On the June 16 edition of CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, CNN senior political analyst Gloria Borger asserted, "[Sen. John] McCain really believes that he has an opportunity to win over these suburban women who, in recent polls, have shown that they don't like [Sen.] Barack Obama very much." Borger did not name any specific polls that found that “suburban women ... don't like Barack Obama very much.” A Media Matters for America review identified two recent polls reporting results for the subcategory of suburban women, neither of which published results for likability of the two candidates among suburban women.

One of the polls, conducted by the Democratic polling firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner from May 29 through June 8, showed Obama leading McCain by seven percentage points in an “initial vote” by “suburban women” in 12 presidential battleground states, 51-44, with no listed margin of error. The poll further indicated that after explaining the respective positions of Obama and McCain on abortion, which the poll labeled “choice positioning,” Obama's lead over McCain grew to 55-39 among suburban women. Greenberg Quinlan Rosner concluded that “Choice Moves Key Blocs of Women Toward Obama.”

According to a June 11 MSNBC.com article by NBC News deputy political director Mark Murray, a second poll conducted from June 6-9, released by NBC News and The Wall Street Journal, found that “McCain leads Obama among white suburban women (44-38), [a] group which makes up about 10 percent of all voters that [Democratic pollster Peter D.] Hart calls 'absolutely critical' for both candidates in the fall.” However, neither Murray's report -- which discussed the poll's results among "white suburban women," not simply “suburban women” -- nor the full published results of the poll, provided likability or favorability ratings for Obama and McCain among suburban women. Moreover, the poll's result for white suburban women is reportedly within the margin of error.

From the June 16 edition of CNN's Anderson Cooper 360:

CAMPBELL BROWN (anchor): As [CNN correspondent] Dana [Bash] said, this isn't the first vetting gaffe for the McCain campaign. But how serious a misstep is this one?

We are “Digging Deeper” now with our panel once again. Joining us, [CNN senior political correspondent] Candy Crowley, Gloria Borger, and [CNN senior political analyst] David Gergen.

And Gloria, could this fundraiser flap with [former Texas Republican gubernatorial candidate] Clayton Williams have an impact on McCain's push for women?

BORGER: Well, I think it could. There's kind of this drip, drip, drip going on in these campaigns right now. And as you pointed out, McCain really believes that he has an opportunity to win over these suburban women who, in recent polls, have shown that they don't like Barack Obama very much.

I would have to say that this is not one way to do it and that this also really shows that this is a campaign that still has to get up to speed on being ready for kind of a general election, because these are the kinds of mistakes that you don't think they -- I don't think they should be making at this point in the campaign.

BROWN: And Candy, the McCain campaign's not returning the money they raised. The fundraiser's going to be moved to a different location. Does that go far enough in terms of them or him trying to distance himself from Williams?