Republicans Want Hillary Backers to Switch Sides. Will they?

Republicans have identified an opening and hope to bring a new group of women to the polls in November. They are going after disaffected female voters who backed Hillary Clinton during the primary and at a minimum wanted her as Barack Obama's running mate. Now that Obama's picked Joe Biden, where will these Democrats go?

FOXNews.com

Monday, August 25, 2008

Republicans have identified an opening and hope to bring a new group of women to the polls in November. They are going after disaffected female voters who backed Hillary Clinton during the primary and at a minimum wanted her as Barack Obama's running mate. Now that Obama's picked Joe Biden, where will these Democrats go?

In Debra Bartoshevich's case, she's going for McCain. Bartoshevich was a Clinton delegate from Wisconsin who was replaced after she came out in support of the Arizona senator. She is appearing in a new McCain television ad that the campaign says is running in key states.

Take a look:

 

Here's what Debra says in the ad:

DEBRA BARTOSHEVICH: I'm a proud Hillary Clinton Democrat.

She had the experience and judgment to be President.

Now, in a first for me, I'm supporting a Republican, John McCain.

I respect his maverick and independent streak, and now he's the one with the experience and judgment.

A lot of Democrats will vote McCain. It's okay, really!

JOHN MCCAIN:I'm John McCain and I approved this message.

McCain supporter and former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina summed up the McCain strategy this morning on Fox & Friends:

"We're really reaching out to Democrats there's no question that in particular the woman supporters of Hillary Clinton are very dissatisfied with the choice, John McCain wants to be a president for all Americans he is very appealing to folks that want a potus (president of the united states) that will reach across the aisle with convictions, judgment and experience."

Fiorina understands that some female Democrats won't be satisfied with the Biden choice:

"I think there are many women here in Denver saying you know if you wanted someone who could campaign and you wanted someone who could debate and you wanted someone who could pull a lot of votes why not pick Hillary Clinton?"

During Biden's speech Saturday in Springfield, IL did anyone else notice how Biden referred to his wife Jill? He lustily announced to the crowd that she was "gorgeous" and then went on to add that she was also a PhD. Feminists across the country likely gasped at the lack of political correctness shown. Female Democrats may let this one remark go, but if Biden shows any lack of sensitivity to women, it could be a boon for Republicans.

Fox News Contributor Dick Morris and former Clinton adviser writes, "It doesn't take a political genius to realize that Barack Obama needed to nominate a woman for vice president.....Obama's failure to nominate a woman is such a glaring misstep that McCain should pounce and take advantage of it. The ticket will nominally be Obama-Biden. But, to millions of American women it will be Obama and not Hillary."

 

RCP Poll

President Obama Job Approval

RCP Average: +5.6% Details
Approve 49.9%
Disapprove 44.3%

Congressional Job Approval

RCP Average: -37.3% Details
Approve 27.0%
Disapprove 64.3%

Direction of Country

RCP Average: -19.5% Details
Right Direction 37.7%
Wrong Track 57.2%