Women's vote still important in U.S. race

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WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Political analysts say a large bloc of blue-collar women could be a key to the outcome in the U.S. presidential election.

With the race virtually deadlocked, President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney are pulling out all stops in appealing to women whose jobs and family lives have kept them too busy to pay much attention to politics.

"There are still a group of voters out there who are up for grabs, and that is why these candidates are really targeting women voters and targeting women in these swing states," said Susan Carroll of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.

Carroll told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution the female vote was a major one in the election because women outnumber men in the United States.

The newspaper said Romney's campaign had made some gains among women in recent weeks and was still emphasizing the effects the economy is having on women.

Obama has also drawn support from women because of the Republicans' conservative stance and controversial comments on social issues such as contraception, abortion and rape.

"The Republicans want to deregulate everything but women's health," Obama supporter Susan Thomas, 68, told the newspaper. "They treat us like kids or pets."