AP Poll Shows Women, Blacks Backing Kerry (Who'da Thunk?)

WINS News ^ | 2/11/04

[areafiftyone]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- John Kerry built a winning coalition in two Southern states with strong support from women, blacks and Democratic voters hungry for victory in November, according to Associated Press exit polls.

Kerry also finished first among white Southern voters Tuesday, but fared better among black voters in Tennessee and Virginia, leaving some question about the strength of his appeal with a crucial Southern voting bloc.

Retired nurse Bob Casey, a 68-year-old independent from Memphis, Tenn., said he voted for Wesley Clark, but would vote for President Bush in the general election over Kerry, a Massachusetts senator.

"I don't need any more of those liberals from back East," Casey said.

Kerry tapped into voter anger and dissatisfaction with Bush in primaries in Virginia and Tennessee, appealing especially to those eager to win in November, similar to what he found among voters elsewhere in the country.

The results come from exit polls in both states conducted for the AP and the television networks by Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International.

The Virginia results of 1,679 interviews were subject to sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points, higher for subgroups. The Tennessee results from 2,513 interviews were subject to sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, larger for subgroups.

Kerry ran very strong among those who said the most important quality for a candidate was the ability to defeat Bush - claiming three-fourths of the Virginia voters who said that quality was most important and almost two-thirds of Tennessee voters who wanted to support a general election winner.

None of his rivals were even close to Kerry among those voters - about three in 10 of all Virginia voters and one-fourth of all Tennessee voters. Kerry also ran strong in both states among voters who thought experience was the top quality.

Michelle Darby, 34, a marketing manager for an insurance company in Roanoke, Va., said she voted for Kerry because she wants to see a victory by "anybody but George Bush. ... Electability."

"I like what (Kerry) stands for," she said. "John Edwards is a little too young. (Howard) Dean's a crazy man. (Wesley) Clark's just, I don't know, there's something there I don't like."

Six in 10 Virginia voters said it was very likely Kerry would beat Bush and an additional three in 10 said it was somewhat likely. Only two in 10 said it was very likely Edwards would beat Bush in November.

While Kerry showed many strengths, Edwards battled him to a draw among independents in Tennessee and Edwards finished far ahead among conservatives in Virginia.

Margaret Gerardin, a 41-year-old Edwards supporter from Norfolk, Va., said she decided at the last second to vote for Edwards because she feels like he is more in touch "with the common man."

Kerry and Edwards tied among Virginia voters who said it was most important to have a candidate who cares about people like them, while Edwards edged Kerry among Tennessee voters who said that was most important.

Clark, who dropped from the race Tuesday night, showed more strength among Virginia and Tennessee voters who thought national security and the war in Iraq were top issues than he did among voters who picked other issues. Dean, who did not actively compete in the two states, did somewhat better among voters who said it was most important to have a candidate who stands up for what he believes.

[gathersnomoss]

Now they know why we are "angry white males".

[Moby Grape]

It was the FEMALE vote that put Clinton in office.

[AnAmericanMother]

Such cogent and brilliant thinking from the Dems . . . NOT!

I seriously fear for the future of our Republic . . . and I have my doubts about the Nineteenth Amendment. < g >

[Lost Highway]

"I don't need any more of those liberals from back East," Casey said.

You've got to love that "logic".

[The South Texan]

More AP media bias. This article makes it sound like the women and blacks are separate voting groups and not Democrats.

AP= American Pravda

[over3Owithabrain]

This article is more media bulls**t. It was a DEMOCRATIC primary, for crying out loud. It wasn't the entire state speaking with one voice that they want Kerry. He is simply the preferred choice amonghst a group of pathetic losers.

[JustPlainJoe]

I'm shocked and amazed.

[Paleo Conservative]

It was the FEMALE vote that put Clinton in office.

It was the unmarried women with children sponging off taxpayers who put Clinton in office.

[NeoCaveman]

and I have my doubts about the Nineteenth Amendment. < g >

Stop the Suffraging now :-)

[Moby Grape]

Clinton got a majority of the female vote period.

[petitfour]

There were so few voters, it's a stretch to say that woman and blacks are behind Kerry. What percentage of women voted for Kerry in Virginia yesterday? How many of those women were black? I voted yesterday, but no for Kerry. I am a white female. I intend to vote for Bush in November. Are they gonna compile statistics for that?

[areafiftyone]

Actually it was the soccer moms with the minivans that put Clinton in office.

[Sam Cree]

I guess folks are unhappy with the dangerous place the world has become, and are blaming GW for it, when, in fact, Clinton's 8 years of avoidance are a more deserving target.

But the fact that so many females look for answers in socialism is a reasonably aggravating.

[Cowboy Bob]

It was the FEMALE vote that put Clinton in office.

Actually, it was the H. Ross Perot vote that put him in office.

[hobbes1]

AMEN!

Retired nurse Bob Casey, a 68-year-old independent from Memphis, Tenn., said he voted for Wesley Clark, but would vote for President Bush in the general election over Kerry, a Massachusetts senator. "I don't need any more of those liberals from back East," Casey said.

Exactly as I posited this A.M......

[Dark Knight]

This was exit polling. Highly biased to democrats, because republicans had no reason to go to the polls. It would be like holding a poll at the democratic convention. What do you think the outcome would be?

Also, whenever they break out women, they need to differentiate between married and single because the populations are extremely different.

DK

[ZULU]

They are talking about a Demcoratic Primary.

Of all the freaks in the Democratic political sideshow, the most electable is Liberman, as he is more of a centrist. His lack of showing in the Democratic Priamry indicates how very far to the laft the bulk of registered Democrats have drifted.

Out of the remaining pack of leftists you had Kucinich, a real joke, Edwards - a relative unknown, Clark - a carpetbagging liar with a lot of baggage, Sharpeton - another real joke, and Dean - a possibly mentally deranged individual. Who is a good leftist Democrat to select? Probably Kennedyesque Kerry.

In the general election we will have to wait and see where the women's vote and the black vote go. The Repubs have been steaadily eroding the Democratic lock on the Hispanic vote. Perhaps the same will happen with the Blacks.

Unless the Repubs actively attempt to recruit conservative Blacks, Hispanics, and Asian-Americans, the Dems will continue to threaten us with their Bolshevik agenda.

That is one of the reasons I hope to see Condi Rice run in 2008, and hope she will replace that milktoast Powell as Secretary of State in the New Bush Administration.

[areafiftyone]

That too.

[RosieCotton]

This is one young single woman who will be voting for Bush! He may not be perfect, but he's our best hope, IMO.