Obama Improving Among Whites And Seniors, Holding Among Jews

Barack Obama may have his work cut out when it comes to recruiting white men and seniors. But if the exit polls from Pennsylvania provide any insight into the evolution of this political process, the Illinois Democrat may be improving among both those groups.

In Ohio, Obama lost to Senator Clinton among white men by a margin of 58 percent to 39 percent. That deficit was reduced to 55 percent to 45 percent, according to Pennsylvania exits polls - a 16-point gap narrowed to ten.

A similar trend held true among seniors. In Ohio, Clinton won this group by a wide margin of 69 percent to 28 percent. Six weeks later, Obama narrowed the gap by more than half, earning 41 percent of support among Pennsylvanian's 60 years and older compared to Clinton's 59 percent.

The margins still pose problems for the Illinois Democrat, who, going forward both in the primary and, potentially, in the general, needs to shore up his standing among these two valuable constituencies. But the trends show him making progress.

On another front... conventional wisdom held that, in light of the scandal over Obama's controversial former pastor Jeremiah Wright - and revelations that Wright had once said positive things of Louis Farrakhan - the Senator would have trouble with the Jewish community.

But if the exit polls from Pennsylvania are to be trusted - and maybe they shouldn't be - the state's Jewish electorate was almost split between the two candidates.

Jewish voters, which made up seven percent of the voting populace, supported Sen. Hillary Clinton by a margin of 53 percent to 47 percent. When the surveyed group was limited to just white voters, that split was decreased to 51 percent for Clinton, 49 percent for Obama.

All of which leads to two possible conclusions: Obama may not have the terrific Jewish problem that pundits have predicted and, yes, there are some non-white Jews.

Comments

[Twinkie821]

"We can be a party that says and does whatever it takes to win the next election..­..........­..........
Or we can be the party that doesn"t just focus on how to win but why we should."
-Sen. Barack Obama 4/23/08

I'm going to follow my pick for Democratic Presidential candidate here and congratulate the Hillary Clinton supporters for the win in PA. And now it's on to NC and Indiana. I've always said that I'm not against Hillary, I just like Barack better. No need for name calling and the like on this board. For me, the most important thing is that we change DC in November and keep the Republicans from retaking the
White House. It's also important that we help the Dems that are running down ticket for Congressional offices. I honestly believe that either Sen. Clinton on Sen. Obama would make good presidents.

[daveny]

Amen. Thanks for being one of the people who sees that, for all our passion for one candidate or the other, and for all the dislike some of us may have for the "other" candidate.­... if we care about the policies, the ideas, and the values that both Obama and Clinton supposedly stand for -- EITHER of them is FAR better than McCain in the end!

I'm a staunch Obama supporter, but I love my country way too much to throw away my vote if I don't get my way in the primary. Let's hope there's some Clinton supporters out there who have the same good sense!

[Roshi98]

As a Clinton supporter, I can honestly say that I, too, am first and foremost a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat and will vote for Obama should he become the official nominee. I think it's really amazing how passionate we all our for our respective candidates and how firm we are in our belief that one is the better choice to lead this nation out from under Bush's morass.

However, at the end of the day, even if we have to hold our collective noses when entering the polling booth in November, there is NOTHING more critical to the survival of our republic than cleaning our the dregs of 12+ years of Republican domination. I know a number of Obama's supporters, today, cannot imagine voting for Hillary in November (please withhold the comments on the math of that possibility - I'm aware of the figures), but the alternative is too grim to accept. Not only the war, but the economy, the environment, education, health care, energy independence, choice, we CANNOT afford another Republican administration taking the reins for 4-8 years.

If ever a time when voting for "the lesser of two evils" had actual moral, ethical, and civic validity, Obama supporters, November could be that time.

[highlighter]

Relative to George W my ass would make a good president.­..

[grannyj2008]

LMAO!! That's funny.

