By Tom Nelson, USCM Intern
October 13, 2008

It would be a stretch to say that women are an important demographic in this Presidential election—considering more women voted then men in the 2004 election, female voters should be considered the main demographic.

According to the Census Bureau, women have voted at higher rates then men in Presidential elections since 1984; in 2004, 54 percent of those who voted were women. Of the female voters in 2004, 51 percent voted for Massachusetts Senator John Kerry and 48 percent voted for President George Bush. Furthermore, married women had the highest turnout rate of any demographic in the election.

As presidential hopefuls Senators Barack Obama (IL) and John McCain (AZ) make a final, furious push for the White House, both are making efforts to appease the female voting population, which in 2004 was roughly 114.1 million, compared to 106.5 million males of voting age.

A September 27-29 PEW survey shows Obama with an advantage on the female vote, as a poll of 668 registered female voters showed 54 percent were backing Obama, while 37 percent sided with McCain. This marked a four-percentage point increase for Obama from the same survey conducted September 9-14.

Women in Ohio, a state yielding 20 contested electoral votes, might be of particular interest, considering the Buckeye state has sided with the presidential winner in 15 of the last 16 elections. According to CNN election results, in 2004, 53 percent of those who voted in Ohio were women, and they split 50/50 for Bush and Kerry. With 27 electoral votes, another state in tight contention is Florida, where females made up 54 percent of the 2004 exit polls, as they narrowly supported Bush 50 percent to 49 percent. Obama currently has a slight edge in Florida, as voter registration in the state has skyrocketed this year.

McCain’s pick of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is arguably his most significant outreach to gain the female vote. Palin’s presence seems a likely attempt to sway those women who were among the 18 million people that voted for New York Senator Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary elections.

While Palin generated a palpable buzz in the weeks after her selection, her popularity has been slipping recently, as the PEW research center reports in a September 27-29 survey. This survey shows that 51 percent of the general public feel Palin is not qualified to be president, up from 39 percent of a September 5-8 survey. Palin also faces criticisms from some women’s groups for her positions on abortion and sexual education.

McCain’s wife, Cindy, has been active in the campaign for her husband through her continued humanitarian efforts and her centerpiece position in the women for McCain movement.

With the help of one-time opponent turned supporter Hillary Clinton, Obama has also worked to appeal to the female voting population. At the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Clinton spoke on Obama’s behalf, beginning her speech by saying, “I come here today as a proud mother, a proud Democrat, a proud Senator from New York, a proud American, and a proud supporter of Barack Obama.”

Given Clinton’s influence and support network, it comes as little surprise that Obama is using her name and image to help his campaign, as evidenced by the link for “Hillary Supporters” on the main page of the Obama website.

Obama’s wife, Michelle, has also been active in the campaigning process, arguing that unlike Senator McCain, her husband is dedicated to ending income disparities between men and women.

Obama’s efforts seem to be paying dividends in more respects than just the polls, as he has received the endorsement of the National Organization for Women—the first time the organization has supported a candidate in the general election since 1984 (ironically, that election was the first year women outvoted men).

In a year where the “glass ceiling” was shattered by the voices of 18 million Americans, and where the GOP has nominated its first female Vice Presidential Pick, women are proving that the gender barrier in U.S. politics is becoming a trend of the past. Women have already proved, however, that their votes constitute the majority of those cast for president, making their votes absolutely critical for both candidates.