Clinton's Turf Invaded: Obama Wins Women, Working Class, White Males

The Virginia Democratic primary was supposed to be Sen. Hillary Clinton's best hope for the so-called Potomac Primaries. But a look at exit polls following a significant victory for Sen. Barack Obama shows that the Illinois Democrat's political base is expanding deep into Clinton's turf -- including among women and working class Democrats.

In Virginia, Obama outdid Clinton among women by a margin of 58 percent to 42. He also captured the majority of those voters who make less than $50,000: 59 percent to 40 percent. And even bested Clinton among Latinos by a margin of 55 to 45, though the later made up a small portion of the voting public and should be taken with a grain of salt.

Indeed, Obama had strong performances across the board. He narrowly lost the white vote to Clinton, 48 percent to 51 percent, but won the majority of white men in the state, 55 percent to 43 percent. That group, as recently as the South Carolina primary several weeks ago, also seemed firmly in the Clinton camp.

Obama also maintained what has become the most reliable demographic elements of his electoral base. Ninety percent of blacks supported the Senator, as did 66 percent of those under 40-years-of-age, 66 percent of independents, 70 percent of Republicans who voted in the Democratic primary, and 58 percent of post-graduates.

Update:

The exit polls from Maryland pretty much tell the same story. Obama won ever portion of the state, both the city and the suburbs. He won every income level as well, except for those voters making over $200,000. He won among those who said the economy was the most important issue as well as those who most valued the war in Iraq. And he won the majority of every age group.

Obama again won among Latinos: 53 percent to 47 percent (although the group again comprised a fairly small portion of the polling data). He was also close among whites: 46 percent to Clinton's 51.

He took the black vote by nearly 90 percent, and again bested Clinton among white men. Though, like he in Virginia, Clinton held on to white women by a margin of 55 percent to 42 percent.

Comments

[gtt]

Go Obama Go ! Come on down here to Texas and ignite the old progressive heart of the democratic party. Texans can deliver the victory.

Obama 2008

[Ides]

Amen to that.

[fun2bfree]

Please call anyone you know in Wisconsin, Ohio and Pennsylvania and ask them to look into Obama...the more people know him, the more votes he gets...the few still voting for Hillary are the people who have closed their eyes to Clinton's serious character flaws and plugged their ears and refused to learn the real substance of Obama's record of opening up and cleaning up government wherever he goes
and the media still have handled her with very gentle gloves--
Example: Why can't she release her tax return? Why is she not asked this every day and at every stop until she answers.She has done this kind of skullduggery time and again! Her duplicity may be old news but it still is freshly operating in how she operates.

[JackW]

I'm thinking fun2bfree doesn't understand what Senators have to do when they run and take office. They have to file a lot of financial records which are then a matter of public record, and if you listened to MSNBC today, you would have heard Chuck Todd say she has already given more financial information than anyone else. You want to see it? Go to the Senate site and search for it!
All this is, is someone wanting to get a look at Bill's finances, not her's.
The more I hear Obama, the less substance he seems to have. Eloquence does not equate to substance, and his speeches do nothing other than make one feel all warm and fuzzy.
We don't need another compassionate president. We need one who'll run the country properly. To hell with warm and fuzzy.
If Obama's record is so clean, why won't he discuss the slum landlord matter? Why did he not vote all those times in Illinois instead of just saying present? There's more to this than meets the eye.

[Buddhabman]

JackW - "Eloquence does not equate to substance", you would rather have Bush I guess. Rezko is nothing or the Clinton campaign would have hammered Obama to death with it. Or maybe they didn't want to reconvene the Ghost of Whitewater. Unfortunately and unfairly for Hillary, it's the past baggage that is killing her appeal. People want to move forward and not rehash the past.

Obama 08

[bellecloche]

Don't want to get into a long debate, but FYI - Obama voted only present on the choice/anti-choice legislation in the Illinois state Senate in each case due to obscure wording that in either a yes or no vote would have infringed upon a woman's right to choose (as the anti-choice movement so likes to do). The National Organization for Women Illinois chapter said so themselves when they defended Obama's "present" votes in 2004 and endorsed him for U.S. Senate. It's just now since they're prioritizing their endorsement of a woman for president over his consistently pro-choice record that they've tried to make a big deal of these votes. Planned Parenthood has called them on this, and they themselves are unbiased as they have not endorsed a candidate.

[BitJam]

Gosh, the same old tired Clinton talking points. Listen to the former president of Chicago NOW about Obama's present votes:

Why Lorna Switched from Clinton to Obama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVuMYKs8iJs

The former President of Chicago NOW, Lorna Brett Howard, who explains why she switched from supporting Hillary Clinton to supporting Barack Obama: she was upset by Clinton's repeated lies about Obama's pro-choice record.

I also suggest you look up the bills Obama has sponsored and passed, then compare that with what Senator Clinton has done. Even though she has spent more time in the Senate, she has accomplished much, much less.

[bitabingbitabangbitaboom]

I`M THE FAT LADY.......TRALALA !

