Obama Can Reach Hillary's Female Loyalists

The news cycle is buzzing with questions about how Obama can capture many of the 18 million Senator Clinton female voters who had their hearts broken on Tuesday. It's important to know that they weren't just upset for Hillary, they were upset for themselves. Many saw Senator Clinton's fight as their fight. Many women saw her tenacity and wished they would have had it when they lost a promotion or job because of their gender. Many saw her outcome as theirs. This loss runs deep.

On Saturday, when Senator Clinton suspends her campaign, we need to listen closely to what she says and how she says it. I'm confident that if Senator Clinton fully and sincerely endorses Senator Obama with her heart and her head he'll not only be able to capture back many of these disillusioned women, but they will become evangelicals for him.

However, he'll need to take note of some of the truths about women's lives and the values women hold dearest. Here's how:

Women value community and connection.

So, Obama needs to:

Activate Obama's women supporters to reach out to Clinton supporters and have open and respectful one-on-one conversations about why Obama will be good for America's women. (When you connect women to each other you strengthen your "brand."

Opt for campaign events at small scale venues, instead of large stadiums, to connect more intimately. (For example: town halls, union halls, community centers, etc.)

Talk more about his mother and the role she had in his life. He was raised by a strong, single mother who had an enormous impact on his life. Women want to see him as a real person, not just a politician. Talking more about his mother will go a long way.

Frame his policies and principles as from the perspective of a husband and a parent of two small girls. Women respect a family man.

Women like to feel part of a movement -- they draw on their movement allegiances and want to see women in leadership positions.

So, Obama needs to:

• Get high profile Clinton supporters to endorse Obama very publicly as soon as possible -- Gloria Steinem, Geraldine Ferraro, Madeline Albright, etc.
• Give a seminal speech on gender much like the one he did on race. Ellen Goodman suggested this and wrote a beautiful version last weekend.
• Have a private meeting with Clinton and leaders of the women's movement to talk about how women will be prominent in his campaign.
• Commit to 1/2 of his cabinet being women. Why not have his advisers reflect the gender make-up of the country? This would show Hillary supporters that he understands the importance of women's leadership in his inner-circle.

Women have a strong predilection for empathy.

So, Obama needs to:

• Continue to communicate the need for change and do it with optimism. If he starts attacking McCain it could really turn off women voters. He needs to communicate his refrain on hope.
• Always be gracious to Senator Clinton. He must never ever do or say anything disrespectful of her.

Obama's having trouble reaching women over 35, and 80% of women over 40 have children.

So, Obama needs to:

• Communicate that he understands that women are often the main caregivers in the family and that they are struggling to work, be mothers and often take care of their parents. He needs to communicate that he understands that this economy is tight for American working families and that women, as 83% of consumers, are forced to make the tough purchasing decisions: gas or food; which soap works best watered down; what medication cant they do without, etc.
• Go on a women/mother's listening tour.
• Continue to use the Web as an organizing tool for women. More women are online and blog than men are so his internet outreach is key. Women are also twice as likely to pass on information -- he can continue to use the web to help raise money and spread the word. Women are key to his viral success.
• Make being involved in his campaign easy.
• Update his Web site to be reflective of women. He should have prominent women endorsements, photos of women and of real people.

I hope the Obama campaign wakes-up every day thinking about the women's vote and not make the mistake of lumping them in as a "niche" audience or think that the only issue they care about is abortion. Women have turned out in higher numbers than men in every Presidential election since 1960. They are the key to this election.

Comments

[sbrage2000]

"...how Obama can capture many of the 18 million Senator Clinton female voters who had their hearts broken on Tuesday."

Wow. I didn't realize that all of Hillary's 18 million supporters were female.

[Johnnn]

This article reads like inside baseball. What Barack Obama has to do to connect with Hillary's
voters, in this case, the women. But what Obama really has to do is show all of us Hillary people that
he is not:
--too young and inexperienced (good luck);
--too liberal (he is the US Senator with the most liberal voting record in the Senate, as skimpy as that voting record is. He's been there for, what, 3 years?);
--going to bring strange characters into the White House; so far he's had to shed crazy
Jeremiah Wright, Father Pfleger, Michelle O...oh wait, that's his wife. He has to keep her.

