Iowa Primaries: Single, Female & Powerful

In Iowa, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton put a lot of time, money and effort into the women's vote, with Obama focusing on the younger crowd. It paid off for him.

Now representing more than one quarter of eligible voters, single women hold a lot of cards in the upcoming election. Historically, it is the bloc of unmarried women of any age, whether single, divorced or widowed, who are the absolute least likely to vote -- get this -- even though they are the fastest growing group of eligible voters.

Yet a recent study by Greenberg, Quinlan, Rosner Research found that not only do 77 percent of them believe the country is on the wrong track, they are now more inclined to vote than ever before. And the Iowa primaries proved it. Turnout in this group was extremely high.

Researchers have taken a hard look at how women may affect the upcoming presidential campaign. "The [2006] exit polls provide compelling evidence that Democrats would not be in control of the new Congress without strong support from women voters" said Susan Carroll, a senior scholar at the Center for American Women and Politics, a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University.

A landslide percentage of young women voters cast their ballot for Obama in Iowa. Indeed, single females are more likely than their married counterparts to vote left [PDF], which could have a big impact in the general election. And they are likely turned off by the many misogynist messages coming from the right, including Huckabee's endorsement of a stance that women "submit graciously" to their husbands.

Women have realized their power and will decide this election (look out middle-aged, white men -- it ain't no fun when the rabbit's got the gun).

The good thing about Huckabee winning Iowa? America is sick of religious hacks strongarming our politics and policies. If the vastly unsatisfied population shows up to the polls in November, there's no way HackHuck will succeed King George's throne.

But voter turnout in the general election is no guarantee and has been abysmal in recent history. So seriously, if we end up with a guy running the country who had no clue about the National Intelligence Estimate on Iran after it was released, but had a lot to say about Jamie Lynn Spear's pregnancy -- and you didn't vote -- I'm blaming you!

I've put my Googling fingers to work so you don't have to, so just find your state and click. Register now. ...then vote.

Comments

[metamorphosis]

Great blog. Sorry to see the trolls cutting and pasting for all they are worth. Someone should tell their doctors that they left the computer unlocked again.

[DavidByron]

The usual feminist attack on men.

In fact it's men not women who are disenfranchised in America with about 2 million fewer men voting than women in elections due to various causes (men being locked away more than ten times more than women, men having to move more often, men dying years younger than women, etc). It many respects its the same situation and causes as the race divide which you are far more likely to hear about.

An equality movement would not brag that one sex was disenfranchised but would seek to rectify the problem. But then since anti-male attitudes are so common in the Democratic party I can see why they'd rather have fewer men voting just as Republicans are more than happy to put blacks off voting.

[caved1ver]

Since we"re talking about women voters, speaking as member of the "disposable" gender, I"m all in favor of an ERA: "Equal Responsibility Amendment" which should contain the following items:

(a) Women are legally held accountable for their actions (e.g., CAPT Nowak, Mary Winkler, Andrea Yates, Debra LaFave, etc.) like their male counterparts;
(b) Current paternal court system is overhauled to be gender-neutral WRT divorce, alimony, child custody & child support
(c) The law mandates automatic paternity tests for all children born in the U.S. (NOW will fight this tooth & nail)
(d) Women accept the consequences of engaging relations w/ men with whom they really don"t want to have children rather than using abortion as de facto birth control (apparently 20% of U.S. children conceived are currently aborted- pretty pathetic behavior on the part of the "morally superior" gender);
(e) Women are prosecuted for committing the most despicable form of domestic abuse: Paternity Fraud
(f) The U.S. government spends as much $ financing male specific disease research as it does female specific research (e.g., prostrate vice breast cancer research) which includes the average life-span disparity (men on average lived longer that women prior to the 20th century)
(g) Women comprise 50% of mining, construction & other industrial-related deaths (not likely since the lives of women are more valuable than men);
(h) Women work 50% of all overtime;
(i) Women pay 50% of all income taxes;
(j) Men are accorded the opportunity to stay at home to raise their children without being subjected to the usual misandrist "shaming language"; and
(k) Women do 50% of all standard dirty/analytically-challenging male domestic chores: e.g., replace/re-wire dishwasher, move 8 tons of river rock around the pool area, repair sprinkler piping, inspect crawl space, administer home WLAN, etc.

Any of you "strong women" in favor of said ERA? Not likely in this group of self-aggrandizing female-chauvinists. FACT: If women were suddenly not allowed to vote, a Democrat Party member would never be elected to national office again.

[ANewVoice]

The USA is in deep shit. We needs leaders with a heart and a vision who can pull together and get us out of the muck that Bush has left us in.

Jokes about the rabbit are divisive and we have had enough 'divei

I don't care if these leaders are white men, black women or green hermaphrodites.

[rfshunt]

Kim,

I see by your responses to the responses that the "rabbit with the shotgun" remark was meant as a joke. But I've got to tell you, it's not a very good joke if you have to explain it.

I suppose this will come off as overly touchy, but I don't mean it to be. Pitting working and middle class women against working and middle class men has been the biggest mistake the left has made over the last 25 years.

A divorced plumber or accountant working hard to pay rent and meet child support payments is somebody who is struggling to take care of his family, just the same as his ex. He's not, well...Elmer Fudd.

In a 2 party system, it doesn't take a political genius to figure out that if you drive a group away from your party, there's really only one place to go. As someone who has stayed staunchly liberal his whole life, my feeling is that it would be wonderful to stop internal bickering and win some elections. Maybe it's time to give the gender warring a rest.

