Dems Hope Abortion Rights, Social Issues Will Sway Female Voters

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 29 Oct 2010 - 5:00 PDT

Democrats and their supporters are hoping their recent emphasis on abortion rights and other social issues will draw independent female voters in Tuesday's elections and offset a forecasted loss of support among key groups that voted Democratic in 2006 and 2008, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Pollsters say that focusing on abortion rights is a particularly effective strategy for Democrats because it can "present a clear delineation between candidates," the Journal reports. A candidate's position on abortion rights also can signal whether he or she shares a voter's values more generally.

Tom Jenson, a Democratic pollster, said, "It can be hard to switch the topic when voters are so overwhelmingly concerned about the economy, but a lot of these races are going to be decided by a few (percentage) points or less." He added, "Getting female voters fired up about these issues where they do agree with Democrats is helping."

A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released earlier this month found that two-thirds of men rated their interest in the election as a nine or 10 out of 10, compared with 57% of women. The poll also found that 50% of men said Congress should be controlled by the Republican Party, compared with 39% of women. Although women favored the Democratic Party by 15 percentage points in 2006, that margin has dropped by four percentage points this year.

Advocates, Administration Target Women

In the final days before the elections, Democratic campaigns are "bombarding" female voters with messages about social issues, according to the Journal. The Planned Parenthood Action Fund is mailing information to more than 1.4 million independent women voters claiming that Republicans oppose contraception coverage, funding for women's health and abortion rights, among other issues.

In California, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) is leading women by 17 percentage points in her race against Republican Carly Fiorina. Boxer has said that Fiorina's opposition to abortion rights would make women criminals if they choose to have the procedure. In Colorado, Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet has said that Republican opponent Ken Buck supports banning most forms of birth control, though Buck said he has changed his position. Female support for Bennet has been increasing since August, according to Democratic polling data, the Journal reports.

The Obama administration also is working to reach female voters, the Journal reports. On Wednesday, President Obama announced new initiatives aimed at supporting survivors of domestic violence (Belkin/Meckler, Wall Street Journal, 10/28). The new rules, released by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, will prevent domestic violence survivors from being evicted or denied housing because of abuse. Obama said the Department of Justice also is releasing "best practices" guidance to help judges and advocates ensure that protective orders are enforced (Baker, "The Caucus," New York Times, 10/27).

Meanwhile, Republicans are trying to keep the focus on the economy, the Journal reports. Officials with the Republican Nation Committee said the group is using phone calls and mailers to target women who might be open to the GOP's stance on economic issues and national security. The officials said they have no plans to emphasize social issues (Wall Street Journal, 10/28).

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