First Lady Michelle Obama will serve as honorary chair of the 2012 “Women for Obama” initiative, which aims to gather support from women voters for the President’s bid for reelection next year. The initiative is a branch of the Obama campaign’s “Operation Vote,” focusing on targeting minority groups and other voters who traditionally align themselves with the Democratic Party.
In an email sent to Obama campaign supporters, First Lady Obama stated, “Today, we are officially launching Women for Obama – and I am incredibly honored to be serving as its chair. This is a special group dedicated to growing this campaign from the ground up. Because we know better than anyone that movements for real and lasting change have got to start at the grassroots – and they’re sustained by the relationships we develop with one another. Together, that’s what we’re going to do – build relationships with supporters, new and old, and grow this campaign – one woman at a time.”
According to analysis taken from Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics, women played an important role in Obama’s presidential victory in 2008, with Obama winning 58 percent of women’s votes overall. A Gallup poll taken in October found that Obama has a 48 percent approval rating among women.
Huffington Post 11/15/11; Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics 11/5/08
