Mechelle Hankerson
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Update: Where Virginia stands
Women’s vote could make the difference in key battleground state
With the presidential election less than two months away, President Obama leads Mitt Romney by five points in Virginia in the most recent NBC/Marist poll.
In Virginia, Real Clear Politics polls show that Obama has held a small lead over Romney for most of the campaign until the beginning of September, when the gap diminished, leaving between one and two points between each candidate.
Some political analysts say that Obama holds on to the minority vote in Virginia and perhaps more importantly, considering some of the state’s recent proposed legislation, he also holds on to the women vote.
According to the U.S. Census, women make up almost exactly half of Virginia’s population, but after the state’s most recent General Assembly session, women’s rights issues became a hot-button topic for many voters.
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Additional reporting by Richmond freelance reporter Zack Burdyk
Women’s rights advocates in Virginia are keeping an eye on Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli by appealing to residents’ pop music sensibilities.
Cooch Watch, a group formed by Richmond students, professionals and advocates, say on their Facebook page “The Cooch has been keeping an eye on your vagina, so now we’re going to keep an eye on him.”
A play on Cuccinelli’s last name, Cooch Watch was founded in July after he refused to certify a grandfather clause in state Board of Health regulations that would allow most of Virginia’s abortion providers to stay open. The group began their efforts by picketing Cuccinelli’s appearance at Freeman High School in Henrico County.
Earlier this month, the group released a music video, “Hands Off, Crazy”, a women’s rights themed parody of Carly Rae Jepsen’s earworm “Call Me Maybe.” The video has over 70,000 views and has been featured on The Rachel Maddow Show. This week, they followed it up with another shoot in Richmond’s Monroe Park to the tune of Cher Lloyd’s “Want U Back”.
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“Not only are women watching this election … we’re going to do everything in our power to elect leaders who support women’s health.” — Cianti Stewart-Reid, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia at a rally on Sunday in downtown Richmond. Virginia’s women voters could become integral to Mitt Romney and Barack Obama’s campaigns, especially after the state’s turbulent General Assembly session that put women’s rights issues at the forefront of Virginia politics. (via The Richmond Times-Dispatch)(via 2012swingstates)
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Rally focuses on importance of voting to protect women’s rights
April 30, 2012
Virginia politicians and women’s rights advocates stressed the importance of voting in local and state elections during the “Unite Against the War on Women” rally today at Festival Park.
Similar rallies were held in other states – part of a national effort to focus on issues that affect all women, such as the salary gaps between male and female workers.
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Follow up: Activists oppose signing clinic regulations into law in Monroe Park
Oct. 17, 2011
After attempts to formally oppose Senate Bill 924, which imposes strict restrictions on certain women’s health clinics, the Virginia Coalition to Protect Women’s Health and other pro-choice organizations gathered one last time on Saturday to urge Gov. Bob McDonnell to reconsider before signing the regulations into law.
