Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Hillary Clinton failed to win enough black and Hispanic voters

By comparing Clinton's performance to Obama's in 2012 it is easy to see that she failed to appeal to a number of key voter groups. Groups that it was predicted she would have more support from. In 2012, a majority of over-50s backed Romney for the presidency, while Obama got the support of three in five of those aged under 30. In 2016, polling was showing that Trump's support among older sections of society had improved on Romney's figure - with 49% of over-65s supporting him, compared to 29% of 18 to 39-year-olds. This was hugely positive for Trump in the key swing state of Florida. Worth 29 electoral college votes, Florida's high over-65 population was expected to back the Republican candidate leaving Clinton in need of a solid turnout among younger voters if she was to win the state. However, the exit polls showed that Clinton's popularity among younger voters was much lower than Obama's. Of those voters aged under 30 years of age, only 55% backed Clinton compared to Obama's 60% in 2012. This might have proved enough to swing Florida towards Trump and it could also be a factor behind his victory in Pennsylvania - something which there was less expectation of. Exit polls show that Clinton's support among Hispanic voters was just 65%, down from Obama's 71% in 2012 while among black voters support was down from 93% to 88%. Meanwhile support among Hispanic voters was actually higher for Trump, at 29%, compared to the 27% Romney secured four years ago.

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