[Necron99]

I'm tired of fighting this meme--but people never get tired of putting it out, so what am I to do?

"he is the US Senator with the most liberal voting record in the Senate, as skimpy as that voting record is. He's been there for, what, 3 years?"

No. The "statistic" you are quoting is from "National Journal" a heavily biiased pro-republican web site. If you look at their "most liberal" ratings over time, you will find that it always turns out to be the currently most successful democrat. Further, you might note that those people are (like Obama) somewhere between center & center-right on the actual political spectrum.

&, if you look at Obama's voting record vs. Hillary's, you'll find that there's barely an inch of sunlight behind them--except for a few awful awful votes by Clinton (use of force, cluster boms are good! freedom of speech great except when we don't like how you say it, etc.).

[Johnnn]

I would expect the Republicans to focus on Obama's voting record so he better be ready. Maybe he should get voting now on legislation to modify his rating.

[seatea1967]

My goodness!

This certainly makes me wish that someone from my peer group had lost to Obama so that I could extort capitulation on an enormous laundry list of pet issues going forward.

I had no idea losing was so advantageous.

[112985]

HONEY DREAM ON!!!! WOMEN VOTE MCCAIN AND WRITE HILLARY NAME IN!!!!! LETS SHOW WHO'S BOSS

[blaqntelligence]

These are the same women whooping and howling about feminism and equal rights?

The same women demanding equality with men?

The same women demanding respect?

Who believe a woman can do anything a man can do?

Now they need kid-glove special treatment? Because their candidate lost?

Barack Obama is to take his focus off of doing what is right for America and place women front and center?

As a woman I shake my head. I don't see strength in that position.

Outwardly, there is a supposed show of strength.....
Inwardly, there is aura of Victorian-era ladies fainting and swooning because their "tender nerves" have reached overload.

One final thought:
Suppose Black people take that position....."Oooooh, we have a Black presidential nominee, now he must put Black issues front and center. Anything less and he's an "Uncle Tom".

Get over yourselves and help get this man elected, stay home or vote mccain.

And please, for the sake of credibility, stop this damnable whining. Did the suffragettes endure all they endured for women such as yourself to regress to "feminine wiles" to get their way?

God. Please. STOP!!!

[Faithtoo]

Just who do you people think you are? Oh yes I forgot...white women.

Obama already knows how to treat women. He already has plenty of women in his camp with women as some of his top advisors and strategists. I fully expect him to place women in his cabinet but not because they are women but because they are qualified. If he applied what you suggest to any other group say African Americans you same women would be crying "racist" and "affirmative action".

Support from Geraldine Ferraro...Hah. I'm sure he's glad that she has crossed over to McSame...and good riddance.

Always be gracious to Senator Clinton...My God, he has already shown her more respect, kindness, graciousness and dererance than she deserves of has earned. If you want her treated better why not suggest that she divorce Bill.

I am still amazed at the gall of you people and ashamed as a women of your antics and unbeliievably selfish behavior. You should be on board with Obama because he advocates for the things that are in your best interest not because Hillary, Gloria, Geraldine or any other person says you should.

You'd better wake up or you'll be left behind.

[anon004]

I'm a white middled-aged woman, and, I should have been part of Hillary's constituency. I never was. I went from being an Edwards supporter to being an Obama supporter. Why? When I think about it (and after having read Stan Goff's excellent post, "Elections and the Death Cult," here on HuffPo), I've come to realize that I was never a Hillary supporter because she was too masculine for me. After all those years of psychotic neo-con machismo, I just wanted someone more in touch with their (I'm using the plural possessive incorrectly here, I know, but English does not have a neuter, singular possessive form) feminine side. Edwards and Obama both spoke more to me in that way than Hillary did (in addition to all pro-war policy positions, her brutal, slice and dice campaign tactics also made me cringe). I'm not sure what Hillary's actual supporters want, but if they can get over their disappointment and actually look and the remaining choices, I can't understand how they could possibly vote for McCain over Obama, unless they are not in touch with their feminine sides, either (no put-down intended, just an observation).

