Obama's Age Problem: He's Not Connecting and There's More of Them
Posted on Mon Apr 28, 2008 at 09:36:45 PM EST
Tags: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, 2008 (all tags)
Barack Obama is not just lagging among blue collar voters, he's got a big age problem to overcome and his popularity with younger voters isn't enough compensation:
In the Pennsylvania and Ohio primaries, Obama lost older whites by 30 percentage points, while Clinton split white voters under age 30 in both critical contests. Obama’s senior problem is even greater among Hispanics. The Illinois senator lost older Latinos by 40 to 60 percentage points in Texas, New Mexico and California.
....Older, college-educated voters consistently favor Clinton, though by small margins. Obama’s weakness is largely among seniors without college degrees, whom Clinton wins 3-to-1.
More...
Wisconsin:
Even in Wisconsin, where the white working class moved to Obama, he lost whites age 60 and older by 9 percentage points.
These voters constitute a quarter to a third of Democrats in nominating contests — where after Iowa, the youth vote largely ranged from 12 to 16 percent of voters.
....[while] Clinton lost white females overall, she still won 56 percent of those women 45 and older. Clinton’s support is even stronger among white women who are seniors.
PA and Ohio:
Clinton won a stunning seven in ten white voters age 60 and older primarily because the gender gap diminishes to Clinton's favor with older voters.
....In Pennsylvania, exit polls show that Obama won 54 percent of white men under age 45, while Clinton won 61 percent of the older white men. For white women, Clinton won 63 percent under age 45 and 69 percent 45 and older.
On women,
Seniors are more likely to be women and less educated. So Clinton’s strength with both groups is only heightened among older voters.
....Democratic white women in particular, from the early Baby Boomers to those born before women could vote, are also more likely to be feminists. Many of their lives are in part defined by the women's movement.
....In most contests, white women of all ages remain firmly with Clinton. But Obama’s strength with white male Democrats stops near middle age.
How does this factor into the general election with McCain as the opponent?
| < Karl Rove Gives Obama Six Pointers to Recover and Win | Late Night: Summing Up Rev. Wright > |
