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| Obama steps up criticism of Romney in battle for women voters | Obama steps up criticism of Romney in battle for women voters |
| (10 days later) | |
| Barack Obama stepped up his attacks on Mitt Romney in the battle to appeal to female voters as he sought to exploit the Republican's clumsy and odd responses during their second presidential debate. | Barack Obama stepped up his attacks on Mitt Romney in the battle to appeal to female voters as he sought to exploit the Republican's clumsy and odd responses during their second presidential debate. |
| Women's issues were prominent in Tuesday night's debate as Obama and Romney clashed over gender equality and contraception. | Women's issues were prominent in Tuesday night's debate as Obama and Romney clashed over gender equality and contraception. |
| Obama is widely judged to have won the debate, undoing at least some of the damage caused by his painfully poor showing in the first one a fortnight ago. | Obama is widely judged to have won the debate, undoing at least some of the damage caused by his painfully poor showing in the first one a fortnight ago. |
| On the campaign trail in Iowa on Wednesday, Obama latched on to some of the remarks made by Romney, in particular a bizarre one about being offered "whole binders full of women" when searching for female recruits to his cabinet when he was governor of Massachusetts. | On the campaign trail in Iowa on Wednesday, Obama latched on to some of the remarks made by Romney, in particular a bizarre one about being offered "whole binders full of women" when searching for female recruits to his cabinet when he was governor of Massachusetts. |
| The comment went viral on the internet, with some complaining that Romney was being patronising towards women, and others expressing puzzlement over what he was talking about. | The comment went viral on the internet, with some complaining that Romney was being patronising towards women, and others expressing puzzlement over what he was talking about. |
| Obama poked fun of him at a rally in Iowa. "I tell you what: we don't have to collect a bunch of binders to find qualified talented women," Obama said. | Obama poked fun of him at a rally in Iowa. "I tell you what: we don't have to collect a bunch of binders to find qualified talented women," Obama said. |
| The president, wearing a pink wristband to promote breast cancer awareness, hammered home the point just in case anyone thought he was just making a stray remark. | The president, wearing a pink wristband to promote breast cancer awareness, hammered home the point just in case anyone thought he was just making a stray remark. |
| "You can choose to turn back the clock 50 years for women, gays and immigrants – or you can move us forward," Obama said. | "You can choose to turn back the clock 50 years for women, gays and immigrants – or you can move us forward," Obama said. |
| The Obama campaign has repeatedly challenged Romney on his views on contraception and abortion, and accused him of wanting a return to the 1950s. | The Obama campaign has repeatedly challenged Romney on his views on contraception and abortion, and accused him of wanting a return to the 1950s. |
| In Iowa, Obama, who favours ready access to contraception and supports abortion, said: "I certainly don't think politicians should control the healthcare that you get." | In Iowa, Obama, who favours ready access to contraception and supports abortion, said: "I certainly don't think politicians should control the healthcare that you get." |
| He made the point that equal pay was not just a matter of principle, but a personal affair, too. As father of two daughters, he wanted them to be paid the same as other parents' sons. | He made the point that equal pay was not just a matter of principle, but a personal affair, too. As father of two daughters, he wanted them to be paid the same as other parents' sons. |
| Female voters have jumped to top priority for both Obama and Romney. Until recently, Obama had enjoyed a double-digit lead among women over Romney, more than enough to compensate for Romney's lead among white males. But Romney's team claims Obama's lead among women has gone, though the Obama team disputes this. | Female voters have jumped to top priority for both Obama and Romney. Until recently, Obama had enjoyed a double-digit lead among women over Romney, more than enough to compensate for Romney's lead among white males. But Romney's team claims Obama's lead among women has gone, though the Obama team disputes this. |
| A Gallup seven-day poll tracking poll puts Romney ahead of Obama, 51% to 45%, among likely voters, though this was taken before Tuesday night's debate. | A Gallup seven-day poll tracking poll puts Romney ahead of Obama, 51% to 45%, among likely voters, though this was taken before Tuesday night's debate. |
