What the Indiana and North Carolina Exit Polls Are Saying
Here are the headlines from the early exit polls:
– Forty-eight percent of Indiana voters said the controversy over Obama’s ex-pastor, Jeremiah Wright was very or somewhat important to their decision, and of these, 69 percent voted for Clinton.
– In North Carolina, 48 percent said the Wright furor was somewhat or very important, and 62 percent of these backed Clinton.
– Sixty-five percent of Indianans said the economy was the top issue for them, and they favored Clinton 54 percent to 45 percent. In North Carolina, 60 percent cited the economy as the top issue but they broke for Obama by 62 percent to 36 percent.
– Sixty-five percent of white voters with no college degree in Indiana and 67 percent in North Carolina.
– Sixty-six percent of Indiana voters considered Obama honest and trustworthy compared to 54 percent for Clinton.
CNN: Indiana and North Carolina
– In Indiana, half of Hillary Clinton’s supporters would not vote for Barack Obama over John McCain. A third would support McCain and just under one-fifth would not vote at all. Forty-eight percent would back Obama.
– In North Carolina, 38 percent of Clinton supporters said they’d choose McCain over Obama and 12 percent said they wouldn’t vote at all. Forty-five percent would back Obama.
– As for Obama supporters, 59 percent of Hoosiers said they’d vote for Clinton if she were the nominee and 70 percent of North Carolina Democrats would back her.
– In Indiana, voters considered Obama honest and trustworthy 66 percent to 33 percent, while they said that of Clinton by a lesser 54 percent to 45 percent.
– Two-thirds of Indiana voters said the economy was their top issue and they divided fairly evenly between Obama and Clinton in terms who they thought was the best choice to improve it. Eighty-one percent of North Carolinians said the economic downturn has affected them and they thought Obama better suited to deal with the economy by 52 percent to 42 percent. Eighteen percent of Indiana voters cited Iraq as the top issue (compared to two-thirds who named the economy) and they favored Obama 54 percent to 46 percent.
– Fifty-one percent of Indiana voters said the ability to bring change was the most important candidate characteristic for them, and they favored Obama 70 percent to 30 percent. Experience was Number Two at 23 percent and Clinton ran away with these voters 96 percent to 3 percent.
– Eighteen percent of Indiana voters made up their mind in the last 3 days with the rest deciding before that.
– Who attacked who unfairly? In Indiana. a quarter of Democrats said only Clinton did versus 5 percent who believed that of Obama and 39 percent said both.
– Obama won 91 percent of black voters in North Carolina, who account for about one-third of the total vote. To offset that, Clinton needed 70 percent of the white vote but got 58 percent.
– Roughly three-quarters of voters in both primary states had made up their minds on who to support before the last week – something that did not square
– Two-thirds of working class white voters were supporting Clinton.