BTW, I don't think Obama should go around with a self-concious list of polices and attitudes he rattles off every day to remind him and us how much he likes/wants to help women (as this post seems to suggest). That would surely destroy the poetry of his campaign.

[zanzig]

At what point do we stop and say that the politicians who represent us in government do not need to pander to us, the electorate. We elect them because they are intelligent sentient beings who have thoughts and ideas of their own. Not because they are our puppets. We expect that they can analyse a situation and make a decision. Should we be allowed to expect that because they evince a viewpoint that, in general conforms to ours, they will fulfill our will in all things? This is unreasonable and irrational. Why must Senator Obama pretend to be all things to all men/women? Senator Clinton's supporters need to behave rather more rationally than has been displayed so far; Senator Obama needs only to fulfill the promises he has made to the majority. As a woman and a fairly strident feminist for almost 40 years, I am appalled by these demands, which are frankly only relevant to white middle class women.

[unionave]

The Democratic party campaign rules were designed many years ago and there has been a few odd times when the campaigns have deviated from the process . This year there were a number of candidates who after seeing they were not going to win enough delegates decided not to continue in the campaign . How many of that group offered their support to one of the candidates still in the race as soon as they dropped out ? The corporate media is more involved in trying to make up the voters minds than ever before . The media has had influence for some time and is presently looking at the posibility of losing some of that influence .

[Oeht]

I believe the premise of your article is that Obama needs to forget everyone else, and pander to women until November. "Update his website to be reflective of women? He should have prominent women endorsements, photos of women and of real people?" Why? Like the previous poster said, his life is full of women and just the way he acts and feels towards his wife, daughters, and grandmother shows how he REALLY feels about women. What if he made white men the center of his campaign? Would that be sexist, even though they too will also be an important voting bloc in the fall? This post was way over the top about what he needs to do to attract white women. He has been attracting white women voters throughout his campaign. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Especially with these white women being the most vile and negative towards him throughout. If they feel so strongly about a woman being President they aren't gonna vote for him anyway. And they have proven why people believe a woman can't be President. Look at how they've acted when things haven't gone their way. "He stole the election", "she was cheated". How? Overly dramatic. And her speech on Tuesday took the cake. If you can't stand the heat, get out the kitchen. Her words I believe. But now she needs "time." Give me a break, thats the "bigggest fairytale I've heard in my life."

[Moose49]

I think you have a number of good ideas here, which I imagine and expect the Obama campaign is already considering. But I have to take issue with a couple of points:

"¢ Get high profile Clinton supporters to endorse Obama very publicly as soon as possible - Gloria Steinem, Geraldine Ferraro, Madeline Albright, etc."

Please -- not Ferraro. Steinem, Albright, of course. Mikulski, Feinstein, yes. But after the contemptible statements Ferraro has made -- and contines to make to this day -- the Obama campaign should not touch her with a 10-foot pole.

"I hope the Obama campaign wakes-up every day thinking about the women's vote and not make the mistake of lumping them in as a 'niche' audience or think that the only issue they care about is abortion."

Women are the majority of the electorate and the Obama campaign knows this as well as anyone. Your statement badly underestimates their acumen and the idea that they would think of women as a niche is ludicrous. Moreover, as others have noted, Obama has been surrounded by strong, dynamic, intelligent, unconventional women his whole life, from this mother and grandmother to Michelle. I doubt there is a male candidate anywhere more comfortable with strong women than he is. It's only because his opponent was Hillary that this is even an issue.

[Poboy]

"However, he'll need to take note of some of the truths about women's lives and the values women hold dearest. "

You mean "White women."

They are no means representative of all women, not by a long shot.

These racist White women have some soul searching to do. They can continue with their White Supremacy ways, or they can join the rest of us in a society based on merit.

Barack should not relent one iota, and if they want to vote for McCain, let them. We would then force all White Supremacists into the racist Republican Party, really where they belong, and isolate them so we can defeat them ONCE AND FOR ALL!