[LBM]

I don't see how you can say a 53% to 47% advantage is evenly split? Hillary has the advantage and is the preferred candidate for the Jewish community, no matter what the race. It may be closer than pundits thought, but it's still an advantage.

[ibsteve2u]

I just hope Pennsylvania gets its act together some day...they really need to ponder questions like: Why do 9 out of 10 Carnegie Mellon graduates leave after graduation?

[Cathi]

I smll a rat! According to CNN exit polls, what happened to blacks?????

Black 18-29 (3%) N/A N/A
Black 30-44 (4%) N/A N/A
Black 45-59 (5%) 16% 84%
Black 60 and Older (3%) N/A N/A

Are they REALLY saying only blacks between 45 and 59 showed up? I also saw on a thread yesterday that machines weren't working so someone got a paper ballot -- without Obama on it. I trust HRC and Rendell and Nutter as much as I trust a snake.

[Truthfighter1]

Uh, how about Clinton hasn't closed the deal either, you know the inevitable candidate from day one. Hill supporter a bunch of spin artist just like her..

[LBM]

She just closed this one by 10%!

[HopeGirl]

Where did all that dirt and fear get her- 15 more delegates. Thats all. 15 won't get her anywhere. Obama will have 15 Super Delegates this week.

What did she leave? A bunch of fearful, manipulated people that voted against their best interests.

[armadillious2002]

Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry has fully endorsed Obama this morning. Chalk up another super delegate for Obama.

[LBM]

Only 300 more to go! The smart ones are waiting until the voting is over so they can actually back the winner.

[USMC1980]

If he is improving so much...the­n how come he lost, yet again. Sam boy needs to accept that his boy is done. Obama had his day in the sun, and couldn't close the deal...now he is set to get another ass whupping in Indiana. Maybe after he loses there, Sam can make up some more lame excuses for Obama's continued failure...­or maybe he should just try and deal with reality for once.

[ForeignCommenter]

Couldn't close the deal? It's not about closing the deal, it's about winning the deal, and he's doing exactly that. He doesn't have to win anywhere at this point (but he will) to be ahead in the delegate count, and the superdelegates should be very wary of overturning the pledged delegate winner. Both the "popular vote" and "big states" arguments are bogus. (Clinton isn't winning the popular vote unless we give Clinton the votes from Michigan without giving Obama a share from there, and winning or losing a primary does not tell a thing about winning or losing the GE in the same state).

[DGregory]

hilarious. You think its easy to cut into someone elses base? clinton made no in roads in obama's base.

I hear everyone say "if obama cant win the white working class voters, hes done", yet ignore that clinton needs the young/black votes to win

so what are you talking about?

The thing is, They are winning states based on their constituency's.

The real measure btw these two candidates is by the time this ends is whose pulling more form each other constituency

i mean man cmon now.. when obama was told that if he didnt score double digits in mississippi there would be a probably, he got 20% victory

the same is for clinton in ohio and penn. the thing is clinton is not getting the blow out victories obama is getting in the states she suppose to win, which means hes cutting into her base while she is not his

So why should he drop out?

[halfdemhalfgop]

Thats all he has is his base...as for Mississippi all the racist blacks in the state
gave the bro their vote..

[ApolloniaCreed]

Pat Buchanan, is that you? lol, to suggest that the person who is ahead on all fronts has "had his day in the sun" because of the result of one primary, in which he cut into his opponents coalition is laughable.­..

And oh dear... I don't want to upset you but... she's broke.

[vlebje]

And even if she claims to have raised $2.5 million last night, I can tell you that Obama can call me and his other supporters and we will, at his request, make sure that he finally reaches the $100 million in one month. I have been going along making $25 and $50 donation, so I can kick it up a notch to $200 to $250 any time I desire. I challenge Obama supporters to do the same.

