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

[covington]

I used to be a neo-con cane to the Dem Party because I tired the "religios wrong" hijacked a political party. Barak Obama is the one that I've been watching for the last year very closely. I am woking the Repubs I know to cross the aisle for this man. He is impressive

[lorenrt303]

Hillary, You lost me when you failed to show up in support of FISA today. Nothing demonstrates more clearly that...you just don't have the goods.

[AmericanFool]

The recent Obama victories leave Mrs Clinton wondering where her supporters went. She will not win unless she changes in the way most uncomfortable for her. She must learn to speak to our hearts as well as our minds, and she does not know how. She didn't find her voice earlier in this campaign, she merely found her constituency.

Leadership requires competence and the ability to inspire. Hillary is competent, but inspirational skills escape her for the most part. Obama has inspirational skills, but his competence has not been proven. These facts are not likely to change in the next few months.

The traditional stronghold of the Democratic party - the union workers, immigrants - have been weakened or have different cultural influences vs 20 years ago. The Democratic Party is changing, and for this reason Obama's candidacy is possible, despite the legitimate and hard won influence of the Clintons. Kennedy and Reagan did not win solely on the strength of their ideas, they won because they allowed Americans to feel publicly what we feel privately - that we embody the most honorable, charitable, optimistic and energetic political experiment in the history of this world. Like Kennedy and Reagan, Obama speaks not of what we have been or even what we are, but of what we aspire to be. After 8 years of abhorrent failure on the part of our leadership to live up to the better angels of our nature, and corrupt attempts to convince us that immoral acts were necessary because the ends justified the means, it is time to reclaim our moral character. We must relight the flame of hope in our hearts and minds so that we can reach a better place. Only Obama has shown he knows the path.

[Troubledwawa]

The election appears to be Main St. versus Wall St, now.

Obama may have just changed the direction of this election by understanding what People want - their government back and working for them.

[nurseattorney]

As I listened to Obama speak tonight, I recalled Howard Dean's campaign theme: "We need to take back our country." "Damn," I thought, "Obama's channeling Howard Dean." Over at the McCain speech, they were chanting their candidate's name over and over. At the Obama speech, the chant was "Yes We Can!" I love the inclusiveness of the Obama campaign, the feeling that it is the PEOPLE who are the movement, not the individual.

[zor2008]

The wheels haven't come off the HRC trainwreck, but they are about to. Her speech in El Paso tonite is a blast of hot air looking for some lift. If she were to win Texas, which she won't, it will be among a demographic we haven't heard about yet. Maybe cattle or sagebrush. Look, she's lost it. Even the soccer moms have drunk the kool-aid and jumped the HMS Crybaby. Look, tears don't get delegates, change does. Change, change, change, change, change. She ain't got it. After 35 years of public meandering and dabbling, her idea of change is to rearrange the deck chairs. Ain't gonne work.

[SmartChick]

I so second the comments of those noting the cultural diversity of the voters supporting Barack. This was something we saw happening in California, and had 3million votes not been cast absentee (and 94,500 independent votes in LA County been completely disenfranchised) we might have seen more.

The Obama campaign is truly made up of women and men of all races. There is room for all to get onboard, even those who have most vehemently refused to believe that hopeful optimism could prevail.

Go to www.barackobama.com yourself, check out under "issues," read the endorsements, and join the team. It truly isn't a "fairytale­."

[marcusdean]

I think Tim Kaine, the Governor of VA, who I saw speaking spanish (with thick accent) the other day, has really helped the Obama campaign. Kaine is a catholic. Obama did well with catholics.

[CltinLyn]

When I heard the demographics of the vote in Virginia, NOW, I feel like part of the State in which I live.

GOOD JOB, VIRGINIA, Beautiful State, and now Beautiful People

[MartinEdwinAndersen]

DISPATCHES FROM THE GROUND WAR ...

DRUDGE REPORTING ...

EXIT POLLS SHOW 2:1 OBAMA LEAD OVER HILLARY IN VA AND MD, 3:1 IN DC...
*In Virginia Exits, Obama wins Latin Vote by Double Digits -- 55-45...

Clinton's Deputy Campaign Manager Steps Aside ...

FLASH: House Speaker Pelosi 'leaning towards Obama'...

[rinpochet]

If she loses the Latinos, working class and females, what does she have to work with? She will probably win the race in Texas but she needs to win by a huge margin to get the delegate count that she will need to overcome.

At least this time the race is not a yawn!

Shou

[dryfactoidobotanoid]

all that's left of the Hillary demographic is the base of people who like to be treated like a fucking kindergarten class.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_WIqjj0WVA

Colbert Report

"Clap Clap Point Point"

[johnnygoodwud]

for all the d.c.,va.,m­d. people who voted for obama tonight, thank you. it's nice to see both blacks, latinos and whites, males and females all come together. the 'O' train will be leaving the station very soon, and we have added extra cars, and have room for everyone. ALL ABOARD

[DennyCrane]

I hope this isn't an anomaly and continues through the rest of the campaign. Maybe people are finally seeing Hillary for the phony she is.