Exit Polling Explains Obama Sweep in Virginia; McCain Grappling With Conservatives’ Doubt
Barack Obama won the Virginia Democratic primary Tuesday by taking traditional demographic groups supportive of him but also by cutting into Hillary Clinton’s core support
Meanwhile, conservatives showed their unhappiness with John McCain by overwhelmingly voting for Mike Huckabee in the state’s Republican primary.
Among women, typically Clinton’s most loyal supporters, Obama picked up 59 percent of the vote. And while voters 65 and older have come out strong for Clinton in other states, in Virginia Obama garnered 52 percent of their vote.
Obama also won the low-income vote — another category Clinton has typically dominated. Among voters making less than $50,000 a year, Obama took 59 percent of the vote, with 40 percent going for Clinton. He also won high-income Democrats, who have typically fallen in his favor.
Obama closed the margin of white voters in Virginia, taking 50 percent of the vote. Obama also dominated among men, getting support from 65 percent.
Obama also dominated among his other typical supporters, convincingly taking the black vote — a bloc that makes up almost a third of the state’s party — by 90 percent compared to Clinton’s 10 percent.
Young voters came out 75 percent for Obama and 25 percent for Clinton. New voters — young and old — went almost 2 to 1 for Obama.
Because Virginians could vote in either primary today, independents played a role for the Democrats and Obama. Sixty-six percent of independents voting in the Virginia Democratic primary voted for him.
Some Democrats are also feeling a bit unenthusastic about Clinton. Most voters said they’d be satisfied with either Democrat, but 34 percent said they would be dissatisfied with Clinton, compared to just 19 percent for Obama.
For Republicans, despite being his party’s front-runner for president, John McCain is still struggling to gain support from conservatives, exit polls showed.
More than two-thirds — 68 percent — of Republican voters in the Old Dominion said they’re conservative. They voted 51 percent for Huckabee and 35 percent for McCain.
Most of these voters said their problem is with the Arizona senator’s outlook. Fifty-three percent said he wasn’t conservative enough, 41 percent said he was “about right” and just 3 percent said he was too conservative.
Talk radio may be playing a big role — 62 percent of Republicans said they frequently listen to conservative programs like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham. Many of those hosts don’t endorse McCain, and their fans seem to have followed suit, voting 48 percent for Huckabee and 38 percent for McCain.
Independents continued to support McCain, with 38 percent supporting him, but Huckabee was close behind with 35 percent. 20 percent said they voted for Ron Paul.
Evangelicals continued their support of Huckabee by giving him 61 percent of the vote, with McCain picking up 28 percent.
Voters who said they think the economy is in bad shape backed McCain by 12 percentage points.
For the candidate most qualified to be commander-in-chief, 63 percent of Virginia voters said McCain and 23 percent picked Huckabee.
The FOX News exit poll questioned 1,245 Democratic and 719 Republican voters in Virginia as they were leaving their polling places.
Are you scared because of his name. If his name was William or Tom would you be less frightened. The man can’t help no more what named him than you can. So please get past his and start looking more at what has or haven’t done because I’m so sick of narrow minded people.
vh, you’re an idiot. Please don’t ever vote in an election.
If one doesn’t refer to the overall figures, one would think from the article that Huckabee has won the voting in these three primaries. In fact, McCain has. In fact, McCain has far more delegates than does Huckabee and will be the Republican nominee for President. While I am neither a McCain nor a Huckabee enthusiast, I would like to see a more “fair and balanced” report on the results of this important primaries. Anybody can write the report I just read. FoxNews writers who want to be considered journalists: Strive for the balanced report, something that may take a bit of sweat to construct and compose. It will serve your network well in the long run.
I think that this poll is no any meaning for comparing men and women earning, the reason is that 90% vote for Hessein Obama. When you are make poll, any area will be higher.
I wasn’t referring to Huckabee…I was referring to McCain against either of the Dems…my meaning was, vote Huckabee or we won’t have a choice, because what will be left is two evils…and…”the lesser of two evils” is still evil.
I’m sorry for not making myself clear…if we won’t stand together on principles instead of trying to foresee who could beat Clinton or Obama, there won’t be a choice in the general election.
The only true conservative left is Huckabee.and his not evil
I am not an independent, I vote republican and vote everytime there is an election and today I took a Dem ticket to vote against Clinton. If she is wondering why she lost Va, I am not the only one that came out in droves o make sure she is not even on the ticket.
Until recently I really was looking for a candidate in the Republican party but I am simply frustrated that there are so many people who are looking for the guy who could beat the Democrat…We don’t need another place holder president, we need someone who is going to invoke change. Unfortunately I don’t really see that in the top 4 of either party. I was really skeptical of Ron Paul until I took a closer look at some of his ideas, which I believe are the transformation that our country needs but I do not believe Paul would be a good president. I like the message of returning to the Constitution and following it the way it was intended to. I am a young voter as this will be my second time to vote, I see the need to not become too arrogant or prideful to admit that we have screwed up royally in what this country was founded on. Have we become so arrogant as to assume that following the Constitution is out dated?
I wish we could get some candidates that weren’t out for themselves…if we could have politicians who were statesman and truly concerned for their fellowman then the US would not be in the state it is in now. Whatever happened to servant leadership? May God spare us from another fool in the White House, but maybe we deserve it.
The “lesser of two evils” is still evil!
Why do the morons in the media think that talk radio hosts tell listeners what to think?? I am so tired of these babbling idiots saying such nonsense. Just because some talk show hosts happen to think what we think does not mean they are telling us what to think!! My lack of support for McCain is NOT because Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity or Laura Ingraham don’t support him! It’s because he is NOT a conservative!