[DocR]

USMC 1980 - I am a former Navy Corpsman, circa 1968. Your use of the term "boy" in reference to Senator Obama is not only annoying and revealing, it is embarrassing to people like me who served with Marine infantry during a war. Maybe you would do us the courtesy of changing your moniker. I'm sure the black Marines who fought with me would be appreciative. I know I would. By many accounts, Clinton's win last night was due to negative campaigning and a lot of people who apparently could not see past the color of his skin. Its significance, relative to pledged delegates, will be rendered meaningless in less then two weeks, if not by the end of this week. What it says about Pennsylvania Democrats is much more disturbing. I thought we have moved past this nonsense.

[maryrat]

Open letter to Obama:

Dear Sen. Obama, I am a supporter that has admired your staying on the high road with your campaign. But I say to you now it's time to come out swinging. Use every bit of ammunition in your arsenal. Go as negative as you can. I will support you no matter what and if running a dirty, negative campaign is what's going to win for you, as it obviously does for Clinton,then go for it with all guns blasting!

I sent $ to Obama this AM I urge all his supporters to do the same.

[ForeignCommenter]

I don't think going negative is the right answer. Obama can win with a neutral campaign style that attacks the issues, not the person (although sometimes the person seemingly is the issue, like when Clinton publicly said she's going to keep taking money from lobbyists). Of course, countering Clinton negative attacks strongly is in order, otherwise Clinton supporters claim Obama is weak (it's really a lose/lose situation, cause countering even in neutral tone gets the "how dare he" response).

[vlebje]

I have already done so. I do differ with you, though, on the advice to come out negative and angry like Hillary. It is that old politics that must go, and you don't overcome it by becoming it. Despite the difficulty of the slog, and the meanness of the old Hillary politic, principle ought to rule us. I do, though, fully understand the feelings you are experiencing.

Now, though, we need to focus on why the Republicans love Hillary. It is overwhelming. Scaife even, is warming up to Hillary. Why? Because she has surrendered to Scaife's philosophy [I use the term loosely]. Why does the NC Republican's have an add ready to go that is in essence a Hillary ad? Because she is a closet Republican, that's why. Why does Joe Scarborough, Pat Buchanan, Bill Benet, et al, get nearly orgasmic when they speak of Hillary? Because they know that even a weak candidate can beat a person whose negatives are higher than her positives.

But Scaife? She must be kidding. She is back to her old self: the liar.

[Truthfighter1]

Ey your right, she only won by 8.5 %, u round it off it's more like 8.0%
http://www.electionreturns.state.pa.us/


No matter what Obama is still going to be the Nominee and we need to come together, don't worry about this so called "big state victories", NY, CA, MO, VA, CO, and other big states will be carried by the Dem's no matter who the nominee is, PA or OH have not and have never been strongholds for Dem's in the General Election, the best hope we have in states like PA and OH is the newly registered voters to counter the majority white blue collar voters in those states.

So Hill supporters don't get too excited this is still Obama's to lose. I think he is "vetted" now as they say and still holding his own. Taking attacks on two fronts from Hillary and the Republican­s..still standing. He improved in the white male vote and the senior vote compared to Ohio's results.

Now Obama just needs to get back on message and don't even respond to the negative attacks anymore, it's all out their America can decide for itself who is the more trustworthy and leveled headed of the two, by the way to me restraint shows more toughness than attacking all the time. Attacking and going negative is very easy to do, but to hold back takes some real toughness and respect for a fellow opponent.

[SaddieMcCall]

Hillary has lost ground on Whites and Seniors in her own home state.

[cramos]

Whine on...Spin it!

He got served major big time ion Pa. She got white upper income voters by 10 points, isn't that his group?

