Exit polls spell out Barack Obama's Kentucky problem

Barack Obama, assuming that two consecutive primary thrashings don't cause the pause among Democratic superdelegates Hillary Clinton is hoping for, will get within shouting distance of Kentucky later this year as the party's presidential nominee. The key swing states of Ohio and Missouri border it. So do Virginia and Indiana, which Obama might be able to put in play.

But actually setting foot inside Kentucky would seem a fairly pointless gesture by Obama, unless he's got Clinton in tow as his vice presidential pick. Not only did she follow up her rout of Obama in last Tuesday's primary in nearby West Virginia with an overwhelming win in the Bluegrass State, but exit poll data showed her voters feel none too kindly toward him.

Those figures found that only a third of Clinton supporters would vote for Obama in November, while about 40% would cast their ballot for Republican John McCain and the rest -- roughly a quarter -- would stay home.

Some of those Clinton Democrats who now say they would reject Obama no doubt would reconsider once the heat of their battle cooled. Still, a vast majority of the Clintonites would have to change their minds to give Obama a chance in Kentucky (which President Bush carried with 60% of the vote four years ago) and that seems unlikely to happen.

The exit polls found Obama's backers to be much more forgiving -- seven in 10 said they would be willing to vote for Clinton in November, with the rest roughly split between those who would line up with McCain or simply ignore the presidential race.

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[zack]

to david bufkin:

you want to know "Who in America would dare vote for McCain or Clinton if it came to light they were in a similar situation with the principle players being David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan?" i bet you for starters. and the comparison is ridiculous anyway. the KKK has harrassed and murdered black people and other minorities. people don't just hate the kkk for it's ideology, but for what it has done. obama's church hasn't murdered anyone last i checked. and they're fight is to relieve oppression not impose it, like the kkk... even if that oppression is mostly in their heads (in my opinion)

[Marross]

I have a Master's Degree, 30 years of social work experience and a daughter at Harvard. I am not a "redneck" or "hillbilly", you condescending Obamites. But I am a woman who has spent years watching shallow young men being promoted over hard working women based on their ability to BS.
Is it so hard to see why I don't want to vote for a candidate with no experience, unbelieveable arrogance and a sense of entitlement. I am no racist but I resent being told by Black pundits that I have to vote for an "empty suit" or Blacks will be rioting in the streets. That is called blackmail and I won't be intimidated.

[alee21]

Obamaites, bring it on. The more idiotic, misguided and deluded comments you make, the more resolve we have. We are not voting based on gender or race, we are voting for the person best suited to the Presidency. Obama racked up his numbers in Feb but his star has been falling ever since, as the country learns more and more about this politician from Chicago. More is yet to come – Rezko/Auchi/Ayers.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_evelyn_p_080518_curtain_time_for_bar.htm
http://www.hillaryresponders.com/index.php?/Obama/
http://www.hillaryresponders.com/index.php?/Rezko/
As Obama try to tackle McCain, more of his ignorance comes through. Iran is not a big problem? Did I hear that right? Just like North Vietnam was not a big problem?

[anna]

without a doubt, racism is key. how can anyone claim a democratic stance, the views of which largely being shared by both democratic candidates battling for the ticket, and say "i will vote for mccain or not vote at all"? the answer is that you don't want a black president. or apparently, you're too blown away by the incredible job bush has done in his 8 years of relentless destruction. either way, you should really clear one thing up for yourself: you're not a democrat. keep it up - here's to another 4-8 years of wasted budget on a pointless "war". mccain and his plastic surgery pill-popper wife will do a great job of digging us out of that hole.

[Fred]

Don't worry about Clinton supporters who say they wouldn't vote for Obama. It's just sour grapes, said in the heat of battle. I know, I've been there before in many previous elections. When my favorite in the primary elections lost, I almost always swore that I would never vote for the other Democrat - and I meant it at the time I said it. I hated those other guys. But by November, when tempers cooled down - I looked at the real choice on the ballot - the only choice I had - between a Democrat and a conservative Republican, and realized I would only be shooting myself in the foot if a Republican won the election. And that's how it always goes. People always swear they'll never vote for their primary election rival, and then they always end up voting for him in the general election - simply because they have no other acceptable choice. By the time the Convention rolls around, Hillary will be holding up Obama's hand on the podium and praising him as the Second Coming, and Clinton delegates will be waving Obama sings and cheering him on to victory. You can count on it.

[Truth]

The one thing that this primary season has taught us is that racism and sexism is alive and well. How many people are truly voting based on policy differences or the ability to lead the country? The skin color, gender, and former pastors of a candidate have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the job of POTUS, and will not affect this country in any way. Why do we focus on things like Rev. Wright??? Because we are afraid of our own biases, and by hiding behind these non-issues, we somehow feel vindicated for our discriminatory views. This whole nonsense about 'experience' is a distraction from the real issue of 'ability to lead'. For that, just look at the way these candidates have run their campaigns. But I bet you'll turn a blind eye to that too, just so you can feel better about yourself. Don't worry, you're not alone (see exit polls)!

