« Previous | Main | Next »

Women Increase Political Donations in 2008 Presidential Race

Share

September 23, 2008 5:56 AM

ABC News' Jennifer Parker reports: Women have given more money to the 2008 presidential candidates than they ever have before, tripling women's donations in 2000, a new study of women's political giving found.

The study, released Tuesday by the Women’s Campaign Forum Foundation, found that women have given $109 million to presidential candidates, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain, in checks of $200 or more -- triple the amount of money female donors gave in the 2000 presidential race, with still 42 days left to go in the race.

That doesn't include women's small donations, in amounts under $200, that has spurred Obama's fundraising ability, or women's political giving to Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., who was vying to become the nation's first female president until her bid ended in June. 

"Women's political giving is even higher when you consider there was this shadow candidate that was absorbing some of the money that would have gone to the presidential candidates for so long," said Ilana Goldman, president of the Women's Campaign Forum.

The study found that the greater emphasis the candidates are placing on online donations, is appealing to women who are looking to the Web for political information.

"Women just require a vast amount more of information before deciding to make an investment," Goldman said.

"You see the Web giving an opportunity to allow women to do the research they need to do, to be able to engage their friends and family," she said, "so, the Internet is really providing an opportunity for campaigns and candidates to engage women and give them this information in a timely, cost-effective way."

However, in a matchup of political donations between Obama and McCain, the study found women still lag behind men when it comes to political donations, representing about 27 percent of all donors.

"Women give very generously to charities and they act generously in politics -- they're voting, they're holding the clipboards, they're sitting at the tables, so they're doing all the work, they're just not writing the checks," Goldman said.

The Republican National Committee has also reported that McCain's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has boosted donations, which could boost women's political giving even further.

Goldman said that, while women are beginning to become major players in the world of presidential donations, they still lack in giving to other elected officials.

"The number of women that are giving at the presidential level is growing by leaps and bounds, but when you look down the ticket at congressional races, women are still just a third of political giving," Goldman said.

September 23, 2008 in Washington | Permalink | User Comments (47)

User Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

It was a Democrat connected to Obama who hacked Palin's Email address. Why don't the Obama News Networks report this.

Posted by: been had | Sep 23, 2008 6:58:25 AM

Yeah, it was the biggest mistake for Democrat Party ever made for not endorsing Hillary as President this election. All Dem Leaders should fired after November 04.

Posted by: stock_craft | Sep 23, 2008 7:02:01 AM

Yeah, it was the biggest mistake for Democrat Party ever made for not endorsing Hillary as President this election. All Dem Leaders should be fired after November 04. They never learned.

Posted by: stock_craft | Sep 23, 2008 7:04:27 AM

FBI probes Democrat's with ties to Obama in Palin email hacking case.

WATERGATE!!

Posted by: smelly | Sep 23, 2008 7:06:00 AM

smelly, who are the Democrats ties to Obama in Palin email hacking?

Posted by: stock_craft | Sep 23, 2008 7:10:29 AM

Is nothing sacred any more. Is that the way Democrats want to win by invading peoples privacy the way they did to Palin. Who do they think they are. Do they think they are already running the Communist State that Obama promises where you have no privacy and everything is owned by the Government., How dare them.

Posted by: Hound Dog | Sep 23, 2008 7:16:53 AM

This election is not about women.

This election is a racial war.

The media can not attack the african american community because they are afraid of losing their jobs.

They are taking their frustrations out on women because of it.

Posted by: Rick from Pa | Sep 23, 2008 7:25:45 AM

Obama just lost all the “girls”. Now he’s freaking out with Palin on McCain’s side.

Clinton could have helped but Obama blew it.

Obama will have a difficult time regaining any momentum, now that the new girl in town, Sarah Palin has spoken. Obama and his clan of far left radicals may have lost his minimal lead permanently.

Palin’s speech was tremendous. Hillary’s speech was terrific. We have seen two women with ambition and love for our country demonstrate to the world a vitality that will not be forgotten.

With Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama could have made history - but instead, Obama chose not to do so.

Now McCain and his VP pick are doing just that.

Obama hogged history. So Hillary’s 18 million voters watching her speech will likely produce no gain for Obama.

Instead, it will lay the basis for a lasting resentment at Obama’s failure to select her as VP. Palin’s presence was the icing on the cake.

Obama can’t win the votes of women, especially older women.

The combination of Hillary’s DNC speech and Sarah Palin’s speech, made Obama’s chance of winning those women voters a lot harder, if not impossible.

Posted by: Al from NJ | Sep 23, 2008 7:29:17 AM

From the comments I see here we have alot of foolish, ignorant, racist bigots in this country. Obama my not be "the perfect candidate" but Mcsame/bush and McBimbo will take this country even lower. Obama will try to help the middle class and not the rich. Obama is THE ONLY CHOICE FOR MIDDLE CLASS AMERICA.