[usna73]

Glad I have had it right so far. If one checks out my prior posts, my support for Obama is right on. My logic has been "pass the torch" as Kim now implies, but I think it is more than the female demographic. The disenchanted and disenfranchised must step up and be heard. You can be sure that vote suppression will be in the Repub plan in November. We must not let them succeed.

I remember RFK echoing Archimedes, as quouted, "Give me a place to stand and I can move the world. Referring to Jefferson and Columbus, RFK said. 'These men moved the world"
Obama can move the world. We MUST give him a place to stand.

[jbatch]

I'm a middle-aged white male,and I'm glad to see women -- single or otherwise-- turn out to vote.

And you had me throughout this post until your bizzare "watch out middle aged white men ... when the rabbits got the gun" formulation.

What does that mean? That all white men are gathered against you in a conspiracy of some kind?

I'm not sure gender is even a relevent issue here. What is important is that people with progressive persuasions are excited, innvovled and ready to take back America. Regardless of what's between their legs. It's what's between our ears that counts.

[Purple Girl]

Anyone who actually voted for Bush in '00 & '04 should Recuse themselves from the '08 elections.
In fact I'd love to see some 'SORRY' signs, the way they displayed their Bush/Cheney signs (bumpersticker too).
As for the women's vote - don't count us old married women out, we can help pack the punch!
Since we are the majority 'share' in the world- we should be taking these boys out behind the wood shed and at least showing them what it means when people say "When the Momma ain't happy No ones Happy!" WE can move the agendas with ease if we just move together.
I joined NOW (hadn't been active in years)last spring. I was excited to go to their conference in the area- rejuvinating.
But As I delved farther into their 'Results' I realized they have not really pushed the issues in th elast few decades. Women still make about $.77 to the dollar. We still face discrimation, and harrassment, little in regards to violence against woman & children,poverty, environmental hazards.... In fact it seems they took some time off to- same shit different decade.
We've all suffered millenia under the boys agenda- lets make a goal to have this century the beginnning of the Female agenda. Not just voting for any vagina- but people who get the big picture.
Come on Ladies- We can change the world and it's about damn time we do. Otherwise we are all just riding that long black train down the tracks to Hell for all mankind.
So ladies

[AbstractImp]

Here we are, once again reading about how womankind is going to decide the next election.

It is refreshing that a large segment of the population is now aware that the nation is on the wrong track.

Unfortunately, this has been true since the Vietnam Civil War was escalated into our effort to "Stop All Communists" in one tiny nation. Remember? That was the last time we murdered a million people for nothing.

The fact is, women vote pocketbook and celebrity. To see them taking a bite out of National Priority is exhiliarating.

But don't jump too soon.

This election may be the first sign of the next generation taking over the country. This is what I have been hoping for.

Why? Because my generation is destroying the country. Fat-Ass Baby Boomers have been basing their votes on greed and hatred. They have drowned themselves in stock options while the corporate presidents have been robbing them of rights and revenues.

I will no longer listen to people who plead with me to vote for one crook because he's better than the other crook. If that's politics count me out.

No, it's time for America to wake up and vote for the president we need, not for the president who hates the most people or who wants to starve all the poor or who wants to bomb the most foreign nations.

Womankind is 54% of the next generation, too. But it's not your sex that matters: WE ARE IN TROUBLE.

I have been saying for years that the next generation has to destroy my generation: look at the mess we have made of the world, and this last idiot-for-president is example #1.

If this youth trend continues, and this generation can vote for progressive change, then there is hope.

That's the bandwagon to jump on - but it isn't so that you look good holding a cell-phone. This vote just might SAVE OUR ASS.

[mbarnett]

Why do you people have to keep dividing us into categories and pitting us against each other. What's this single women vs middle-aged white men nonsense? I'm a middle-aged white man and I LOVE single women -- I don't hunt them with a rifle like you implied.

What a silly, trite column. No wonder people don't take women seriously.

[Mack20]

I don't care where all your polls come from but here is my personal female poll: My wife, mother, sister, daughter(aged 22)and secretary will never vote for Hillary. They hate her worse than I do. And since Obama won't be nominated, he is a non-factor. All the women I know will vote Republican. Sorry!

[NoMoreDrama]

You should realize that Obama has a lot more appreciation for the capacity of women to discern truth from fluff. While Hillary has played to the emotions of women, Obama has appealed to their intelligence. I get the same impression from Hillary as a man, I would love to vote for her, but she seems to hint that I am part of the problem with America. She implies that I am an integral structure in the glass ceiling. I'm the rare breed of man that finds nothing sexier than an intelligent woman. But if my hope for the capacities of women is focus grouped to the lowest common denominator, then I have to support something else. I'm glad that so many wonderful women in Iowa realized that they weren't being manipulated when they voted for Obama!

OBAMA 08!

[lboucher]

The problem HRC has is her campaign stands for nothing. Obama stands for change and Edwards stands for helping the lower and middle classes.
The only point HRC seems to make is she should be President because she is entitled to the position. She feels entitled to the Presidency by the fact that she lived in the White House and wants to move back into the mansion and have the privileges that come with living there once again for eight more years. Needless to say the public and electorate could care less about indulging her standard of housing and ego needs.

[turkeyneck]

you friggin' GO, gal!