Exit Polls: Obama Makes Big Gains in Clinton's Core Support

Feb. 19, 2008 — -- Barack Obama beat Hillary Clinton in some of her core support groups, trounced her on electability and rode broad support from independents to victory in Wisconsin, while John McCain gained ground among conservatives in winning his party's primary.

Clinton struggled in her base groups -- barely winning white women, losing less-educated and lower-income voters -- while Obama swept up younger voters, winning those under 30 by one of his biggest margins yet.

He beat by Clinton by 31 points among independents in Wisconsin's open primary, as well as by 7 points among Democrats.

Although Wisconsin Democrats were least likely to say "electability" was the most important candidate attribute, they also identified Obama, not Clinton, as most likely to win in November, by 63-37 percent.

The winning attribute, meanwhile, was "change," and as usual Obama owned it, prevailing among those voters by 77-22 percent.

Clinton also came in for criticism on negative campaigning; 54 percent said she attacked unfairly; far fewer, 34 percent, said Obama did so. And while 82 percent said they'd be satisfied with Obama as the nominee, fewer, 68 percent, said that about Clinton.Wisconsin was one of the least racially mixed states Obama's won; of those in his column where exit polls were conducted, only Utah, Iowa, and Connecticut were as predominantly white. (Obama won 91 percent of blacks, who accounted for 8 percent of voters in the Wisconsin Democratic primary.)

Indeed Clinton won white women by only a 5-point margin, 52-47 percent; she's done less well in this group only in four previous primaries, losing them in New Mexico and Obama's home state of Illinois, and splitting them in Utah and Iowa.

Obama, meanwhile, prevailed by a wide margin among men, 67-31 percent. His win among white men, 63-34 percent, was surpassed only in Utah.

Less-educated whites have been a core group for Clinton; in previous primaries combined she's won those who lack a college degree by 30 points, while Obama's won college-educated whites.