Is Experience The Only Thing?

Geeking out with exit polls!

I have been reviewing the CNN Exit Polls from the Texas Primary and have found some very interesting information.

Voting by age:
18-64 (87%)
BO – 50%
HC – 49%

65+ (13%)
HC – 65%
BO – 32%

The coots carried Clinton last night.

Gender split:
Men (43%)
BO – 51%
HC – 47%

Women (57%)
HC – 54%
BO – 45%

The gender split was not as pronounced as it has been. It seems like Clinton’s appeal to women is muted south of Mason-Dixon. The thing that got Obama here was huge turnout by women. Judging from my caucus, particularly older women (50+)

Race/Ethnicity Split:
White (46%)
HC – 55%
BO – 44%

African-American (19%)
HC – 16%
BO – 84%

Latino (32%)
HC – 66%
BO – 32%

More likely to win in November:
Hillary Clinton (40%)
Voted for HC – 93%
Voted for BO – 6%

Barack Obama (52%)
Voted for HC – 17%
Voted for BO – 81%

Can I just ask? 40 percent of Democratic Primary voters thought Clinton was most likely to win in November, 52% Obama was more likely…

…do the other 8% have an IQ high enough to breath, let alone vote?

By Educational Attainment:
Less than a college degree (57%)
HC – 57%
BO – 42%

At least a college degree (43%)
BO – 55%
HC – 42%

Why do we always get screwed by our plumber? He over bills us and then votes the wrong way.

People who thought gender was important:
Most Important (8%)
HC – 64%
BO – 36%

One of Several Factors (15%)
HC – 58%
BO – 42%

Not Important (75%)
BO – 50%
HC – 48%

By feelings on how to handle illegal immigration:
Path to citizenship (52%)
BO – 51%
HC – 47%

Temporary Worker Program (26%)
HC – 52%
BO – 47%

Deport them (18%) [18% of Democratic Voters!!!]
HC – 57%
BO – 41%

So Hillary won both the Hispanic and the Minuteman vote. Which side got it wrong?

By Income:
Less than $100K (75%)
HC – 52%
BO – 47%

Greater than $100K (25%)
BO – 56%
HC – 48%

Less than $50K (39%)
HC – 52%
BO – 47%

Greater than $50K (61%)
HC – 51%
BO – 47%

By Party Affiliation:
Democrats (66%)
HC – 53%
BO – 46%

Republicans (9%)
HC – 46%
BO – 53%

Independents (25%)
HC – 48%
BO – 49%

Would be satisfied if…
Hillary Clinton is the nominee:
Yes (70%)
Voted for HC – 67%
Voted for BO – 32%

No (30%)
Voted for HC – 10%
Voted for BO – 87%

Barack Obama is the nominee:
Yes (66%)
Voted for HC – 31%
Voted for BO – 68%

No (32%)
Voted for HC – 91%
Voted for BO – 7%

Barack Obama won among urban voters: 51% to 48%
Hillary Clinton won among suburban voters: 51% to 47%
Hillary Clinton won among rural voters: 61% to 37%

Super Delegates should vote based on:
Who can win in November (33%):
Voted for HC – 61%
Voted for BO – 38%

The results of the primaries (62%):
Voted for HC – 45%
Voted for BO – 54%

Candidates Attacked Unfairly:
Only Clinton (25%):
Voted for HC – 15%
Voted for BO – 85%

Only Obama (7%):
Voted for HC – 80%
Voted for BO – 20%

Both (28%):
Voted for HC – 62%
Voted for BO – 35%

Neither (36%):
Voted for HC – 61%
Voted for BO – 38%

This is even more interesting when asked differently:

Did Hillary Clinton attack unfairly?
Yes (52%):
Voted for HC – 40%
Voted for BO – 32%

No (43%):
Voted for HC – 64%
Voted for BO – 35%

Did Barack Obama attack unfairly?
Yes (35):
Voted for HC – 66%
Voted for BO – 32%

No (60%):
Voted for HC – 42%
Voted for BO – 57%

Overall, a majority of Democratic voters thought that Hillary’s attacks were unfair. In addition, a larger majority of Dems felt that Obama did not attack Clinton unfairly.

Voting by region:
East Texas (20%)
HC - 53%
BO - 45%

Dallas/Ft. Worth (16%)
HC - 41%
BO - 56%

Houston (13%)
HC - 45%
BO - 55%

South-Central Texas (19%)
HC - 42%
BO - 58%

West Texas (8%)
HC - 57%
BO - 41%

Rio Grande Valley (23%)
HC - 65%
BO - 33%

So, Barack Obama won the three delegate rich regions of the state. We’ll wait for the apportionment of delegates to be officially tallied.

