From The Hotline Latest Edition for Tuesday, April 22,2008

NORTH CAROLINA (5/6 PRIMARY)

Filling The Gender Gap

Tue. Apr. 22, 2008


As NC "races toward" its primary, a significant number of women "find themselves in an unusual category: undecided." Center for American Women nad Politics dir. Debbie Walsh: "Every season, we've been looking at the women's vote as a factor in the general election, not in the primary." Walsh noted that black women and wealthier, educated women are more likely to sway toward Barack Obama, while working-class women are more likely to support Hillary Clinton. She also noted that women "have outvoted men" in every Dem primary this year (Sheehan, Raleigh News and Observer, 4/22).

Wake Forest Univ. prof. Katy Harriger: "One thing that the research on the gender gap shows is that it is really hard to draw general conclusions about women." Both candidates "are reaching out" to women voters through organized groups, prominent women and events aimed at women. The Clinton camp is using networks of women to organize support for Clinton by asking them to call friends and encourage them to vote for Clinton. An Obama spokesperson said the Obama camp is targeting women voters through Women for Obama, a national grassroots network of about 50k women. Activities include roundtable policy discussions ranging from work and family balance to foreign policy. The Obama camp "has also organized Girl Night Out cocktail parties for younger women to bring undecided voters and Obama supporters together" (Boone-Wood Winston-Salem Journal, 4/22).

Who Didn't See This One Coming?

The NC Dem Party said on 4/21 that the forum, scheduled for 4/27, had been canceled. CBS News Sr. VP Paul Friedman said the cancellation was because of political considerations by both candidates. CBS News Anchor Katie Couric "remains the only news anchor that has not hosted a presidential candidate debate in this election cycle." CNN and PBS have offered to sponsor a debate in IN ahead of the state's 5/6 primary. Clinton's camp has accepted the invitation; Obama's camp has not (Stelter, New York Times blog, 4/21).

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