My Dinner Party Nightmare

If George W. Bush is the kind of person folks might like to have a beer with, John McCain is the guy you pray you don't get seated next to at a dinner party.

Thanks to McCain's performance in the past two debates, the word "snarky" has entered my vocabulary. Cranky, irascible, petulant, and angry are also getting a workout. Have you noticed that whenever McCain describes a disagreement he has with someone -- like when he talked about Joe Biden during the debate -- the other person is always "wrong"? He's every woman's nightmare of an arrogant, out-of-touch, patronizing man.

EMILY's List has worked a lot with swing women voters over the years, and one thing we've learned is that they are very cynical about politics and politicians. They very much want help with the challenges facing them and their families, and they feel like most politicians don't understand or want to lift a finger to help them out. They watch the nastiness of modern campaigns and come away even more convinced that politicians would rather play political games than try to solve America's problems.

John McCain did nothing to draw them in at this last debate. Any hope he had of showing women that he understands their lives went up in smoke when he called concerns about protecting a woman's health "extreme" and dismissed the notion of equal pay for women as trial lawyer propaganda.

According to on-the-spot focus groups, I wasn't alone in my judgment. In Ohio, 50 undecided women voters were given dials to gauge their moment-by-moment reactions to the debate. When McCain attacked, their dials went down. When Obama talked about finding common ground on abortion rights, their dials went up. According to Democratic pollster Celinda Lake, who conducted the focus groups jointly with GOP pollster Brenda Wigger, by the end of the night, these swing women voters were divided about two-to-one in favor of Obama.

Fox News pollster Frank Luntz found much the same thing in Virginia. According to Luntz, at the beginning of the debate not one person in his focus group of undecided swing voters had decided to support Obama. By the end, more than half were.

Obama's success in turning the debate back to the issues that matter to ordinary Americans -- the economy, health care, energy independence -- gave women voters what they've been looking for: someone with clear ideas and a sincere dedication to making government work for the middle class. Time after time, he refused to engage in McCain's petty political negatives and repeatedly brought the conversation back to the issues that swing women voters care about.

We can't afford to be complacent, but it's encouraging to see Americans giving Obama an edge in the race for the White House. So what about the rest of the ballot? Races for Congress, Senate, governor, and state legislatures are right on the bubble and could go either way. These same swing voters, often women, hold Obama's fate in their hands -- and they have the power to elect Democrats up and down the ticket who will support Obama's agenda for change. My sense is that they are moving in our direction -- but we still have to show them that they only way to make change is to give President Obama working Democratic majorities in Congress and in the states. EMILY's List WOMEN VOTE! and our progressive allies are in the field right now contacting millions of voters to elect our candidates.

I think we will see dramatic Democratic gains on Nov. 4, including electing Barack Obama president and a record number of women across the country. But that will only happen when women voters decide that Republican candidates at all levels support the Bush-McCain economic policies that have made such a mess of our country. For us to move in a better direction, they need to elect Democrats from the state House all the way up to the White House.

Comments

[serena1313]

McCain's voting record shows he has voted against women's rights, equal pay, family issues, etc. Sarah Palin, his running mate, is no champion for women's rights either. She tells families who have special needs kids they will have an advocate -- someone in their corner -- if she and McCain are [god forbid] elected. But her record as a governor and mayor show differently.

Women are under the impression -- because she is of the same gender -- Palin will be pushing for women's rights. Well no. Palin stands strongly against abortion even in cases of rape and/or incest. As Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, Sarah Palin passed a law that requires all rape victims to pay for their rape kit -- the only state to ever have done that!

Don't take my word for it. Look it up, I did.

Currently Obama holds a 15-percentage point lead with women over McCain. If women [men, too] knew about McCain's and Palin's records Obama's lead would increase 20-fold. Both Obama and Biden have enacted and voted for women's rights and family rights through-out their careers. It is personal with Obama and Michelle. They want to improve the future for their 2-daughters and all women, young and old, alike.

Keep that in mind when you go to vote.

[Oregon Ivy]

I wonder how those female swing voters would react if they knew McCain called his wife a c -- t in front of a group of reporters?

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/McCain_temper_boiled_over_in_92_0407.html

[lionsforlambs]

Although I am a democrat, I was really put off by McCain's belittling of women's health issues and equal pay for equal work. McCain and Palin will set women's rights backwards not forward. I hope that people realize that we need to vote a straight democratic ticket. Obama can do a lot of things but he can't do it alone. He must have the democratic majority to get his policy changes through or it will be stuck in Congress and nothing will change at all. Vote Democratic 2008!

[mamacita]

"He must have the democratic majority to get his policy changes through or it will be stuck in Congress and nothing will change at all. Vote Democratic 2008!"

I'm all for a dem majority, but I don't have much confidence in the current leadership--i.e. "impeachment is off the table" Pelosi, and Harry "Roll Over Rover" Reid. Change the leadership, or it won't matter how big the dem majority is, the Republicans will still be in charge.

[111]

I believe politicians and the people who get them elected care only about putting on a show in order to get elected.

I listened to third party presidential and vice-presidential debates that have aired on Link TV and it is a world of difference! These candidates discuss the issues that affect our daily lives as well as national and world issues that we take part in. It is so great to hear people, not paid for, discuss in detail their ideas, proposed policies, etc. without personal attacks and distortions of facts.

[Gretsdog]

Re: Malcolm's piece, how in HEdouble toothpicks could McCain attract a single female voter with a brain? Not only are all his policies anti-women, but anybody watching his conduct with Cindy vs. Palin couldn't even entertain voting for him. You noticed he rushed off the stage after the "debatcle" after letting her lean in to rub a cheek, and never lifting a hand near her, then left Cindy to her own devices to get down the railingless stairs on her shaky own, two feet on each step at a time. You never see him take her hand, put his hand on her back or elbow to guide her or even seem a bit interested in her wellbeing. However, he can ALWAYS get his 'tortured arms' around old Palin.

This is the same man who traded in the first wife who gained some weight in his years-long absence, for a younger, slimmer, MUCH wealthier model. He even said his greatest regret was not 'succeeding' in his first marriage. What????? His biggest regret? How must that have made Cindy-girl feel? Relate to women??? I don't think so.

[NationalTreasure]

GET OUT THE VOTE!

Everyone needs to contact the Obama/Biden campaign office near their homes and volunteer some of their time over the next 17 days.

If there is not an Obama/Biden office near you or the say they do not need volunteers contact you local Democratic politician and volunteer with them.

Get as many of your family and friends involved and make sure they get out and vote.

[lvdragonlady]

We need to get as close to a landslide as possible.
Drive someone to the polls, so they can vote(either way). The more people that vote the better the chance of a landslide or close to it.

GET THE VOTE OUT........
MAKE EVERY VOTE COUNT AND COUNT EVERY VOTE.

[ThoughtAboutIt]

McCain is so 20th Centrury...mid 20th century.

[robbie44]

Even though I'm a male.i feel your point.nice post!