Sometimes Entourage Nails It...

Well, the March 4th firewall has come and past. Hillary Clinton has succeeded in placing doubt in the hearts of people in Ohio, Rhode Island and Texas (Vermont, as per usual, comes out as the bedrock of New England! Big ups Catamounts!)

So the news is treating this like a wide open horse race to the finish line. It reminds me of a scene from Entourage where Johnny Drama gives up and begins reading his reviews in the Hollywood press. The result is ugly...

E: “What's up Drama?”
Drama: “I got every paper in the country.”
Vince: “How's it looking?”
Drama: “It's a bloodbath, bro.”

My advice to the Obama Campaign, and contrary to popular belief I am not on the payroll, is to ignore the press today. Get in a room, slap each other around a bit and fire yourselves up for the second (or third, or fourth) half. They need to write yet another kick ass speech. That speech needs to address readiness to lead, judgment, concrete examples of leading on issues, and true tests overcome. Obama has never run against a credible opponent before. He has to show that he can take one on the chin and fight back. He cannot under any circumstances play the game the way they want him too. He needs to talk about a united Democratic Party. He needs to talk about how great it is to be a Democrat, how all the candidates this year have added to the great Democratic dialogue. Obama needs to be very complimentary toward Clinton, talking about her honorable service, but pointing out how she can NEVER be an agent of change. She and her husband are not responsible for the rancorous tone of politics, but they played a starring role in the escalation of the war of words.

For people who want this to be over, this is a definite buzzkill.

- Did going negative help the Clinton campaign? Yes.
- Did they raise doubts? Yes.
- Is this going to go on way past the point of being fun? Yes.
- Will Clinton try to get Florida and Michigan in on terms that will give her the lead? Yes.
- Is this going to get ugly before it gets better? Yes.

You have to respect the way Republicans approach nominations. Nothing quite like the bloodsport of all or nothing delegate apportionment. It is like having your head taken in one clean swing of the axe, Braveheart style vs. being killed by a million paper cuts. You don't know you are in trouble until it is over. The Democrats can see the plane crashing into the mountain but can't, or won't, do anything about it.

If this was about ideas and a difference of leadership styles, it would be a great way to keep them on the front page and limit the damage done. But Democrats never miss a chance to miss a chance. Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory like they are the political equivalent of the Chicago Cubs! (Sorry George Will, ya' bastard!)

So, what comes next?

Here is the calendar:

March 8
Wyoming caucus
Pledged Delegates – 12, Superdelegates – 6

March 11
Mississippi primary
Pledged Delegates – 33, Superdelegates – 7

April 22
Pennsylvania primary
Pledged Delegates – 158, Superdelegates – 30

May 3
Guam caucus
Pledged Delegates – 4, Superdelegates – 5

May 6
Indiana primary
Pledged Delegates – 72, Superdelegates – 12

North Carolina primary
Pledged Delegates – 115, Superdelegates – 19

May 13
West Virginia primary
Pledged Delegates – 28, Superdelegates – 39

May 20
Kentucky primary
Pledged Delegates – 51, Superdelegates – 9

Oregon primary
Pledged Delegates – 52, Superdelegates – 13

June 3
Montana primary
Pledged Delegates – 16, Superdelegates – 8

South Dakota primary
Pledged Delegates – 15, Superdelegates – 23

June 7
Puerto Rico caucus
Pledged Delegates – 55, Superdelegates – 8

Who does the calendar favor? The best analogy I have heard thus far is this is like the story of the tortoise and the hare only the tortoise is a few steps behind and then the hare tears off, only to stop for a little while and let the tortoise get close again.

My feeling is that this result only delays the inevitable. I can only hope that my suspicions are wrong about HillBill. I suspect that salvaging the Clinton myth is more important to them than the Party. If Hillary Clinton loses, it tarnishes their legacy. I fear that they are willing to throw the Party under the bus to protect it.

Clinton can't pass Obama without the Michigan and Florida delegates. That is where the fighting goes. In a poll on this blog, readers (a biased sample) were not in favor of rewarding the rule breakers in these two arguably crucial states.

Enter the superdelegate strategy stage right.

Make no doubt about it; this is nothing less than a battle for the soul of the Democratic Party between the Clinton faction and the progressive/populist wing. I wish Paul Wellstone was still around.

And the saga continues...

Does Art Imitate Life, or Does Life Imitate Art???

Get out and vote for CHANGE!!!

Democrats love chaos!

I have a feeling that Clinton will win tomorrow, but not by enough to make much of an impact in Obama's lead.

Here are the demographics of the major polls in Texas...



...and Ohio.




So now the question is; who is going vote? Are you in Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, or Vermont? Get out there are do your duty.