Feb 6, 2008 7:24 pm US/Eastern
Obama: I Must Do Better Job With Older Female Vote
Clinton Dominated Key Demographic On Super Tuesday
CHAPPAQUA, N.Y. (CBS) ―
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Hillary Clinton dominated the female vote on Super Tuesday, winning 53 percent nationally to Barack Obama's 42 percent. Obama has admitted he has his work cut out cutting into that lead.
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Hillary Clinton knows she has to work hard to keep female voters because Barack Obama is making them a priority.
CBS
Women played a key role in the Super Tuesday states won by Hillary Clinton. But will she continue to hold their support as she battles Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination?
Women made up more than half the Super Tuesday vote and were a key factor for Clinton. Nationally, Clinton got 53 percent of the female vote, while Obama got 42 percent.
Obama knows that to derail Clinton he'll need to slice even further into her base.
"There's no doubt there is a segment of women, particularly older women, who feel a great affinity for her candidacy," Obama said. "There's nothing wrong with that and we're going to make sure they know my track record."
Political experts are not convinced Clinton can keep the majority of women because Obama is making inroads.
"Barack Obama is liked by women voters -- it isn't that they don't like him -- so it's possible he could win some away from her," Baruch College's Micheline Blum said.
Female voters were so important on Super Tuesday that Clinton advisors told CBS 2 HD a lower turnout could have turned the tide for Obama in any number of states.
"I want to thank all of my friends and family, particularly my mother, who was born before women could vote and is watching her daughter on this stage tonight," Clinton said Tuesday night in New York City.
New Yorkers seem to think the whole issue of candidate gender is unimportant.
"It doesn't matter if it's a female or a male," said Frances Ramos of the Bronx. "It's about what they're going to do."
Manhattan voter Laura Agorio agrees.
"I don't vote for somebody because they're a particular religion, race or male or female," Agorio said. "I mean it's absolutely going to come down to the issues."
Added Sheila Evans of Manhattan: "It's time for a change, and I think everybody needs to have the opportunity to step up to the plate."
There are a number of primaries and caucuses coming up in the next few weeks but the big date is March 4, when voters in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island and Vermont go to the polls.
Meanwhile, gender politics wasn't limited to women. Obama corralled the male vote, beating Clinton by six points nationally. He got 50 percent; she got 44 percent.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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