Obama Election Watch

Bringing Hillary Clinton dissidents back into the Democratic fold turns in large part on a totally unacceptable statement by John McCain: “I do not support Roe v. Wade. It should be overturned.”

According to CNN, there are now 200 or more Web sites and political blogs operated by former Clinton supporters urging Democrats to abandon — if not undermine — the Obama campaign. This is serious. A damaging poll released in early July says that only 54 percent of the voters who backed Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries said that they plan to vote for Obama in November. The same poll showed that 33 percent of Clinton primary voters, or 6 million voters in all, plan to sit out the November election.

It’s well established that the dissident group is essentially female Democrats — particularly women over 30. The question then is, what can Obama do to mend the breach and bring this very large number of voters back into the fold?

Obviously, Obama can’t do anything about the fact that millions of Hillary supporters are angry that the party has now lost a historic opportunity to nominate a woman for president. Then, too, Obama can’t change the fact that women are upset at Howard Dean for disenfranchising Michigan and Florida in the Democratic primaries. Lastly, Obama can do nothing about the fact that the Hillary dissidents are disappointed that she isn’t carrying the nomination battle to the floor of the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

But there are some measures Obama can take to repair the damage. And these measures should be specifically directed to women voters.

• Obama can place more women in key roles in his advisory team. So far, Obama’s record has not been good. He recently hired Dana Singiser who is now in charge of outreach to women. This will not solve the problem, but it will help.

• Obama can announce right now that if elected he will put women in key posts in his government. Possibly, he can mention some names and specify some positions where women will be appointed.

• Obama must hammer home the point that his election is the only sure bulwark against the repeal of Roe v. Wade and for the protection of a woman’s right to choose. Earlier this year, McCain said, “I do not support Roe v. Wade. It should be overturned.”
To many millions of women, freedom to choose is the most critical issue in the fall election. It is the issue!

• The Obama campaign must continually remind women voters that Obama is a deeply committed supporter of legislation guaranteeing equal pay for women. McCain opposed such legislation.

• Women, more than men, are opposed to the war in Iraq. Particularly for women, ending the war continues to be a big winning issue for Obama. McCain will stay the present Bush administration course with no end in sight for the involvement of U.S. troops.

• The education of children has always ranked at the very top of women’s concerns. Obama is committed to a major program for improving education in this country from preschool through college. He proposes to increase Head Start funding, expand access to preschool, improve teachers training, and recruit math and science teachers.
McCain offers nothing but platitudes.

• Today in America there are 71 million working women — with very large numbers working at minimum wage. Obama pledges to gradually raise the minimum wage to $9.50 an hour.
McCain, like Bush, is opposed.

• For millions of women, healthcare is the paramount issue in the fall election. Obama proposes health insurance coverage for all Americans and he intends to reduce premiums paid by those who already have health insurance.
John McCain has nothing in mind but the tired old plans for tort reform, healthcare savings plans, and more free-market competition in the healthcare industry.

• Now there is great opportunity for Obama to enlist Michelle Obama as a powerful surrogate to appeal to working women. She offers a strong persona and a history of hard work, determination, and success in raising a family. Many working women will admire Michelle Obama’s life story more than the one of beer-distributor heiress Cindy McCain.

• John McCain believes that, left alone, the mortgage crisis will take care of itself. Obama is likely to propose a fund of $30 billion of federal money for hard-working families who may be about to lose their homes through foreclosures.

• The environment is a huge issue for millions of American women. Obama has a solid record on environmental issues. McCain poses as an environmentalist but his record shows a consistent pattern of sacrificing the environment in deference to the interests of land developers.

Women make up more than half of the American electorate. They are more likely to actually vote than men. Continued emphasis on women’s issues that hammer home huge differences in Obama’s positions compared to those of John McCain can go a long way to healing the rift with many women Democrats who continue to undermine the unity of Obama’s campaign.

In this period when significant numbers of Hillary Clinton Democrats may be withdrawing support for the Obama ticket, it is critical that Obama enlist the support of high-profile women, particularly those who have been strong and visible supporters of Clinton during the primary campaign. Key names include Senators Barbara Mikulski, Debbie Stabenow, Barbara Boxer, Patty Murray, and Maria Cantwell. Women governors such as Jeanne Shaheen (now running for a Senate seat in New Hampshire), Janet Napolitano of Arizona, Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, and Christine Gregoire of Washington would be powerful spokespersons for the Obama campaign in outreach efforts to women. Other high-profile women whose support is needed are Gloria Steinem, Susan Estrich, Barbara Ehrenreich, Donna Shalala, Madeleine Albright, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Pat Schroeder, Donna Brazile, and Elizabeth Edwards. All would be solid assets in the Obama campaign’s efforts to hold women Democrats.

In the effort to win back dissident women voters, the Obama team must begin right away and hold this goal as a vital concern and strategy throughout the coming months.

Not a day should go by that Hillary supporters are not reminded of their most-pressing concern: Winning in November!