Obama gaining approval among women

As the Republican presidential candidates get ready for Super Tuesday, a new poll out shows President Barack Obama is making gains with one key voter group – women.

Obama's standing with female voters is strengthening, polls show, as the economy improves and social issues, including birth control, become a bigger part of the national political discourse this election year, according to the Associated Press.

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An Associated Press-GfK poll suggests women also are giving the president more credit than men for the country's economic turnaround.

Among women, his approval ratings on handling the economy and unemployment have jumped 10 percentage points since December.

As the unemployment continues to decrease, analysts say women have looked more favorably at the president.

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The poll, conducted Feb. 16-20, showed Obama's rating jumped from 43 percent to 53 percent – despite recent political ramblings over contraception.

Women also help push Obama's lead over GOP candidates Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum.

Current polling shows Obama beating Romney 54 percent to 41 percent. If Obama was up against Santorum, he leads 56 percent to 40 percent among women. But among men, the numbers paint a different picture — and he virtually ties each Republican.

Women give the Democrats a higher favorability than are men.

"Republicans are making a big mistake with this contraception talk, and I'm pretty sure that they are giving (the election) to Obama," said Patricia Speyerer, 87, of Macomb, Miss., a GOP-leaning independent. "It's a stupid thing."