Just matching up a demo group to compare to how past Dems performed in that group isn't overly constructive, since we know he is going to way over perform amongst other groups than Kerry or Gore.

It raises the danger of us turning a CNN anchor focused excessively on one group vs. another.

Having said that, two ways to correct this "problem":

1) Go visit his grandmother

2) SOCIAL SECURITY, SOCIAL SECURITY, SOCIAL SECURITY!!

http://strategy08.wordpress.com

Interesting. That means he must really be cleaning up among younger women.

I'm seeing a lot of beat-up pickups and big SUV's with "W O4" on them. Does McCain have bumper stickers? Haven't seen one.

That's one of the most interesting things. I've yet to see a vehicle with a W sticker updated w/McCain. Buyers remorse, Republicans?

catholics and seniors, pretty much obama's only "problem" demographics. many catholics are coming around. not too worried about it...

seniors- vote your economic interests, and those of your grandchildren, vote OBAMA 08!

I've seen Obama stickers, the odd W 04 sticker, and no McCain stickers. Yesterday, I saw the first Obama yard sign.

That said, I'm beginning to wonder about comparisons between 2008 and 2004 and whether they're valid. I guess we'll know on November 5.

I, too, struggle with older women. They usually win. I have a small frame.

... nearly 19% [of Dem women over 50] remain undecided or would vote for another candidate.  By comparison, just 4% of older Democratic men are undecided.

By comparison???  Comparing (undecided plus another candidate) against undecided?  Feh.

The older woman who are still undecided or having trouble backing Obama are the second wave feminists who desperately wanted to see a woman President in their lifetime and probably hold it against Obama that he beat Hillary. Also now with the "McCain is old" belief they are probably additionally feeling ignored/isolated or even attacked. So upstart Obama defeats a woman now is battling an old timer like them so it's hard for them to warm to Obama.

Unfortunately I'm sure there is some level of "back in the day" racism at play as well.

It drives me nuts when I keep hearing media say voters "still don't know Obama" but there's a lot of truth to that. I don't blame the candidate - rather voters' reluctance to do real homework and/or open up to the possibility of an Obama candidacy.

I know 50-something white Democratic women in the greater Chicago area who still say "I don't trust him." Though it's easy to label this as silent racism, I think a lot of it can be attributed to Obama's relative youth and a perception of inexperience. These are not ignorant women - rather white-collar professionals who simply don't follow politics. As a result, they've no idea of Obama's DC Senate record, let alone that in IL - even though they live and/or work in his hometown.

As for senior women, I think many in that age group still consider military service a big plus. This can be difficult for younger voters to swallow but it's also true.

All said, though, my 74-year-old mother is an ardent Obama supporter, as are all her women friends in San Antonio.

Know Hope

Some of them are never coming over. The hard fact is that, especially, but not exclusively, in the South, there are a lot of white 65+ women who are just deeply and viscerally frightened of black men. It was imbued in them from earliest childhood and many of them simply have no capacity to reason themselves past it or be reasoned with.

I've seen it and I've heard about it from others. Whenever you so much as mention the idea of an Obama presidency to one of them, they become almost aphasic with inchaoate fear--it's like they believe that the day he's inaugurated a vast secret army of gigantic black men will be unleashed for a Satanic orgy of rape and pillage and murder directed particularly toward old white women.

No wonder people hate the media.

Amen. The recent media navel-gazing on Iraq ("How could we have been so asleep at the wheel? We'll do better next time!") or Katrina ("Hey! Cool! We got our groove back!") was annoying, false, and way too short-lived.

I feel for Obama . . . I struggle with my mother everyday.

This thread is a bit discouraging--substitute about any other demographic for 65+ women and you'd be skewered for making these sort of comments. Before making generalizations, it would be much more helpful to break the demographic down quite a bit more. Many 65+ women have supported the progressive movement for years. The other characterization that's a little crazy making (not here so much) is that low income over 65+ means low education--that's just how it was in terms of earnings in available jobs for many of the age group. But read the "undecided" with caution--with attitudes out there, is it surprising that many 65+ women would prefer to keep their opinion in the ballot booth?

I just took a big 16-state road trip out west. 15 of those 16 states voted for Bush. I saw 3 McCain stickers and about 100 Obama stickers.

The most Obama stickers were in Salt Lake City.

I was quite happy to see three Obama signs in Paducah, KY too.

I live in arch-Republican East Tennessee and have yet to see a McCain sticker. The other day at the grocery store I saw a car with TWO W stickers and another car with an Obama sticker.

These old ladies really need to get a grip. Hillary didn't lose because she's a woman. She lost because Obama played the existing system better than she did. He would have beaten anyone who used the same old game plan. Do these women really think they will be better off with McCain in any way. He wants to raise the retirement age for social security. Do they know that? Despite his own advanced years, he would weaken the enforcement of age discrimination laws in the workplace. Do they know that? Perhaps the most disturbing thing about this typically reliable block of Dem voters is that their behavior reinforces the worse stereotypes about women as being petty, vindictive, and emotional in their decision making—sacrificing their own best interests to get even. The fact that women younger than 65 support Obama strongly gives hope that when this generation finally dies off, we will move into a world where more rational minds prevail.