NYT/AP: Clinton Counts on Women for Comeback
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: February 28, 2008
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Fighting to survive, Hillary Rodham Clinton is counting on female power to energize her faltering presidential bid. She's hoping a double-digit lead among women in Ohio is the answer.
''I am thrilled to be running to be the first woman president, which I think would be a sea change in our country and around the world,'' the New York senator said this week in Cleveland, emphasizing anew the pioneering aspect of her candidacy. A woman in the White House, Clinton said, would present ''a real challenge to the way things have been done, and who gets to do them and what the rules are.'' The remarks had a call-to-action flair and underscored just how much she is relying on women, always a key part of her support, to help her win Ohio and, perhaps, Texas on Tuesday as she seeks to get back on track in the Democratic nomination fight.
She has urgent reason to prod the sisterhood into action. Illinois Sen. Barack Obama has racked up 11 straight wins to lead the convention delegate hunt. Clinton hasn't won a primary in a month and is looking for big-state victories to breathe new life into her campaign. Clinton leads in Ohio in recent polling, while Obama has a slight edge in Texas. Women may hold the key for Clinton, particularly in the Midwestern state. Polls in the past week have shown her with a wide advantage -- 17 percentage points in one poll, 18 in another -- among Ohio women. She also leads among Texas women, but the margin is slimmer.
''If Hillary is going to regain the front-runner status and win the nomination, it starts with and ends with women,'' said Jenny Backus, a Democratic strategist who is not aligned with either candidate. ''She has struck a chord with women, especially in Ohio.''...
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Before primary voting began, Clinton had an enormous lead over him among all women. An AP-Ipsos poll in December showed her with 52 percent support to 19 percent for him. Exit polls for the AP and television networks from 22 Democratic primaries where the candidates have competed showed her with a slimmer lead among women, 51 percent to 45 percent....
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Clinton-Women.html
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