We've all grown pretty used to the idea of voting for a woman president, but we're Democrats. Hillary's campaign had the benefit of a Democratic Party that was comfortable with the idea, but will a female Republican VP candidate fare the same?
There's some data to suggest that Republicans might be much less receptive to voting for a woman than Democrats are, which could become a problem for McCain-Palin. Maybe they could pull some PUMAs across the lines, but might they also be driving away some of their base?
I couldn't find any recent polls that address this issue head-on, but here is some food for thought:
A 2005 Rasmussen Reports survey found that:
Among Democrats, 84% say they are willing to vote for a woman, but just 59% think their family, friends, and co-workers would do the same. For Republicans, those numbers are 61% and 41% respectively.
Among those not affiliated with either major party, just 48% believe that most people in their social network would be willing to vote for a woman.
Older Americans are less likely to consider voting for a woman than younger Americans. Among those over 65, just 62% say they'd be willing to vote for a woman. Just 32% think those around them would do the same.
A CNN/Opinion Research poll earlier this year found:
Asked if the country is ready for a female president, blacks and whites both are in agreement; they're less sure -- only 63% of both whites and blacks answer yes. That's up slightly (from 58%) for whites but down among blacks from 67% since December, 2006.
Interestingly, men and women remain in agreement on this issue, too. In 2006, 60% of both genders said yes and this time it's 65% female and 64% male.
And this study from 2007 found that people overstate their support for a female candidate in polls, and a significant number of those opposed get downright angry at the idea of a female president.
I have met some older Republicans who stated that they would never vote for any woman to be commander in chief. (Many of them also believe that women should not serve in the military.) It will be interesting to see how this plays out over the next couple of weeks. I won't be surprised if the Palin pick backfires and drives away a significant portion of the Republican base.
If anyone can find a more recent poll that sheds light on the Republican/Democrat divide on this issue, please link it in the comments.