The July 15 Quinnipiac University poll shows women overall backed Obama over McCain 55 percent to 36 percent. Then again, the margin was far smaller among independent women, who preferred Obama by just three points, 45 percent to 42 percent. And finally, there's that Clinton problem. The Associated Press/Yahoo News "found that just 12 percent of former Clinton supporters say they are excited about Obama."

According to the 2004 Edison-Mitofsky Exit Polls, Mr. John Kerry rolled up a whopping 51-48 edge with voters of the female persuasion. And those white women that make up the heart of Clinton's base? They voted for Bush by a 55-44 margin. So...Kerry...3-point gender gap. Obama...19-point gender gap with 9% undecided.

One thing you'll quickly learn in this campaign, if you haven't already, is that American columnists (and often reporters) are lacking something people in foreign newsrooms call 'shame'. Shame would require someone like Carol Marin to google the Exit Polls from 2004 before she penned a column suggesting that women are not warming to Barack Obama. To be fair, Ms. Marin does supply one woman, assuming Sarah isn't a construct of Marin's fertile imagination:

A few hours after leaving the "Women for Obama" luncheon, I ran into Sarah, not her real name. I've known her for a few years. A single mom, she free-lances, working as many jobs as she can to support two growing boys. She dreams of a permanent gig with benefits, but it's still just a dream.

A 37-year-old Democrat, she is also a college grad and a news junkie who has watched this campaign like a hawk. She surprised me with her anger Tuesday, saying she's voting for McCain.

To Sarah, Barack Obama is like the organic chicken at lunch. Sleek, elegant, beautifully prepared. Too cool.

Isn't that nice? Barack Obama is an organic chicken 'at lunch', whatever the hell that is supposed to mean. As for Clinton...

It seems pretty clear that if Obama is not going to pick Clinton as his running mate, he'd better not pick a woman at all. That, Sarah made clear in our conversation Tuesday, would be unfair.

Are you sick of reading this bullshit line, yet? Sarah, you might have noticed, is voting for McCain. That's all the punishment she has to dole out on her country. She can't vote against Obama and then turn around and vote again against his female running mate.

The one remaining question is why we don't see more liberal columnists asking when John McCain stopped blowing goats.