| Romney has also reduced Obama's lead in Wisconsin, a state that initially was not included as a swing state on the assumption it was going to Obama. A new Marquette University poll puts Obama on 49% to Romney's 48%. | Romney has also reduced Obama's lead in Wisconsin, a state that initially was not included as a swing state on the assumption it was going to Obama. A new Marquette University poll puts Obama on 49% to Romney's 48%. |
| Over the past few weeks, Romney has been repositioning himself in the centre and has softened his position on women's issues. His campaign put out an ad on Monday insisting that women's right to contraception and abortion would not be harmed if he was president. | Over the past few weeks, Romney has been repositioning himself in the centre and has softened his position on women's issues. His campaign put out an ad on Monday insisting that women's right to contraception and abortion would not be harmed if he was president. |
| His running mate, Paul Ryan, Wednesday attempted to explain away the "binders" remark. "All he simply meant was that he went out of his way to try to recruit qualified women to serve in his administration when he was governor," Ryan, who also said that Romney had an exceptional record in recruiting women, told CBS. "That's really what he was saying." | His running mate, Paul Ryan, Wednesday attempted to explain away the "binders" remark. "All he simply meant was that he went out of his way to try to recruit qualified women to serve in his administration when he was governor," Ryan, who also said that Romney had an exceptional record in recruiting women, told CBS. "That's really what he was saying." |
| Romney has shifted ground during his political career, from relatively moderate while governor of Democratic-leaning Massachusetts to strongly conservative on social issues during the Republican primaries and caucuses when he said he would appoint to the supreme court judges who would overturn abortion rights. | Romney has shifted ground during his political career, from relatively moderate while governor of Democratic-leaning Massachusetts to strongly conservative on social issues during the Republican primaries and caucuses when he said he would appoint to the supreme court judges who would overturn abortion rights. |
| During the debate, Romney accused Obama of misrepresenting his position on contraception, insisting he was in favour of it being widely available. | During the debate, Romney accused Obama of misrepresenting his position on contraception, insisting he was in favour of it being widely available. |
| In the debate, Obama came across as the more sympathetic to women's rights. In exchanges on equal pay, the president said: "This is not just a women's issue. This is a family issue. This is a middle-class issue. And that's why we've got to fight for it." | In the debate, Obama came across as the more sympathetic to women's rights. In exchanges on equal pay, the president said: "This is not just a women's issue. This is a family issue. This is a middle-class issue. And that's why we've got to fight for it." |
| The comment about "binders full of women" came during exchanges on equal rights. Romney said that as governor of Massachusetts he was concerned about the shortage of women in his cabinet. | The comment about "binders full of women" came during exchanges on equal rights. Romney said that as governor of Massachusetts he was concerned about the shortage of women in his cabinet. |
| "I said: 'Well, gosh, can't we find some women that are also qualified?' And so we took a concerted effort to go out and find women who had backgrounds that could be qualified to become members of our cabinet," Romney said. The remarks went a long way to calming the sense of panic that had begun to enter Democratic ranks. | "I said: 'Well, gosh, can't we find some women that are also qualified?' And so we took a concerted effort to go out and find women who had backgrounds that could be qualified to become members of our cabinet," Romney said. The remarks went a long way to calming the sense of panic that had begun to enter Democratic ranks. |
| Obama, transformed from the listless, unfocused candidate who lost badly to Romney in the first presidential debate in Denver a fortnight ago, landed damaging blows on his Republican rival in telling exchanges over women's rights, the Benghazi consulate attack and tax proposals. | Obama, transformed from the listless, unfocused candidate who lost badly to Romney in the first presidential debate in Denver a fortnight ago, landed damaging blows on his Republican rival in telling exchanges over women's rights, the Benghazi consulate attack and tax proposals. |
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