NEW YORK: A large section of women voters in the United States are worried about Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s lead over her Republican rival Donald Trump being narrowed down to 3 percentage points according to a recent NYT/CBS News poll.
Conducted telephonically between October 28-November 1, after the FBI announcement of plans to review additional evidence against Clinton in the email scandal, the poll holds an error margin of plus or minus 3 points. But this key voting bloc consisting mainly of college-educated white women is pulling its weight for a Clinton win. Rewind to year 2012 when white, college educated women supported
Republican Mitt Romney by 6 percentage points. Numerous polls now indicate the same bloc is apparently backing Hillary Clinton by double digits in the 2016 Presidential race. And, recent developments indicate Hillary Clinton is going to need the help especially in tight races like Florida, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Virginia. A high turnout in this key bloc will carry Clinton safely past the finish line as it serves to counter the support that Donald Trump has with his white men and women voters who do not have a college education.
Trump’s sexist diatribes notwithstanding, these women worry about the socio-economic fabric of the country under a Trump Presidency. Lawyer Elise Stewart who was born and raised in New York speaks for her contemporaries saying: “Trump is the antithesis of the American spirit. He speaks to people’s fears. When have fear based decisions ever been good ones?” With Trump having steadily gained in numbers in the last week, the college-educated white women voters matter simply because they consistently turn out to vote in higher rates.
Interestingly, Clinton’s army of educated women voters has several converts from the Republican camp too. Michelle Benet who is studying medicine in North Carolina voted Republican last election. But “the 2016 race filled with sexism, racism and vitriolic verbosity from Trump forced her to abandon the GOP.” On November 8, 2016, Clinton’s firewall of voters plan to vote in large numbers, and Trump’s karma with the women voters could well catch up with him.
The author is a journalist and columnist based in the US.