Women voters could be key to presidential race

“The cause of the energized female base was this feeling that they could identify with Sarah Palin as a figure who didn’t appear like other politicians. She made them feel like ‘she is one of us,’” says Kay Hymowitz, a senior scholar at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank in New York City.

Ms. Hymowitz has identified the cultural undercurrent Palin tapped as “red state feminism,” a whole segment of strong, working women who don’t identify with traditional feminism.

In Scranton, Joanne Charick fits the bill. She rides around town in her dark sedan with a bright poster on the side that advertises her latest venture: “The Successful Women’s Club.” Ms Charick first came to Scranton in the 1960s and worked for an employment agency.

“I put the first women to work in places they weren’t allowed and fought with every man,” she says.

Charick has also started her own magazine and modeling agency. But she definitely does not think of herself as a feminist. She’s a Republican and a great fan of the governor of Alaska.

“I think Sarah Palin is going to give everybody a run for his money, and McCain’s a good man,” she says. “I don’t agree with everything, I am pro-choice, but I like other things she’s done.”

But it was just as easy in Scranton to find Republican women who fit the red state feminism mold, but were offended by McCain’s choice of Palin, primarily because of her lack of experience.

“I was kind of insulted at first. I think McCain chose her to be a female puppet to swing people his way,” says Kathy Labori, a marketing executive who was heading for lunch at the Mall at Steamtown in downtown Scranton. “I’m a registered Republican but I think we need a change. I think I’m voting Democratic.”

At the mall, it was also easy to find women of every economic status for whom the selection of Palin had not had any effect at all.

“I think Obama’s really going to make a change for us poor people. I work hard and now I have to help my children maintain their family,” says Helen Gaskin, who had her two grandchildren in tow. “Obama is going to make a difference with education, with healthcare. I’m just looking out for my grandchildren.”

There were also plenty of former Hillary Clinton supporters. Most said they were now comfortable voting for Obama.

“I started out Hillary, then I went to see Obama when he was in the area and he definitely won me over,” says Terry Cummings, of Dunmore, PA, who now calls herself an “Obama Mama.” “I just feel Palin doesn’t have the qualifications, and I think she was picked because she’s a woman and that isn’t right. If she had the qualifications, like Hillary, that would have been different.”

Some former Hillary supporters did say they still wanted more information before choosing a candidate.

A national, nonpartisan group called “Moms Rising” would also like clarification on where Palin stands on issues that affect working mothers including healthcare, fair pay, early learning, paid sick days, and flexible work schedules.

The group has an open letter to Palin saying that it was “dazzling” to see “a mom” as the vice presidential pick but also calling on her to make her stands on such issues clear.
“We haven’t heard much talk about the issues that are pertinent to moms from the McCain-Palin ticket the way we have from Obama-Biden,” says Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, the executive director of MomsRising.org, which has more than 150,000 members. “We’d like to hear, we’re still waiting.”

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