[P. Richard]

Here we go again with superwoman(Hillary) claiming
all sorts of Stuff witjh a Ky win......SHE is LYING, CHEATING, full of what makes the grass grow green,
SHE could not handle her problems will Bill, EXCEPT
let him have his 'fun'.......JUST LIKE Bill - SHE BENDS the truth (?) Ya right....SNIPER FIRE ! ! ! She lost out on
her Health Plan - fell flat on her face- when she was
1st,. lady..... If she bullzhits her way in somehow --
I'm voting for McCain.........
Long standing Democratic - 72 years young =
she would answer the 3 AM phone call =
Ya - Right - & Bill at a desk with a BIG GRIN on his face. WHEN IS SEX not SEX - Ask Bill

[K.G.]

I really take offense to those who have commented and labeled all Kentuckians as "ignorant rednecks". I am a Kentuckian, born and bred, as they say. I don't deny that the exit poll results are surprising to those of us in the state who ARE educated (yes, oh my God, believe it or not we have SCHOOLS and INTELLIGENT people living in "them thar hills"). I'm registered as a republican, so I couldn't, obviously, vote in the democratic primary. However, I back the democrats, regardless of the candidate, because I'm well aware that this country cannot take 4 more years of the same, which is what it would be were Sen. McCain elected. The exit polls represent, most likely, those voters who are older, set in their ways, and yes, most likely racist. But DON'T, for one second, lump everyone in the Bluegrass into the same category! There are those of us who follow the issues and make an educated decision, regardless of race, religion, or gender!

[mike]

Just because I don't want to vote for Obama I am label as a racist? I though that Obama supporters where educated? Well I guess not.

[ned]

i find it interesting that many people wrting in their responses feel that these white kentuckians are so racist because they will not vote for senator obama in a gneral election. is it any less interesting that92 percent of all africian americans are voting for senator obama. is this any less racist...populations are all very tribal in nature, whether it be white or african americans...lets just recognize human nature for what it is and stop labeling this racism.

[Abm Habibullah, Dallas, TX]

I think Obama needs to offer Hillary the VP because she earned it. Why am I surprised that white southerners without college degree will not vote for Obama. They have been consistant about one thing, and that is they have been voting against their financial interest since civil rights bill was passed.

[Amanda]

To the person who mentioned operation chaos. Kentucky has laws in place to protect against that type of vote rigging. 1) you had to be a registered democrat to vote in the democratic primary today (thus both republicans and independents were excluded from participation whether their intentions be either noble or nefarious) 2) there are rules set in place that prohibit participation in the primary for those who have recently changed their party designation to prevent just this type of activity. This particular factor was not in play in KY today.

And finally I would just like to say that while I am sure that there are some who will not support Obama because of his race, just as there are those who will not support Clinton because of her gender, that I think that the sweeping accusations of racism towards Clinton supporters, just shows that some Obama supporters are as close minded as they are accusing others of being. It is possible that there are some who just don’t agree with his politics.

[Michael KIm]

Young people say that they want changes. However, will someone please tell me what the change means ? Nobody has said specifically about it . I just imagine that the change means a repudiation of current political, economical, value systems of America or the mere throw-away of current status in the opposite way. From the beginning of this campaign, I have tried to hear about it but no newspaper or media tells the clarification of it. It seems that the candidate just plays oily tongue.

[Golden]

How about the fact that 90% of African Americans unilaterally support Obama? Oh, I suppose that's not racism. Only non-African Americans can be racist, right? Only Whites, Latinos, Asians, Jews -- not African Americans. Talk about the gigantic elephant in the room. And the mere fact that I mention this will mark me a racist "red neck," to use vile Obamite lingo. Obama's supporters are all about multiple standards and distortions. Get over your lame hypocrisy! Basta!

[John from NC]

Dear Marross, I'm not sure what you mean by Obama having "no experience" -- many said the same of youngster Bill Clinton when he ran in '92. I'm not sure what you mean by "arrogance" -- to me, Obama seems to be about the least arrogant person imaginable. And I'm not sure what you mean by "sense of entitlement" -- unless you mean that winning the primary by the rules of the party "entitles" a candidate to that party's nomination. Horrors. We wouldn't want that, would we?

[soo NOT for obama]

I am an ardent clinton supporter, well educated, good salary and I cling to religion. No way BO is ever getting my vote. BTW John from NC, Bill Clinton ran a state for a number of years - it's called executive experience. Obama is going to lose big in the general because of all the liberal idiots out there who have no idea what's it's like in the real world. Obama is the liberal equivalent of George Bush,

GO HILLARY!!!!!!!!!!

