Obama Hones Message to Women in Commencement Speech
President Obama, delivering a commencement address to nearly 600 female graduates of Barnard College, urged young women Monday to strive for leadership positions and become more politically involved.
“You are now poised to make this the century where women shape not only their own destiny, but the destiny of this nation and of this world,” Obama said. He told the graduates: “Don’t just get involved. Fight for your seat at the table. Better yet, fight for a seat at the head of the table.”
Obama used the speech to hone his message to women in an election year when their issues have been front and center. The graduates gave him a rousing welcome and punctuated his speech with cheers and applause.
The Obama campaign has intensively targeted women voters in the wake of national debates over contraception and working mothers, drawing a sharp distinction between the president’s beliefs and those of presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Polls show that Obama maintains a wide lead over Romney among women voters.