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.

[Hoboken]

Rosie, You've renewed my support for the 19th amendment.

[petertare]

my wife readily admits to reservations about the 19th amend

[petertare]

my wife readily admits to reservations about the 19th amend

[antisocial]

Actually it was because conservatives sat out the election because the Republicans insisted on running a RINO. (Dole)

[cyborg]

If Kerry gets in office (GOD FORBID) many will blame women/blacks but actually it'll be all the conservative crybabies who say 'waaaaah I'm not voting for Bush'

[Redcloak]

Hmmm... Perhaps W should try just a little more pandering to these groups. Yeah, that's it! He just hasn't pandered enough. Maybe a few billion more and they'll like him.

[BlackRazor]

It was the FEMALE vote that put Clinton in office.

Not true. According to exit polling, women favored Clinton by 9 points over Bush in 1992, but men also favored Clinton, though by only 3 points. The 1992 election had the narrowest gender gap of any election since 1976.

[RosieCotton]

Rosie, You've renewed my support for the 19th amendment.

Thanks. ;-) Got an (almost) 18 year old sister who will be voting the same way, come November - her first time voting. Doing our part the best we can...

[js1138]

I wonder if Kerry cares about his children conceived out of wedlock?

[Moby Grape]

Don't know where you got your info (and I am not disputing what you have offered), but for YEARS after the 92 elections the buzz was that the soccer moms put their caring hubby-daddy substitute teddy-bear Clinton into the White House....From Rush Limbaugh to leftwing pundits, the talk was of how Clinton got the female vote because of looks and projecting the caring persona.....

Like or not, too many women vote by feelings and appearance....

Clinton did get a majority of the female votes, but as someone else pointed out that the real reason Clinton won was H. Ross Perot.