Poll: Electability Boosts Kerry

Feb. 4 -- Electability boosted John Kerry in three of five states where exit polls were conducted Tuesday, but he had less strength among issue voters — and he didn't get much in the way of Southern comfort.

The attribute that did the trick for Kerry in Iowa and New Hampshire — a perceived ability to beat President Bush — scored again in Missouri, Delaware and Arizona, giving him far-flung bragging rights.

But electability worked less well for Kerry in South Carolina and Oklahoma, opening the door for others — and raising questions about his prospects in two more Southern states, Virginia and Tennessee, that vote next week.

Here's a summary of state-by-state exit poll results:

ARIZONA

Electability was the critical difference for Kerry in Arizona. Among the 28 percent of voters looking mainly for a candidate who can beat Bush — the top attribute — Kerry won a crushing two-thirds of the vote. He also won among those looking mainly for a candidate with the "right experience," winning 51 percent of them.

In another electability measure, 58 percent of Arizona voters said they cared more about a candidate they agree with on the issues than one who can beat Bush (34 percent). But while Kerry ran about evenly with Clark among the issue voters (32 to 30 percent), he dominated among the "beat Bush" voters, with 59 percent, beating Clark in this group by nearly a 3-1 margin. Clark did better than Kerry (36 to 30 percent) with voters looking for a candidate who "cares about people like me." And Dean, Kerry and Clark split the vote among those looking for a candidate who "stands up for what he believes."

As elsewhere, Arizona voters expressed broad discontent with the economy (79 percent rated it negatively), with Bush's administration (46 percent even "angry" about it) and with the war in Iraq (70 percent disapprove). The economy topped their issues list (31 percent), followed by health care (23 percent) and the war (19 percent). Kerry did particularly well among those citing health care as their main issue (with 50 percent of their votes) and the economy (44 percent). Clark snatched some votes from Kerry among those citing the war as their top issue — Kerry won 38 percent of them, Clark 34 percent.

Strong across the board, Kerry did better in Arizona with seniors (48 percent), white Catholics (49 percent), and with voters who decided last week (56 percent) — just after Kerry's victory in New Hampshire. He did less well with conservatives (34 percent) than with liberals (45 percent) or moderates (40 percent), but still won them, by 10 points over Clark.

DELAWARE

Strong essentially everywhere in Delaware, Kerry did especially well among senior citizens — nearly one in four voters, he won 63 percent of them; the least educated (54 percent); union members (54 percent); Catholics (59 percent); voters who made up their minds last week or last month (winning about six in 10 in each group); voters who cared more about a candidate's ability to beat Bush than his position on issues (71 percent); health care voters (54 percent); Iraq voters (55 percent); and those who picked beating Bush or having the "right experience" as the top candidate attribute (71 and 64 percent, respectively).