Posted by: Rey | Sep 23, 2008 7:51:41 AM

I have decided that the democrats do not like women, especially omega, I mean Obama. My wife and I were Hillary backers and we saw how the media and democrats treated her. They threw her under the bus and Obama told us (her backers) to get over it. My wife and I did and now we are voting for McCain and that beautiful intelligent woman Sarah. To me Obama should be in Chicago shining shoes and they should call him the Chicago Shoe Shine Boy.

Posted by: barefootboy | Sep 23, 2008 8:15:37 AM

Please lets all keep our negative views to ourselves. We are in AMERICA and we have a choice. So let our two candidates speak out along with their VP canadiates and let the best man or woman win, but listen and watch what they are saying and doing. That is a prilegde we have and lets not take advantage if it and lose sight.

We will get through the financial upheaval, we must stand together, not through stones, remember no one lives in a glass house.

Posted by: bee of PA & NJ | Sep 23, 2008 8:20:42 AM

Obama just had a business relation with Rezko, that is it. He bought one faulty property. He is still the BEST choice we have all things considered. 8 more years of rebulican't economics is going to kill us. Obama said we need to look to the future not the past. although the past is relevant we need to see who is best for our future. Unless you are "rich" the democratic candidate is clearly the way to go(all things considered).

Posted by: Rey | Sep 23, 2008 8:34:26 AM

Sarah is an empty pant suit who wants to fire everyone in govt, clean her shotgun and field dress a moose. Women will vote for her because of her "personality" and perceived "strength". Come on, women! You're smarter than this! Sarah ain't gonna be the one in power. Who is gonna protect you from Wall Street and the Treasury? Who is gonna protect you from John's wrath and fear mongering and more money for the Iraq war to "succeed"? What does "succeed" mean now?

Posted by: Bob | Sep 23, 2008 8:43:45 AM

Yes, a 20-year-old son of a Tennessee Democratic Congressman has been named as the suspect in the hacking of Governor Palin's email.

They've been saying throughout this election how excited and enthusiastic Obama has gotten the "youth vote" during this election.

Is this the type of behavior in our youth that Obama, as a candidate, has been producing?

Just imagine if he is elected President.

Posted by: Lee | Sep 23, 2008 8:45:31 AM

Yes, I donated more money for my candidate because I want women counted. Obama did not count women when he decied not to pick Hillary. The mainstream media has been so bias against women it is shameful. They didn't only show their bias against Sarah but Hillary also. As a woman, I think we need to stand behind women and not the good olde boys club. The media is trying to pitt one against the other. It is call divide and conquer. Looks like they are doing a good job.

Posted by: Jan | Sep 23, 2008 8:54:19 AM

Sarah is an empty pant suit who wants to fire everyone in govt, clean her shotgun and field dress a moose. Women will vote for her because of her "personality" and perceived "strength". Come on, women! You're smarter than this! Sarah ain't gonna be the one in power. Who is gonna protect you from Wall Street and the Treasury? Who is gonna protect you from John's wrath and fear mongering and more money for the Iraq war to "succeed"? What does "succeed" mean now?

Posted by: Bob
*************************
No Bob, women are smarter than you. You do not influence any of us. We see right through you, ruining scared now.

Posted by: barefootboy | Sep 23, 2008 9:02:46 AM

Yes, I donated more money for my candidate because I want women counted. Obama did not count women when he decied not to pick Hillary. The mainstream media has been so bias against women it is shameful. They didn't only show their bias against Sarah but Hillary also. As a woman, I think we need to stand behind women and not the good olde boys club. The media is trying to pitt one against the other. It is call divide and conquer. Looks like they are doing a good job.

Posted by: Jan
*****************************
Good post Jan. I wish all women looked at it like you do. It's a shame that some women will let men tell them what to do in all cases. We are registered democrats and realize that Obama and the democrats do not respect women. All they have tried to do is destroy Sarah and they really have helped her. Those Hollywood people think people listen to them. Who is going to listen to Pam Anderson or any of them. Look at their lives.

Posted by: barefootboy | Sep 23, 2008 9:06:05 AM

We all know that blacks support Obama but that is not racist, only whites can be racist (as one black actually told me) thus whites voting for whites are racist...do you follow this logic? The media seems too or if not they are too afraid to admit disagreement with it.

Posted by: T.M. Whitworth | Sep 23, 2008 9:26:38 AM

I PERSONALLY DO NOT LIKE OBAMA OR HIS WIFE. I HAVE LIVED IN THE GOOD OLD USA 72 YEARS AND I HAVE BEEN PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN ALL MY LIFE NOT LIKE OBAMA WIFE. WE DONT NEED HER IN THE WHITE HOUSE.

Posted by: joan | Sep 23, 2008 9:56:58 AM

As an American woman-I'm VERY insulted by the possibility of Sarah Palin as VP. To believe that I'd vote for her just becauce we're both female is a slap in the face. Where issues are concerned, she and I are polar opposites.

She might as well be bush's sister.

Posted by: McBailout/Ailin | Sep 23, 2008 10:16:55 AM

Post a comment