What's behind Obama's big lead among women?
/ Isaac Brekken/Getty Images
(CBS News) President Obama's lead in the critical swing states of Ohio and Florida, as reflected in a new Quinnipiac University/CBS News/New York Times poll, can be attributed in large part to a huge advantage among women voters.
Democrats traditionally have an advantage with women voters. But Mr. Obama's advantage among women has grown to striking proportions. The president is also now even winning married women voters in the two states -- a group that previously backed Mitt Romney.
Romney, meanwhile, has an advantage among men in both swing states. But it's not wide enough to make up for his lack of female support. CBS News director of surveys Sarah Dutton said the data doesn't point to any one clear explanation for the widening of the gender gap.
"Women are much more likely to think Barack Obama cares about them than Romney does, and they think Barack Obama would do a better job than Mitt Romney on women's reproductive health issues, by two to one," Dutton said. "It's difficult to isolate just one reason for the increase in support among women."
Over the past month, the gender gap has helped Mr. Obama gain a 10-point lead in Ohio, according to the latest Quinnipiac University/CBS News/New York Times poll, as well as a nine-point lead in Florida and a 12-point lead in Pennsylvania. After the latest round of surveys, CBS News no longer considers Pennsylvania a battleground state. Ohio is still considered in play (though it now leans toward Mr. Obama) while Florida is considered a tossup.
In Ohio, women prefer Mr. Obama over Romney by a margin of 25 points, 60 percent to 35 percent. (Watch CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes' report at left. ) In August, Mr. Obama's advantage among Ohio women was just 13 points. Ohio men, meanwhile, prefer Romney over Mr. Obama by a margin of eight points, 52 percent to 44 percent. In August, Romney held a two-point lead among Ohio men.
In Florida, women voters prefer Mr. Obama by 19 points, 58 percent to Romney's 39 percent. In August, the president's lead among Florida women was 12 points. Male voters in Florida prefer Romney, 50 percent to 47 percent. Romney's advantage among Florida men has diminished slightly since August, when he had a six-point lead.
It's impossible to predict what the gender gap in these states will ultimately look like on Election Day. In 2008, Mr. Obama won the support of both men and women in Ohio and Florida, though the gap was narrower among men. Nationally, Mr. Obama won the female vote 56 percent to 43 percent in 2008.
In 2004, Democrat John Kerry carried the female vote nationally, 51 percent to 48 percent, though he lost the election to George W. Bush.
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Wow, why in the hell would a woman or minority vote for Republican Fundamentalist. No wonder President Obama is leading among women and minorities. To vote for Republicans would be to vote against your own interest. These are Right Wing Fundamentalist and extremist as "Dangerous" as Islamic Fundamentalist extremist. No difference in ideology they both hide behind religion. In closing for the Ill-informed males who live in the bubble please do your home work before making blank statements,
From LV, a black female and veteran you know the 47% however; I pay taxes.
No one needs to fell that Tsigili's post is misogynist. WOW! Jeeze Mort the post IS misogynist. He just said that women are superficial because they ... "LOVE FREE STUFF!..They don't realize how much it will REALLY cost them in the long run, however. They have a quirk in their brains, that prevents them from recognizing that."
Christ, if you don't see that as misogynist then you are part of the problem the GOP is having with women.
And misogynist should be misogynistic.
Barely had enough coffee this morning.
They claim to want small government, as long as they can control what you legally do with your body in private.
They are, unfortunately, uneducated enough to not understand that, so they will continue their target practice on their own feet.
.
"by Mortarman429 August 6, 2011 7:23 PM EDT
The first thing I did was about a year ago, I had him all torqued up on here when the entire room for about two months, believed he was a mental patient in a hospital. That of course, was a lie."
That's one.
The other is his lie about not being TheFoundersLive:
"by TheFoundersLive August 27, 2012 12:23 PM EDT
Your inability to face reality is breathtaking!"
(then, as Mortar again)
"by Mortarman_1SG29 September 20, 2012 10:20 AM EDT
Your lack of understanding is BREATHTAKING Rafter!"
He just can't help himself from willingly and repeatedly lying and is intentionally breaking the Ninth Commandment "Thou shall not lie", as his words above PROVE. He must enjoy the thought of going to Hell...
(Too bad your parents never taught you strong morals, Mortar. I hope you taught your kids to obey the 9th Commandment, unlike yourself.)
But I don't count on it.
Enjoy your tantrum, and try to quit being a misogynist.
As proven by your inability to answer my questions. You're simply too scared to, you enemy of the Constitution.
Women LOVE FREE STUFF!
They don't realize how much it will REALLY cost them in the long run, however. They have a quirk in their brains, that prevents them from recognizing that.
It was an easy sell......just like coupons.....to get women to take the BAIT!
And once again, a misogynist explains the point of the article. Wow.
The problem is that you don't have a right to know if a woman is pregnant with an inviable fetus. You don't have the right to even know if your daughter is taking the Pill for a "hormonal issue" or really taking it for birth control.
However, they'd still like to know if you have missed your period, and if so would like to make sure you cannot travel to an area in which you could get an abortion.
Until then, I'll leave you to your grade-school ways.