Thirty University of Wisconsin-Madison College Republicans travelled to Marquette and joined hundreds of enthusiastic supporters to hear Ann Romney, wife of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, speak at Marquette University Thursday.
The visit is the latest in a recent influx of campaign activity in Wisconsin and underscores the importance of the state in November’s presidential election.
During her speech, Romney focused on her husband’s economic plan and how he will improve the economy for women, a crucial voting bloc in the election.
“We know that he cares about women,” Romney said, according to video footage of the event. “He knows that these past four years have been the most difficult for women.”
Romney said more women are unemployed and below the poverty line now than at the same time four years ago. UW-Madison College Republicans Chair Jeff Snow said these economic problems would cause women to be more attracted to Romney in November.
“Women have naturally been more liberal in the past but as you look at the economic situation, women are realizing that Obama is not helping their situation,” said Snow, who was at the event.
Romney also talked about her husband’s personal side. The Romney campaign has made an effort to reach out to middle class voters after recent polls suggested some voters feel he cannot relate to their financial situation.
Snow said Romney succeeded in bringing out a different side of her husband during Thursday’s speech.
“Her main point was to bring out his lighter, more personal side and talk about how he empathizes with people and understands them and feels for them,” Snow said. “A lot of people may not see that when they see his successes in his career, but they don’t see his personality.”
President Barack Obama currently has a 55 percent approval rating among Wisconsin women, according to recent Marquette Law School polls. Obama is doing particularly well among single women and women under thirty in the state with 64 percent and 68 percent approval respectively.
