Election 2012: Women Still Prefer Obama — Especially Women Without Children

“More than 99% of [American] women aged 15-44 who have ever had sexual intercourse have used at least one contraceptive method.”

If that stat from The Guttmacher Institute is accurate, many sexually active women may agree with this observation by Planned Parenthood CEO Cecile Richards about the upcoming presidential election (regardless how they feel about PP as an organization):

“I’ve never seen anything like this. I’ve never seen a presidential election where women’s basic access to birth control is practically on the ballot…It’s been incredible to witness the last year and a half and this debate we’ve had over access to care,” she said.

Gallup Poll steadily reports that only 20% of Americans support a ban on all abortions in every scenario, even as the GOP offers no exception for rape in the party platform. This month, a national Reuters/Ipsos poll reveals women’s preferences on a range of issues from the economy to health care, military spending and birth control. It shows that while President Obama continues to lead among women voters, there are distinct political differences between Moms and childless women.

The Reuters’ headline: “Women Still Favor Obama, But Mothers Less So.”

Or as the Los Angeles Times put it, “Gender Gap for Obama Powered by Nonmoms.”

In 2008, America’s women voted overwhelmingly for Barack Obama, but 2 years later, a majority of women chose Republican candidates in congressional elections. What will happen in 2012 is anyone’s guess. As detailed in Politico: “The cracks in [Obama's] support among women appear to depend on whether they have children or not.”

The Reuters/Ipsos survey of 12,000 25- to 45-year-olds revealed that jobs, health care and education are more important issues to these women than abortion or contraception. Responses on the issues failed to explain exactly why NotMoms clearly prefer Mr. Obama, though they do have slightly better opinions than mothers about his healthcare plan, economy management and the nation’s future.

• Working NotMoms prefer President Barack Obama over Mitt Romney by a whopping 20 points, 46% compared to 26%.  (Among all women, the president earned an advantage of less than 9 points, 41% to Romney’s 33%.)

• A smaller number of working mothers support Mr. Obama (42%), with 34% of that group favoring Mr. Romney.

• Among stay-at-home Moms, and also unemployed mothers, there’s only a 5-point difference, with 37% favoring Obama and 32% choosing Romney. This is the most pessimistic group: 61% said the U.S. is on the wrong track.

• Among all groups of women polled, no more than 3 out of 10 supported the Republican candidate.

What about YOU? With kids or without, are you awake this election season?  

I pray you’re registered to vote and that you know your own mind about issues, candidates, and the future.  Watch key presentations from this week’s Republican Convention AND the Democratic Convention that begins the day after Labor Day,  Tuesday, Sept. 4.  Stay current with updates from news organizations you [ahem] trust.

And on Tuesday, November 6th, VOTE, and be sure it's an informed vote.