Patch’s Poll: Are Women’s Issues the Deciding Factor in the 2012 Presidential Election?

Analysts and pundits in the 2012 election season believe that the female vote will be a major factor in whether President Barack Obama will be re-elected.

A new ABC poll shows Obama dipping in popularity among women voters, although he still holds an advantage over Republican nominee Mitt Romney.

A major part of the discussion has been the Republican and Democratic platform with regard to women’s reproductive rights. First Lady Michelle Obama made a pitch to women during her keynote address at the Democratic National Convention that her husband, "believes that women are more than capable of making our own choices about our bodies and our health care.”

But a counter argument from the Republican side has been more on how women’s rights are a distraction from the economy, which still is the driving issue.

“This war on women is absolutely phony,” said Pat Longo, an RNC delegate from Wilton told Patch last week. “It’s strictly to distract from issues of debt, deficit and spending.”

Do you think women’s health issues will be a deciding factor in this election, despite the economic downturn and factors such as the high unemployment rate? Take our poll and share your thoughts in the comments.