[obamavet]

Pennsylvania proves that once again the post-menopausal grandma sisterhood and Hillary’s idiots, have combined to force their sexist-racist will on the rest of us. It seems that everyone piously declares that negative ads are shameful, hate mongering is bad and that Hillary’s negatives are unacceptable and then they turn around and vote for her. The voters of Pennsylvania admit that Hillary’s credibility is in the toilet that she threw at Obama and still they vote for her. The voters were willing to accept the fear mongering of Karl Rove advertizing over a message of hope. Well, guess what…they can have Hillary. The grandma sisterhood and the MSM can continue to shatter the glass ceiling at the expense of the Democrat party. Me…I’m staying home in the fall to plan my future move to another country.

[swanky]

I'd be hopeful that you'd follow through on that, but no one ever does. Remember Babs and Baldwin who were supposed to move to Canada after a second Bush term? But by all means, feel free to prove me wrong.

[Pammy1151]

Everyone tip toes around the racist thing but I lived in PA my entire life and just moved from there three years ago. I can tell you that it is still a "very" racist state. Lots of old people that are very set in their ways and not going to change no matter what. I think the fact that he did as well as he did is a miracle. I am still in touch with many there and they were all Hillary. Women who don't look at the issues just vote for her because she is a woman. All of the stuff you Hillary people don't want to hear about. I am also maybe as bad as they are because if she manages to steal the nomination I will not vote this time. I am tired of crooked politics and it has nothing to do with just this race. It has always been that way. This is first time in my lifetime we have a choice to get away from that and people are so stupid they can't see it. My fear is that these people voted GB in twice. Can we be surprised at this.

[vlebje]

My experience exactly. Pennsylvanian is even more racist than Michigan [my state] if that is possible. If I could, I would sell both states to Canada, and they would love it.

[JillQ]

I grew up in PA as well, and I moved to Kansas 20 years ago. Kansas is one of the reddest states in the country, making KS Democrats true disenfranchised voters! But I have noticed in my years here that we have voted in TWO female governors, BOTH DEMOCRATS! PA has never had a female governor, and only THREE were Democrats in the past 45 years! So, with its history and obviously laughable present, I believe, in the general election, Kansas just may turn blue and PA would go red.

[joeyp404]

Spin is spin. But, it ain't a win!

[SaddieMcCall]

Hillary is NOT improving among African American voters. Hillary is NOT improving among educated voters. Hillary is NOT improving among Americans being paid over $75,000. PA is not reflected of the rest of the country.

[polish]

PA is reflective of the rest of the country. You have a vast diversity and it shows that Obama cannot win the state against McCain. When are you going to wake up?

[Conservateur]

It`s funny how everyone who doesn`t vote for Obama is called 'uneducate­d'.You are gonna need the same 'ignorant people' to vote for your VERY INTELLIGENT candidate.­Good luck convincing them to vote with you.Have you ever thought that maybe the 'uneducated ' voters do not like people who belittle them and remind them that they are 'uneducated' everytime they don`t disagree with someone?

[Mcjiti]

Ed Randell was slated to appear last night on Fox News and when the Clinton campaign found out that they were going to ask him about his previous comments praising Louis Farrakhan, the campaign pulled the plug on his appearance on the show.
Michael Moore said in his endorsement of Obama, that HRC brought up Farrakhan as a ploy to cast Barack Obama as a racist thereby playing on people's fears. To strengthen things further, Bill did what he does best. He appeared on Philadelphia and said that the Obama campaign played the race card on him in SC; then wagging his finger in the reporters face, he denies that he ever said that. It's the big elephant in the room- race!
Dems always know how to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and HRC is helping do that. No one denies that she won PA, but at what cost? I now believe what Gov. Richardson said- that her team feels that she is entitled to this nomination!
With her win in PA she has made it harder for Obama to win in the GE, plain and simple. Nobody can convince me otherwise because she used Karl Rovian tactics to knee cap her own fellow Democrat for their own ambitions.
Let's hope this family does not tear the Democratic family down.

[swanky]

This is Obama's fault. He is the one spending and spending and spending and losing and losing and losing. He'll get the nomination, don't worry your pretty little Trotskyite heads. He'll lose in November, and it'll be all on him.