When he watches the polls, Joe Biden generally sees few encouraging numbers. Last week, a Quinnipiac Poll put him ahead of Donald Trump, a lead that exceeded the margin of error.
The outgoing president is credited with 50% support, compared to 44% for his opponent. Part of the good news for Democrats is the growing divide within the female electorate. Biden outperforms Trump by 22 points (58% vs. 36%).
Republicans, Trump and women
Republicans have struggled to reach the female electorate for several years. Attacks on abortion rights are often viewed as obstacles to women's freedom.
Now that the Supreme Court has ruled on Roe v. Wade, it's no wonder that abortion has become a ballot box issue, as it did in the midterm elections.
If you add to this verdict Trump's attacks and inappropriate statements against several women since 2016 or the fact that he cheated on his wife with a pornographic film star, a bleak picture emerges.
It's not enough? The losing candidate in 2020 was found guilty of sexual assault and punished twice instead of once for defaming the victim.
These women who vote for Trump
If abortion and Donald Trump's personal behavior persuade many women to vote for the Democrat, these arguments are not enough in the eyes of many voters. What I have mentioned above would only amount to a smear campaign.
If they continue to support Trump, it is because they believe the Republican is managing the economy better than his Democratic rival, even if the data tends to favor the latter.
For these women, too, party loyalty is more important than other considerations. They are primarily Republicans and would never vote for Democrats, especially Joe Biden, who they don't like.
Another Quinnipiac poll (in 2017) also found a factor that might be surprising. It found that 43% of Republican women voters said they had been sexually assaulted.
Despite that huge share, 55% of Republicans thought their candidate handled the allegations against him well. In a 2023 article, The Washington Post confirmed that these women preferred that Congress not address the matter.
The final element that I think is important is that a very high proportion of the women voting for Trump are white women. The same phenomenon can be observed in men.
Therefore, as the election deadline approaches, Donald Trump still enjoys a positive trend among Republicans, including more than half of white women. Joe Biden is no longer hoping for gains or a turnaround.
He filled it with votes from the female electorate and then, as in 2020, will rely on independents and the mobilization of democratic troops.