Indiana and North Carolina Reinforce Demographic Patterns for Clinton and Obama
Clinton performed better than Obama among Republican voters
The two biggest issues brought up in the two weeks between Pennsylvania and yesterday's primaries worked out in different ways. Wright did play into about half the voters' decisions, according to the exit polls, and of those, a majority ended up voting for Clinton, with 7 in 10 voting for the former first lady in Indiana and 6 in 10 voting for Clinton in North Carolina. Carmines suggested that the Wright scandal may have also had an effect on the decisions of independents and Republicans. Unlike Ohio and Pennsylvania, which held closed primaries, North Carolina allowed independents to vote, and Indiana allowed both independents and Republicans. In both states, Clinton won more voters who consider themselves Republicans. Obama won a bigger share of independents in Indiana; however, Clinton did better among independents in North Carolina, a bloc that generally sides with Obama.
The other big issue, the Clinton- and John McCain-proposed gas-tax summer break, reinforced the demographic patterns. With its populist message, Clinton may have gotten stronger support from white, more rural, and more working-class voters who were already prone to vote for her.
"It worked, too, for Senator Obama because it allowed him to portray her as pandering to voters and not interested in long-term solutions . . . it painted her as part of the Washington insider establishment," said Carmines. And the exit polls showed a pretty even split as to which candidate would do a better job with the economy.
Clinton has vowed to march on, though any momentum coming off of Pennsylvania has been staved. In the end, margins matter, and now with only a handful of nominating contests left, it will be up to the superdelegates to interpret how much yesterday's margins matter.
Clinton suggested in Indianapolis last night that it would be bizarre for only 48 states to get to pick the nominee after this long, drawn-out affair. But that may not be the case for the superdelegates. "Some will want to get on the train before it leaves the station," Sabato said.
Reader Comments
Mother Day Reflection on Election Campaign 2008.
Mother Day Reflection on Election Campaign 2008 :
Obama and Black supportors reminisced wrestlers whose matches are pre-arranged and play by hitting under the belt theatric causing economic downturn just to win. So, stop watching American games. Obama's white supportors are insulting their own race as incompetent and incapable of managing their own country . Whether Obama will be elected his "super delegates", who endorsed at other's expense, must be sentenced to live in Black neighborhoods for more than four years to find out what they are really like. The democratic governor of Oklahoma who had just endorsed Obama must be executed for causing their supernatural tornadoes. The communication media of the U. S. are circus clowns not worth commenting on because they have never given any honest election comments. Hillary Clinton, best American candidate in history, can be identified with a unspoiling mother who has wasted her own $10 mllion just to warn her stubborn and ignorance daughter not to date strangers in the street. American voters in general are "blind" to good judgement. Happy Mother Day!
Forget Demographics
Forget Demographics. Clinton supporters are Democratic loyalist. They will vote for the Democrat. (as long as their candidate is in the race though, they'll "claim" that they won't) Obama has millions of Independents supporting him, and even a few Republicans (not Limbaugh Repub's)... please do tell how Hillary plans on keeping those voters?
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