Obama has a woman problem. After capturing 54 percent of female voters in the 2008 election, his generic approval rating among them is now 45 percent. It is worse, and in negative territory, among women on every economic issue (taxes, spending, jobs, the economy, debt, deficit). The flight of women from “The One” is simple. Women are financially sophisticated, focused now on macroeconomic issues like federal spending and the national debt as well as microeconomic issues that affect the household budget. Twelve million small business owning women have been assaulted by this administration’s policies, two million women are working full-time to support a husband looking for work, and jobless 20-somethings are being told by economists to expect the worst.
In a nationwide survey of women we just conducted for The Kitchen Cabinet, majorities of women denounced four major policies of the Obama-Reid-Pelosi tenure: 53 percent deem health-care overhaul a failure (28 percent think it’s a success); 54 percent say the economic stimulus package was a failure (30 percent, a success); TARP: 53 percent failure, 23 percent success; bailout of automakers 51 percent failure, 33 percent success. In that same poll, women predict the national economic recovery will be slow and with long-term consequences. By a margin of 57 percent to 22 percent, women say the private sector has better ideas than the federal government about how to improve the economy and create jobs.
Obama’s losses among women are nearly across the board. Independent women, younger women and suburban women — all of whom he carried in 2008 — have lost patience and lost faith.
– Kellyanne Conway is President and CEO of the polling company.