will be closer than that, it is at least a reasonably defensive number. Certainly it’s out of the fantasy land peddled by many polls in which Democrats will match or even exceed their turnout in 2008.
We are probably nearing the end of heavily-skewed partisan polls, at least at the national level. The final polls are generally used to measure a pollster’s “accuracy” in the election. Reputations and future business will be on the line at that point. That’s when it gets real.
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