[Celebrim]

Where Obama is weak is with independents.

Independents don't vote for policies. Independents vote for people. Obama has seriously offended the swing voters throughout the middle of the country in the last few months, and the fact that his supporters keep writing them off as 'ignorant rednecks' with the apparant tacit approval of thier leader does nothing to help the situation.

Obama can win the states where the Republicans never had a chance. But he can't deliver much anywhere that the Democrats didn't already have in play.

To make matters worse, no matter which candidate the Democratic party goes with now, its going to offend a significant portion of its base. The soccer moms are going to vote McCain over Obama. The black vote will probably stay home rather than vote for Hillary at this point. And you can't unify the ticket because the GOP will just turn the mud you've slung at each other against you if you do.

[dennis Chen]

All of you Barack's backers, heres point by point argument:

1) Check which candidate has better plans for the country - CLinton.
2) Check which candidate are more exposed to foreign policies - Clinton.
3) Check which candidate are more popular among democrat voters - catholics, women and white men - Clinton.
4) Check which candidate has more experience other than "Community leader" or a speech - Clinton
5) Check which candidate has a spouse who ran the country welli in the 1990s when we have cheap gas and mortgage and 0 debt - Clinton.

6) Check which candidate is surrounded by hating and racist people - Obama with his Michelle and Jeremiah Wright.

7) Check which candidate is winning despite of lack of budget - Clinton

8) Check which one appeases poiticians, promissing every politician the sun and moon when he gets nominated - Barack.

Do you ever wonder why those superdelegates are warming to Barack? Because they are expecting something in return and they know the CLintons are not that easily swayed by wrong politics.

So dont call me racist just because I like Clinton. I am an Asian Male.

[Chester Chanin]

To all who make the effort to read this:
Thanks!

We need to respect each other, regardless of how we feel! Poll after poll has shown that the American people have felt that the nation has been going in the wrong direction. Of greatest concern here is pulling together to prevent a recurrence of what we've just been through. We've had 8 years of ruinous policies due to our willingness to stand by because our desire for 'strong leadership' or objection to personality flaws has clouded our sense of reason.

As a result, we've allowed ourselves to be lied to and violated by those that care not about the will of the people but only in brute force. We have allowed our leaders to make war in Iraq by forcing an unwilling CIA to manufacture 'appropriate cause', to drain the national economy to the tune of 3 $trillion in doing so, to flagrantly abuse international law by torturing prisoners of war, and to sully our trust by spying on us and lying about it... Haven't we had enough? Let's pull together, and elect whoever the Democratic candidate is to help send the nation in the correct direction!

Let us please remember to respect ourselves, all of us.
Thanks again for reading this...

[tedson]

I would question the judgement of anyone who voted for Bush. If they want Clinton why is their judgement suddenly better now?

[Clyde]

The reasons a lot of HRC's supporters would rather see McCain in the White House instead of Obama is obvious: Obama is a liar, is a fraud and cannot be trusted with our country. Read his books (I did) (don't buy them, get them at the library). It is so clear from reading them that he is a racist; he does not like white people even tho his mother and grandparents who helped raise him are white. He states this in his books. He even states he tried to deceive his mother by smiling and being courteous while she was lecturing him; he found that that worked well in deceiving people which he does now, smiles, great empty talker. Read his books

[Clyde]

And you who say McCain is too old to be president: do you realize that a large number of leaders of the free world in the past have been older than McCain, at times of crisis? Look no further than England and Churchill and especially Israel.....they really know that wisdom comes with age. Young politicians with no experience whatsoever like Obama are accidents waiting to happen.

[Mr Judgment]

So, really...

... imagine if Hillary supporters are seen to poll/vote McBush over the top?????

There will be no Clinton machine in 2012.

Hillary folks need to get a grip.

[Jack]

Obama's "problem" is that the South is filled with people who would never vote for a person of color.

Hillary's problem is that a majority of states, and a majority of voters, prefer Obama.

[Clara, VA]

Is it so hard to see why I don't want to vote for a candidate with no experience, unbelieveable arrogance and a sense of entitlement. I am no racist but I resent being told by Black pundits that I have to vote for an "empty suit" or Blacks will be rioting in the streets. That is called blackmail and I won't be intimidated.

Posted by: Marross |

Which black pundits are you talking about? Blacks have been wholly voting for Democrats for years. Yes they are backing Obama in mass this time around but my goodness, they voted in mass for Clinton in NY. Is it racist when for the first time a people get to vote for one of their one when for years they've been backing white folks? Come on, don't be stupid! I'd say the same thing for women, but it is ridiculous to claim racism as the reason Obama is getting the black vote.