How did it work in Bush’s favor?
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/11-04-2004/0002356048&EDATE=
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Women gave Senator Kerry just a three point edge in 2004. In 2004, Al Gore won the women's vote by more than ten points. That's 7 percent who switched sides.
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The US Population in 2004 was 54.5% women
More women register to vote than men. Some 68.7 million women were registered to vote in 2000 compared to 59.4 million men.
Women vote in higher numbers than men, and have done so in every election since 1964. In 2000, 7.8 million more women voted than men did. In 2004, 8.8 million more women voted.
Though more women Democratic, more women CHANGED their vote to Bush in 2004 than men changed in either direction. Add that to the overall greater numbers of women voting, and it tipped the scales, though just barely.
Also, more women are independent and swing voters than men in either party. Again, since they vote in higher numbers than men in either party, their collective votes are crucial.
Given the above, even a statistically small shift in women voters towards Republican candidate can make a big differnce in a tight elections, like the last 2 presidential elections we've had.
I'd say women's votes are pretty damn important. Political campaigns think so too. Only a handful of dinosaur males (sad to say mostly Republican males) discount women's political clout and somehow, idiotically, think insulting women will help them politically.