[112985]

I WILL!!!!VOTE JOHN MCCAIN, OBAMA THINKS HE IS BETTER THAN YOU BLACK FOLKS, LOOK AT HIM WHEN HE IS AROUND YOU ALL HE KIND SHY AWAY - HE IS NOT EXPERIENCE ENOUGH AND HE HAS TO MUCH BAGGAGE, I AM AFRAID OF HIM WHAT ABOUT HIS WIFE IN THAT CHURCH CALLING PEOPLE WHITEY - SHE DON'T LIKE WHITE FOLKS SHE IS JUST USING THEM TO GET WHAT THEY WANT !!!!!

[Rosy]

I'm one of those disillusioned, disappointed female Hillary supporters you speak of. But If Obama does all the things you suggest, I will probably vote for him.

[blaqntelligence]

And if he doesn't....?

[112985]

rosy please dont vote for him he is a phony!!!! and he is already saying we women will vote for him the only way you should vote for him is Clinton is on the ticket if not vote McCain or just write her
name on the ballot, he thinks he is better than you

[Johnnn]

Hang tough, Rosy. Teach the Party a lesson. Vote McCain. He can't do any damage anyway. Congress will be Democratic. Strike back for Hillary!

[sbrage2000]

I so hope your children get drafted.

[Johnnn]

Not all 18 million are women. I'm all set to switch to McCain unless I see Hillary's third of the US
electorate represented on the ticket. If my hero Geraldine Ferraro endorses Obama, then that will mean something to me. But I expect Ferraro will be voting for McCain, and so will I.

[bowseat93]

One other thing. I think the best thing Obama can do is continue to make the issues the key. Here's what's at state (hat tip to whitewomenforobama on Salon.com:

*ABORTION
Clinton: Pro-Choice
Obama: Pro-Choice
McCain: Pro-Life

*GUN CONTROL
Clinton: Pro gun control
Obama: Pro gun control
McCain: No gun control

*HEALTH CARE
Clinton: Supports universal healthcare
Obama: Supports universal healthcare
McCain: Against government-sponsored universal healthcare

*IRAQ
Clinton: End the war
Obama: End the war
McCain: Forces should stay until Iraq can defend itself

*KYOTO PROTOCOL
Clinton: Supports Kyoto Protocol
Obama: Supports Kyoto Protocol
McCain: Opposes Kyoto Protocol

*MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE
Clinton: Supports minimum wage increase
Obama: Supports minimum wage increase
McCain: Opposes minimum wage increase

*NET NEUTRALITY
Clinton: Supports net neutrality
Obama: Supports net neutrality
McCain: Opposes net neutrality

*NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT
Clinton: Opposes
Obama: Opposes
McCain: Revise several aspects but do not repeal

*OUTSOURCING
Clinton: End tax breaks for outsourcing jobs
Obama: Outsourcing weakens the US economy
McCain: Outsourcing improves the US economy

*SCHOOL VOUCHERS
Clinton: Against vouchers for private schools
Obama: Opposes vouchers
McCain: Pro vouchers

*SOCIAL SECURITY
Clinton: Opposes privatization of Social Security
Obama: Opposes privatization of Social Security
McCain: Supports private retirement accounts

*TAX REFORM
Clinton: Increase taxes on the wealthy
Obama: Undo Bush tax cuts
McCain: Make Bush tax cuts permanent and "rein in spending" (except for the War?)

*MILITARY COMMISSIONS ACT OF 2006
Clinton: Opposes
Obama: Opposes
McCain: Supports

Link: http://www.issuedictionary.com/

[112985]

KEEP THAT TO YOUR SELF - WOMEN DO NOT VOTE FOR OBAMA - VOTE JOHN MCAIN OR JUST WRITE HER NAME IN!!! I AM TIRED OF MEN TELLING US WOMEN WHO TO SUPPORT - ALL OBAMA WANTS TO GIVE US IS A 1000.00 WHAT THAT????

[sbrage2000]

Do you honestly think John McCain best represents women's issues? Do you honestly think John McCain has more respect for women? Did Sean Hannity put you up to this?

[Johnnn]

Good work.