Voting Blocs — Race and Gender
November 5th, 2008 14:50

This is based off CNN’s exit polling data. It is arranged from the strongest Obama voting bloc, African-America women, to the strongest McCain voting bloc, white men.

2008 US Presidential Election Voting Blocs — Race & Gender

Demographic
% of Electorate
Obama
McCain
African American Women
7%
96%
3%
African American Men
5%
95%
4%
African-Americans
13%
95%
4%
Hispanic Women
5%
68%
30%
Hispanics
9%
67%
31%
Hispanic Men
4%
64%
33%
Other Races
3%
64%
32%
Asian-Americans
2%
62%
35%
Women
53%
56%
43%
Men
47%
49%
48%
White Women
39%
46%
53%
Whites
74%
43%
55%
White Men
36%
41%
57%
Source: CNN

While African-Americans turned out in numbers in-line with my expectations, Hispanics who now account for 14% of the US population (citizens and non-citizens) continued to lag in turnout. In 2008, Hispanics represented only 9% of the electorate. I was also wrong in thinking that Hispanics would break for Senator Obama by a 3:1 margin. In the end, they broke for Obama by a 2:1 margin. That’s still a ten point improvement over Senator Kerry’s score in the 2004 election.

Asian-Americans, while only 2% of the electorate, also went for Obama by a near 2:1 margin. All other racial groups (non-white) also broke for Obama by a near 2:1 margin. All told ethnic minorities accounted for 26% of the US electorate and they went for Obama by a near 4:1 margin overall. 79.2% of the ethnic vote ended up in Obama’s column while 55% of the white vote went for McCain.

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Posted in US Presidential Election by Charles Lemos
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foxx
November 5th, 2008 17:50

So people of color banded together and elected a president. Because of his skin color.

Charles Lemos
November 5th, 2008 19:56

That’s not the conclusion that I would draw. Certainly African-Americans have voted for anyone with a D behind their name. They did so again. Hispanics gravitated to the Democratic Party and I assume Asians did as well over immigration. That’s pretty evident.

Senator also receive the highest share of the white vote of any Democrat since LBJ.

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