McCain, Obama Vying For Millions Of White, Working-Class Women Who Support Clinton, Newsweek Reports

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
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Article Date: 22 May 2008 - 6:00 PDT

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Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) are beginning to compete for the "millions of mostly white, working-class women" who support Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) as they "narrow in" on their respective parties' nominations for president, Newsweek reports. According to Newsweek, Obama is trying to "bridge the divide" between him and Clinton's supporters, some of whom are "skeptical" or "even angry" at him for "spoiling" Clinton's bid for the Democratic nomination, according to Newsweek.

Obama's aides said the campaign will begin to "reach out to wary women" by reinforcing his voting record, which is "near-identical" to Clinton's on issues such as abortion rights, birth control and equal pay for women. NARAL Pro-Choice America and Planned Parenthood Federation of America have given both Clinton and Obama 100% ratings. According to Newsweek, Obama is hoping he will begin to "look better" to Clinton supporters once he is no longer compared with her but with McCain, who opposes abortion rights and favors overturning Roe v. Wade.

Aides to McCain said that his views on abortion rights will not necessarily be a disadvantage among Clinton supporters and that some will migrate to McCain. A recent PPFA poll of female voters in 16 "battleground states" found that 49% of McCain's supporters called themselves "pro-choice" and said they supported Roe, Newsweek reports. NARAL Pro-Choice America said that many women who support abortion rights and also support McCain might not know his position on the issue, which is why the group recently endorsed Obama.

Clinton advisers said that after the "emotion" of the primary diminishes, many of her supporters who told exit pollsters they would not vote for Obama will support the Democratic nominee, Newsweek reports. "Once the nomination is decided, the people who were supporting the losing candidate will go through a process of anger and grief and very quickly come back to the main focus, which is to put a Democrat in the White House," Ellen Malcolm -- co-chair of the Clinton campaign and founder of EMILY's List -- said. She added that if Obama is the nominee, she "will be more than proud to work hard for him" (Smalley/Wolffe, Newsweek, 5/26).

Massachusetts Lawmakers Ask NARAL To Rescind Obama Endorsement

In related news, Democratic lawmakers in Massachusetts -- including state House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, state Senate President Therese Murray and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino -- are among nearly 50 signatories of a letter to NARAL Pro-Choice America asking the organization to retract its endorsement of Obama, the Boston Globe reports.

Clinton has a "much stronger record on the issues" that NARAL Pro-Choice America "espouses," the letter says, adding it is "stunn[ing]" that the organization would "endorse someone who, while in the Illinois Senate, showed his unwillingness to take a stand on reproductive rights by voting 'present' seven times on Republican anti-choice legislation." The letter concludes, "We believe NARAL's endorsement was not only the wrong one, but entirely premature. We encourage you to retract your endorsement and -- at the very least -- wait until the Democratic nominee is clear. It is imperative we have a pro-choice president in the White House again. To do that, we need party unity. Your endorsement choice and timing do not further that cause."

NARAL Pro-Choice America President Nancy Keenan replied on Tuesday, saying that to "effectively" reach out to the millions of new voters who supported Clinton or Obama in the Democratic primary, the group "must be for someone, not just against" McCain. "Sen. Obama needs an organization like ours to help close the identification gap with key voting constituencies before the fall campaign begins in earnest and people's opinions are already formed about the two candidates," Keenan said, adding, "We can help ensure a pro-choice victory in November, but only if we act now" (Rhee, Boston Globe, 5/21).

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