During a November 1 report on CNN's The Situation Room about young female voters' support for presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), correspondent Carol Costello asserted, "[I]f Hillary Clinton can persuade these young, single women to vote for her, many say she will win. And those who oppose Clinton know that. That's why they're calling these young women voters stupid." After referring to young female voters as “single anxious females,” a reference to single women voters roughly between the ages of 18 and 44, Costello aired a clip of the YouTube video "Obama girl," and stated, “This particular group may be anxious about the war, healthcare, and equal pay but they are notoriously difficult to get to the polling booths, prompting some to say they are more interested in showing off than in true political activism.” She added, "[T]he online magazine Jezebel dubbed them the elusive, slutty, anxious female, that's slutty in a political sense of course," a reference to a June 14 Jezebel item with the headline: “Barack Obama Lures Elusive Slutty Anxious Female Demographic,” which discussed the “Obama girl” video.

In a November 2 item, Jezebel discussed Costello's reference to its headline, noting: “We were brought into the convo [during the Situation Room segment] when we covered the Obama girl video and said that he [Obama] has 'The Elusive Slutty Anxious Female Demographic' behind him." The item stated: “First of all, like, duh, it's a joke ... kinda. But secondly, we don't really sling around the term 'slutty' as an insult around these parts. It's more of a qualifier.”

Costello also reported on a recent survey commissioned by the political network Emily's List, which found that 49 percent of Democratic women primary voters aged 18-44 in New Jersey, Georgia, and Arizona said they would vote for Clinton in the February 5 primary election. She later aired a video clip in which MSNBC's Tucker Carlson asked, “Do you think that people who are voting on the basis of gender solidarity ought to be allowed to vote in a perfect world?” In the clip aired on CNN, Carlson answered his own question: “Of course they shouldn't be allowed to vote on those grounds. That's like -- that's moronic.” But Costello did not report that the Emily's List survey also found that "[m]ost Democratic women won't choose their presidential nominee based on gender." The survey asked respondents, “On a scale of zero to 10, how important is it to you that Hillary Clinton would be the first woman President?” Forty-seven percent rated it 0-5 or “not very important,” while 15 percent rated it 6-7 or “somewhat important”; only 37 percent rated it 8-10 or “very important.”

After noting that “being pigeonholed this way makes some young women steam” and caused “angry sarcasm about who they might vote for,” Costello concluded, “Of course all of this ”stupid girl" talk may drive female voters to the polls. Hillary Clinton certainly hopes so."

From the 7 p.m. ET hour of the November 1 edition of CNN's The Situation Room:

WOLF BLITZER (host): Young, single women are increasingly throwing their support to Hillary Clinton. Can they do for her, let's say, what evangelical Christians did for President Bush? CNN's Carol Costello is here in The Situation Room watching this.

This is an incredibly important demographic for Hillary Clinton.

COSTELLO: Oh, it's so important, Wolf. I mean, if Hillary Clinton can persuade these young, single women to vote for her, many say she will win. And those who oppose Clinton know that. That's why they're calling these young women voters stupid.

[begin video clip]

COSTELLO: 2008 could well be the year of the woman. Or rather the single, anxious female. According to new research by Emily's List, a political network for Democratic women, they might just put Hillary Clinton in the White House. Emily's List conducted a survey of young likely Democratic women voters in three primary states: Georgia, New Jersey, and Arizona. Forty-nine percent say they'll vote for Clinton. And they're excited a woman is in the running.

COSTELLO: Is that a record?

MAREN HESLA (Emily's List): It may be a record, given how crowded the field is right now.

COSTELLO: This is not lost on Clinton herself, who preached to the choir as she stumped at Wellesley College.

CLINTON: In so many ways, this all-women's college prepared me to compete in the all-boys club of presidential politics.

COSTELLO: But maybe Clinton is wasting her energy. This particular group may be anxious about the war, health care, and equal pay, but they are notoriously difficult to get to the polling booths, prompting some to say they're more interested in showing off than in true political activism.

[video clip of "I Got a Crush on Obama" by "Obama Girl"]

COSTELLO: For this, the online magazine Jezebel dubbed them the elusive, slutty, anxious female -- that's slutty in a political sense, of course. Not surprisingly, conservatives don't like this particular type of voter either. Author Ann Coulter called them stupid, going on to say it was her pipe dream to take away a woman's right to vote, and she wasn't the only one saying that.

CARLSON: Do you think that people who are voting on the basis of gender solidarity ought to be allowed to vote in a perfect world?

[crosstalk]

CARLSON: Of course they shouldn't be allowed to vote on those grounds. That's like -- that's moronic.

COSTELLO: Even feminist author Naomi Wolf, who worked on Al Gore's 2004 campaign, described SAFs as bubbly, kind of like Melanie Griffith's character in the movie Working Girl.

GRIFFITH: I don't usually have a bunny on my desk, but it was my birthday a few days ago.

COSTELLO: But being pigeonholed this way makes some young women steam.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's ridiculous.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't agree with that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's an outrage.

COSTELLO: And there was angry sarcasm about who they might vote for, too.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Maybe Hillary. Because I'm an idiot.

[end video clip]

COSTELLO: Of course, all of this “stupid girl” talk may drive female voters to the polls. Hillary Clinton certainly hopes so.

BLITZER: All right. Thanks very much. Carol Costello watching this voting bloc, this demographic for us.