McCain's Age Again Seen As Major Problem For Voters
Yet another poll, this one by the Washington Post and ABC News, has found that Sen. John McCain's age appears to be a major hang-up for voters, far more so than Sen. Barack Obama's race. From ABC's write up:
Age continues to look like a major hurdle for McCain. Thirty-nine percent of Americans say they'd be uncomfortable with a president first taking office at age 72, far more than say they'd be uncomfortable with a woman (16 percent) or African-American (12 percent) as president.
The greatest risk of losing votes is among those who are "entirely" uncomfortable with the idea; that's 15 percent for a 72-year-old president, vs. 6 and 7 percent, respectively, for a black or female president. Slightly more seniors say they'd be entirely uncomfortable with a president that age, 20 percent, as do adults under 65, 14 percent.
Interestingly, voters who are concerned with Obama's race appear to be those very blue-collar whites that have become such a hot topic in recent weeks:
While overall discomfort with an African-American president is much lower, it rises among less-educated whites - the same group that's been a challenge for Obama in the Democratic primaries. Among whites who haven't gone through college, 17 percent say they'd be at least somewhat uncomfortable with a black president; that compares with just 4 percent of white college graduates. Clinton may face a similar problem, however; less-educated whites also are more apt to be uncomfortable with a woman president (21 percent, vs. 7 percent of white college graduates).
This poll -- like the last ABC News/Washington Post survey -- finds no apparent damage to Obama in the controversy over his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Six in 10 Americans, and 73 percent of Democrats, say Obama has done "the right amount" to distance himself from Wright, rather than too little or too much.
The Huffington Post | May 13, 2008 01:38 AM