CBS News talks to N.C. women about opportunity, glass ceiling, 2016 election
Women voters have the power to decide the presidential election -- they make up more than half the electorate. In a CBS News/NY Times poll released Friday, they told us their most important problems are equal pay and workplace equality -- far ahead of such issues as health care and domestic abuse.
CBS News’ Manuel Bojorquez talked to women voters -- Democrats and Republicans -- in the battleground state of North Carolina.
RHONDA HICKS: There’s still that notion of a glass ceiling for sure. I think women are more empowered but we’re kind of still constricted to a box.
DONNA SPAULDING: Even as a working woman we still face certain obstacles that I don’t necessarily think every male in that same position is gonna face
PAT ORRANGE: And I also think we have to consider things like policy … like family and medical leave, providing a living wage.
Rhonda, Donna and Pat said they’re voting for Hillary Clinton. Julie said she’s voting for Donald Trump.
JULIE DURAND: “I’m Republican, there’s part of me that is nervous about Trump. My core values inside are very strong ... and I gotta PRAY that he surrounds himself with people that are smart, intelligent, fair .. “
RHONDA HICKS: “She was mentioning about core values … If I’m looking at Trump … there’s not one segment of this country that he has not spoken about in a negative way.”
Another woman, Angela, is sitting it out.
ANGELA GROM: “I’ve decided not to vote this year … I can’t vote for my party just because they’re my party, when they have somebody so careless and reckless, I am not a Hillary supporter … I think she stands for bad policies that we’ve had in office for the last eight years.”
The Clinton supporters said electing a woman would be good for the nation.
PAT ORRANGE: “Absolutely.”
DONNA SPAULDING: “I believe fundamentally we need some female perspective creating policy.”
RHONDA HICKS: “ She’s been a women’s advocate and a children’s advocate her entire career. So that could bode well for us women going forward.”
And how will U.S. women fare if Trump is elected?
JULIE DURAND: “I don’t think it would hurt us at all. He’s been a businessman, he’s always been a business man, this is a new environment for him he’s learning as he’s going.”
DONNA SPAULDING: “Unfortunately, I think he’s exuded sexism so we’ve seen that, we’ve heard his words … He has not shown that he thinks about inclusion and difference and diversity.”
PAT ORRANGE: “I believe this country is at a crossroads. I believe there are critical issues that have to be addressed in a steady and sensible and intelligent way.”
JULIE DURAND: “We should be proud to be living here … To be able to vote and get out the best candidate for all of us is huge.”
More than half of registered women in North Carolina are women. And it IS a swing state. Barack Obama won North Carolina in 2008 -- and lost it in 2012.