Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton share a friendly moment when they were still competing. Not so fast, say Democratic women of fears that undecided voters are being swayed to the GOP ticket [Photo: Deryk/Pool]
WASHINGTON – If wanted to poach the women's vote from Barack Obama, he shouldn't have tapped a running mate who dubbed herself a "pit bull with lipstick."
At least, that's the assessment of women Democratic operatives who seem tickled at Obama's prospects for November.
There was a spike in donations to Barack Obama's
campaign after Sarah Palin's much-watched
acceptance speech last week. [Beck/Gettyl]
"So much of the information about her [Palin's] agenda and her experience did not resonate with women voters outside the Republican base," said Ellen Moran, executive director of EMILY's List, which promotes Democratic women candidates.
There was a collective deep breath, and even a bit of shock, in the world where Hillary Clinton is queen after McCain turned Palin into the new sensation in the race for the White House.
But that soon was replaced by excitement, especially after the Obama campaign reported $10 million in donations the day after Palin's GOP convention speech.
"It's going to take more than delivering a line about lipstick to win over undecided women voters," said Rebecca Kirszner, a consultant with Hilltop Publics Solutions.
EMILY's List was perhaps the first to sing out about an opportunity rather than a threat from Palin, pointing to a poll it had done a couple of days after McCain selected the Alaskan moose huntress.
The survey of 800 women likely voters said Obama holds an 11-point lead on McCain, and that women Hillary voters in particular flooded the Illinois senator's way.
Before the Palin pick, Obama led McCain by 44 points among female Clinton backers. That jumped to a 54-point lead afterward, 75% to 21%, the poll said.
Those kinds of numbers have the activists thinking that if Palin lives up to her schoolgirl basketball nickname of Sarah Barracuda, she'll be less aquatic predator and more filet-o-fish.
"I feel really good about all this right now," said Moran. Obama and Biden "are framing the election and the issues in terms that matter most to women – and they need to keep on doing that."
Perhaps the surest sign of confidence on Obama's side is that there is no visible change in their strategy, aside from an acknowledgment that they can't say something about Palin that looks sexist or unnecessarily mean.
"They do have to think about how they engage her," said one Dem strategist.
There will be little change beyond that. "What are they going to do differently? I know people don't want to hear this, but nothing," said a senior Democratic operative.
"There's not any evidence we should be concerned," echoed Jennifer Palmieri, a Democratic consultant close to the Obama campaign.
Various operatives insist a lack of concern does not mean there's any chance women will be taken for granted. In fact, the opportunity will be seized, they said.
To bolter the nominee's own efforts, Team Obama also is sending out a cadre of powerful women: Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, and Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
Then, of course, there is Clinton, who is due in Florida tomorrow. Before Palin's pick, Clinton had the task of healing wounds from the bitter primary – which she still must do – but she also gets to play the role of closer, at least for the women's vote.
"Undecided women voters care about getting out of Iraq, affordable health care, and creating jobs," said Kirszner. "On those issues, Sarah Palin is no different than John McCain or George Bush – and that's going to be a deal breaker for a lot of women. If Obama can keep the debate on those terms, he'll win."
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