Obama to woo older white women to alter male image of his campaign

Washington, June 7 : Democratic Party presidential nominee Barack Obama will seek to woo the older white women who voted for his rival Hillary Clinton in a bid to alter the male-dominated image of his campaign and bolster his economic message to appeal to female voters.

"You're going to see more women out front. We have a female-friendly message anyway, but there'll maybe be a bit less machismo, a subtle change in the optics," a source in the Obama camp was quoted, as saying.

Linda Douglass, a long-time television journalist, has been recruited as a senior adviser who will travel almost constantly on Obama's plane, make frequent on-screen appearances and act as main spokesperson on the campaign trail.

Anita Dunn, a veteran Democratic consultant who served in President Jimmy Carter's White House, brought on as a senior adviser in "strategic communications" in April, is also likely to have a more visible role.

Penny Pritzker, Obama's finance chief, is also likely to be more visible.

Hillary Clinton's former campaign manager, Patti Solis Doyle, is likely to be given a job with Obama, along with other female Clinton advisers.

A senior Democratic strategist who backed Mr Obama said that the candidate's biography - he was raised by a single mother, is married to a strong woman and has two young daughters - would give him potent appeal with female voters.

irst, however, he must heal the bruised feelings prevalent among Clinton supporters.

"There is a strong sense coming from a lot of Hillary supporters - I won't extend the accusation to her - that it was her turn, she'd earned this and Obama is a usurper, said an insider.

Obama has already begun to mention his white grandmother much more often.

Details of the shift in emphasis came as Obama met Clinton in secret at the Washington home of Senator Dianne Feinstein, one of the former First Lady's leading supporters.

Clinton, who is to announce she is dropping out to endorse Obama, only decided to withdraw from the race after Congressman Charlie Rangel of New York, a loyal supporter, said she would damage the party if she continued to prevaricate.

ANI