Past presidential hopefuls have spent large amounts of time and energy targeting demographics such as families and specific minorities. As Mary Sanchez of the Kansas City Star points out, however, candidates should take notice of single women, who account for more than a quarter of potential voters.
A study by Greenberg, Quinlan, Rosner Research predicted that unmarried “women may play the same role for Democrats in 2008 that white evangelicals played for George Bush and the Republicans in 2004.â€
The key to these women’s hearts would be promises to lighten their financial load in a real way. Single women often bear the same collection of bills and financial concerns as married couples, yet with just one income and fewer options.
Sanchez writes, “As anyone can attest who has ever watched a bargain-seeking woman plow through a sale rack, women will go to great lengths if they know the effort will bring value to their lives. Candidates who convince women their platforms are worth the effort just might earn a valuable token of an unmarried woman’s love: her vote.â€