[Seattlelite]

Off subject here but -- John McCain ended his victory speech tonight saying "I'm fired up and ready to go" -- good griff, these candidates continuing to steel Senators Obama's lines is really sad. I heard Hillary say on the stump last week "yes we can". Perhaps they are on the Obama train now as well. if they can't be any more original then this (having to steal another candidates campaign lines) I wouldn't expect anything original from them as the next President either.

[CurrerBell]

I know! They might as well all quit campaigning and just support Obama. This proves that he's a good leader.

[Ides]

Hillary was in Maryland and she said, "I'm Fired Up and Ready to Go!" The entire audience just dropped silent.

[Ides]

Somebody should edit a YouTube video with that live performance, Obama saying it, and then cut in McCain and Hillary saying it.


Then end with "America loves Obama"

[UNCLEJOE]

One word defines Hillary, 'WARMONGER.'

[ariadne1]

so what could go wrong? what could she pull off at the debates?

she can't go after him, to much blow back. she has to make him appear to have no real plans to implement his proposals. she is going to have to go after him on the specifics. meanwhile mccain has already started his attack... he is going to be taking heat from both sides!

this is nerve wracking.

[Collielady]

We Americans are tired of our government, and leaders who promise change, but never bring effective change. We are willing to place our bets on Barack Obama. There's always the possibility that he won't be our saviour, but we KNOW Hillary Clinton won't be. She represents everything that is wrong with our government and its leadership - more of the same. The American people now get that.

If our ineffective leaders are stunned about Obama's popularity surge, they have no one to blame but themselves for continuing to disappoint the people while they prostituted themselves with corporate lobbyists and the banks.

Maybe, finally, the American people will be the deciders.

[HamletsMill]

Well said, Collielady.

[Seattlelite]

I can understand the reservations some people have about Senator Obama, allot of dem's see him as taking a risk these are people that don't like the unknown and are not comfortable with change even when they know change is needed. They know the Clinton's and would rather go backwards out of fear and comfort then to try something new to move forward. Then there are those who know that without risk there is no reward, to succeed you have to be willing to face the unknown and make changes. This country right now is in a mess, we didn't get here over night. Out of fear the country voted against it's own interest in 2004 in fear of making a change. I believe we've lost the values this country was founded on. Senator Obama is giving us a the road map to lead us back to the road of success but that will not happen if you are afraid.

[S1m0n]

"If she loses the Latinos, working class and females, what does she have to work with?"

Racists, I guess.

~~

Doesn't look like Hillary's going to manage even a dead-dog bounce before Texas & Ohio, unless Wisconsin comes through.

[CurrerBell]

No way Wisconsin will come through for her. She might as well go into a cave until March.

[joannadem]

Oh, come on. I support Obama but I have many good progressive -- and non racist -- friends who support Hillary.

[laborgrunt]

joannadem, im glad you said what you said. Im black, Im a 1st generation American and I support Obama. But I have close friends that support Hillary and I do not think they are racists.

Please people lets stop with the hyperboles!

[XYZ]

I think Clinton's campain woes are starting to show. When you hear a campain talk about delivering a few states, you know it's on the ropes. Campains don't win on promises, but wins by getting out and getting delegates. Obama is out there drawing large crowds, racking up wins. Just participating in an Obama event makes you feel alive. I'm not dissing Hillary at all but I don't belive she is the right candidate, at the right time. It's rare that a politican can drum up the support like Obama has. It's obvious his campain is firing on all cylinders, while Clinton's is flaming out. However in politics your fourtune can change overnight, so Obama must keep up the pressure. If he can crack Texas, and Ohio. Well we all know what happens then (Clinton must pack her presidential asperations in her bag, and go back to the senate).

[akatsuki]

I'm still concerned about both Ohio and Texas. Although both Maine and Virginia went strongly for Obama, I think it would be premature to call this race even close to done. Obama needs to get a stronger Latino and white vote, to the point where it is decisive and the DNC no longer even plays a role, because I don't want to even see Hillary as a VP candidate after the crap she has pulled in this campaign (and more importantly, after her absenteeism on FISA which is unforgivable in a future leader).

[Seattlelite]

I agree about a premature victory dance, Senator Obama doing very well, most important he was able to increase his support among Clinton's base. But Texas and Ohio have a chuck of delegates. And as we've seen in the pass just when you think he's on a roll Hillary pulls it out. Keep working folks, get on the phones make those calls in TX and OH, I certainly plan to.

Thank you VA, MD and DC I love you!!

[AxelDC]

Latinos for Obama: How does that bode for Clinton in Texas?

[jungpatawan]

Es muy malo para ella in Tejas.

JP

[sammy333]

It is truly amazing! After all those republican votes on wars and Patriot Act, Hillary shamelessly does "Oops I did it again" by not voting against immunity. Must Mark Penn's advise.

[covington]

ask = not to ask... damn wireless keyboard

[covington]

I have great influence with my friends in Ohio. I make it a practice to ask my friends for favors, but I will always help my friends... I will be asking for favors this November.

[covington]

*working