Some preliminary exit poll data
| As reported by the AP | |
|---|---|
| Obama | McCain |
| 0 | 0 |
BY: TONY ROMM
A slew of states have yet to close, but we can draw at least two basic conclusions from the preliminary exit poll data that have been released:
1. The economy is the biggest issue — which spells great news for Obama. According to CNN’s data, 62 percent of respondents* identified fiscal issues as their primary concerns, while only 10 percent of respondents held the War in Iraq in a similarly high regard. That is a key statistic tonight; according to Fox News (which has only announced their statistics on television), a significant percent of those voters who claimed foreign policy issues mattered most subsequently voted for McCain — answering, perhaps once and for all, whether Obama in any way dented the perception that he would make an inexperienced commander-in-chief.
2. The McCain=Bush argument may spell trouble for McCain. At least in early states, many of which are “battlegrounds,” most voters believe the Bush administration has failed at its job. According to The Fix, “27 percent [approve] of the job [Bush] is doing. Of the 71 percent who disapproved of the job he is doing, 52 percent disapprove strongly.”
Those numbers are significant: If voters did not buy McCain’s earlier declaration that he differs greatly from his predecessor, voters’ staunch disapproval for the Bush administration could translate into support for Obama.
3. McCain did well — but not well enough — to duplicate Bush’s success among Evangelical voters. According to CNN, 72 percent of these voters chose McCain, a 6 percent decrease from what Bush captured in 2004. That said, McCain has never polled as strongly as his predecessor in this demographic, so 72 percent support is still impressive.
*Note: Much of this data has not been presented in real numbers, only generalities (because of an exit poll data embargo imposed by the networks). The numbers, furthermore, only include those states that have already closed, not all the states for which there will (eventually) be election data. We’ll update our numbers as we receive them.
November 4th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
Let us remember that Barack Obama is not black he is not white he is all of is.
November 4th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
Our country does not know what it has done – voted for someone that they think is for change but has no clue. We have had all the young people get excited for a person they think will save the country but has not idea what it will take to do anything. They never focused on the issues but on change when they did not know what they were changing to. I have had enought of hearing CNN that elected Obama several months ago in their mind and will ask for it to be removed from my cable – they never covered his issues or faults and turned a blind eye to his problems while at the same time trying to pick out everything Joh McCain or Palin or their party did and it was always front page! I have a hard time when you are so one sided – it makes it tought to want to be associated with this country – as the Obama’s would put it not proud or willing to hold their hand over their heart for what this country has done -shame on them!! It will come around one day and all will see – change it good – if it is the right change
November 4th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Well it looks like Obama is going to be our next president. I look forward to telling off the first person, that voted for Obama, who complains about him.
November 5th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Why are the words “mandate” and “landslide” being bandied about? Obama’s 53 percent of the popular vote is a modest victory, and a number of the red states he won were by very small margins. How long will the media continue its crush on Obama?