Younger Voters & Minorities more likely to vote for a Woman candidate.

Most Americans say they’re gender-blind when it comes to voting in the 2008 presidential election, according to a recent survey commissioned by New York Women in Communications. Yet, when questioned about specifics, more women than men say they view female candidates as better leaders, more trustworthy and stronger on issues like healthcare and education. The survey, which queried over 2000 Americans who plan to vote in the 2008 election, also shows that black and Hispanic voters and those aged 18 to 24 are more likely to support a woman candidate in order to “make history.”

“Voters aren’t deeply influenced by a candidate’s gender, yet men and women have different perceptions around the issue,” comments NYWICI President Kristine Welker. “The survey suggests that although women won’t support another female unconditionally, they’re more receptive to certain campaign messages, and they’re far more sensitive than men to public scrutiny of a female candidate.”

Just 17 percent of women (compared to 14 percent of men) say they would be more likely to vote for the female if they liked a male and a female candidate equally. Yet, when asked about specifics, over one-third of women (36 percent) say they would support a female seeking public office due to her perceived strength on issues like education and healthcare. For black and Hispanic voters, the figure is even higher, with 41 percent of black voters and 45 percent of Hispanics saying a female candidate deserves their vote on the issues. And though only 20 percent of all respondents say they would support a woman as a historical precedent, 36 percent of Hispanic voters and an identical percentage of those 18 to 24 say they would support a woman in order to “make history.”

Policy….or Pantsuits?

Though men and women are thought to differ on key election issues, the survey shows the greatest perception gap on other aspects of the race. Eighteen percent of women say females make better leaders, compared to only 10 percent of men. But the largest divide is seen in how women seeking office are treated. Forty-seven percent of women say females are more likely than males to receive negative media coverage, compared to only 35 percent of men. And 60 percent of women say female candidates are more likely to be judged by their clothing or hairstyle, while only 49 percent of men concur.

Endorsements Don’t Influence… Except When they Do!

Only 8 percent of those surveyed say they could be swayed by a celebrity’s support of a candidate, but endorsements clearly matter to some. When queried about specific personalities from politics, entertainment, and journalism, 20 percent say Al Gore’s backing would affect their vote. As an influencer, the former vice president beats Oprah Winfrey, who was named by 12 percent of respondents, followed by ABC-TV’s Diane Sawyer (10 percent), “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart (9 percent), and Fox’s Bill O’Reilly (9 percent.) Among African Americans, however, Oprah has greater weight: Fully 30 percent of black voters say her endorsement will influence them on Election Day.

Fifty-nine percent say they’re neither more nor less likely to vote for a candidate because the candidate is a woman. Among women, 17 percent say they’re more likely to vote female, compared with 14 percent of men. Yet, 28 percent of black respondents and 25 percent of Hispanics say they’re more likely to vote for a woman.

Fifty-five percent of all respondents say Hillary Clinton has been treated differently by her male opponents because she’s female, and a majority of those (78 percent) call that treatment negative or critical. A far higher percentage of black respondents (71 percent) think Clinton receives different treatment than male office-seekers, with 93 percent describing it as negative.

When asked to select words that describe their feelings about the fact that a woman is a candidate for President of the U.S., respondents answered as follows:

– 61 percent of women and 47 percent of men say, “It’s about time”
– 52 percent of women and 38 percent of men say they are “proud”
– 40 percent of women and 28 percent of men say they are “excited”
– 27 -percent of women and 24 percent of men say they are “skeptical”
– 32 percent of women and 44 percent of men say they are “indifferent”

Compared to the general population, far higher percentages of black voters say they feel “It’s about time” (68 vs. 54 percent) or “proud” (62 vs. 45 percent) that a woman is a candidate for president in 2008.

When asked their main sources of information about the presidential candidates, most mention television (81 percent) and newspapers (57 percent), followed by the internet (49 percent), talk radio (35 percent) and news weeklies (30 percent). Respondents 18 to 24 cite online portals, political sites and blogs more often than the general sample, and they are are more than twice as likely to name late-night comedy programs (43 vs. 20 percent) and Youtube (21 vs. 9 percent) as an information source.

When asked, half the respondents say that former president Bill Clinton should have an official role in government if Hillary Clinton succeeds in winning the presidency. Most say he should adopt a cause, serve as a traveling ambassador for the U.S. or act as a special adviser to the president.

The survey was conducted by telephone among a national probability sample of 2,025 adults comprising 1016 men and 1009 women 18 years of age and older, living in private households in the continental United States. Interviewing was completed during the period December-13-17, 2007. It was conducted by Opinion Research and sponsored by New York Women in Communications.

For more information at http://www.nywici.org>