swing voters

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As Mitt Closes Women Gap, Eyes on 'Waitress Moms'

Obama, Romney now even among women: AP poll

(Newser) - As a new AP-GfK poll has Mitt Romney closing the gap among women voters, the New York Times takes a look at a key swing demographic: so-called "waitress moms." The term refers to blue-collar white women without college educations. Unlike "soccer moms" of the 1990s, they're...

Introducing 'Elastic States'


 Introducing 'Elastic States' 
nate silver

Introducing 'Elastic States'

They're not swing states, but they have a lot of swing voters: Nate Silver

(Newser) - You already know all about swing states; today in the New York Times , Nate Silver introduces another important factor in the 2012 election: elastic states, which can produce difficult-to-predict results. Swing states, he explains, sometimes have very few swing voters (see North Carolina, where likely Democratic voters are fairly evenly...

Negative Attacks Souring Colorado Voters on GOP

'Anybody but Obama' not enough for crucial independents in swing states

(Newser) - The bruising, highly negative Republican presidential nomination fight appears to be creating a new casualty as the race moves into swing states like Colorado—independent voters, reports the Los Angeles Times . President Obama may have disappointed many voters over the past three years, but the GOP candidates' continuing bashing of...

Obama's Shift to Left Will Lose Swing Voters
Obama's Shift to Left
Will Lose Swing Voters
karl rove

Obama's Shift to Left Will Lose Swing Voters

It's a 'politically dumb' strategy: Karl Rove

(Newser) - President Obama has begun dishing out "red meat" to the Democratic base, thrilling "left-wing activists and donors." The problem for the White House, writes Karl Rove in the Wall Street Journal , is that the move is "politically dumb." Yes, the strategy will shore up Obama'...

Poll: Obama Voters Deserting Democrats

Women, Catholics, independents now favoring GOP

(Newser) - Key groups of voters who helped President Obama win in 2008 and delivered Congress to the Democrats in 2006 are favoring the GOP this time around, a New York Times /CBS poll finds. Women, Catholics, less affluent voters, and independents are all leaning Republican, the poll finds. Women are set...

Swing Voters Don't Like 'Hothead' McCain

Crisis turns voters towards 'cool and collected' Obama

(Newser) - Doubts over John McCain's disposition are pushing undecided voters Barack Obama's way, according to the Los Angeles Times. Swing voters interviewed by the newspaper say McCain's negative body language over the last few weeks and his "hothead" outbursts have given them strong misgivings—as did his snap decision to...

Swing Voters Not Worth the Effort
 Swing Voters Not 
 Worth the Effort 
OPINION

Swing Voters Not Worth the Effort

Swing voters don't matter, but campaigns still chase them

(Newser) - Swinging both ways may be a thrill, but presidential candidates should still ignore it, Ezra Klein writes in the Los Angeles Times. Not only are swing voters "contemptible" for their prolonged ambivalence, they cost candidates millions of dollars in the election's waning weeks. And these typically rural and...

Purple Voters Shade Right: Study

Swing group in swing states on conservative side of middle of the road

(Newser) - A study by a marketing firm finds that swing voters tend to be older and lean conservative, reports Advertising Age. The study broke down the US into red, blue, and purple states; within each, researchers used marketing tools to examine voter characteristics. They found that “purple states” are those...

'Wal-Mart Mom' Voters Swing, Will Be Crucial
'Wal-Mart Mom' Voters Swing, Will Be Crucial
ANALYSIS

'Wal-Mart Mom' Voters Swing, Will Be Crucial

Shift of working white women to GOP spells trouble for Obama

(Newser) - Polls clearly show the white women's vote swinging away from Barack Obama and it's a particular group the candidate needs to worry about most, Karen Tumulty writes in Time. Soccer moms comprised the key swing group in 1996, and "security moms" did last election, Tumulty notes. This time, it's...

Working Women Leery of Palin
Working Women Leery of Palin

Working Women Leery of Palin

Female solidarity aside, it's the economy, stupid —and Obama's feeling their pain

(Newser) - Working-class women may decide who makes it to the White House, and while Sarah Palin piqued the interest of many undecideds, her gender isn’t enough to override their main concerns over soaring food and gas prices, unaffordable health care, and record-high unemployment. The Los Angeles Times takes the pulse...

Latino Voters: Four Myths
 Latino Voters: Four Myths 
ANALYSIS

Latino Voters: Four Myths

They don't want Spanish-language ads—and they will vote for a black guy

(Newser) - Pundits are way off on Hispanic voters, writes Arian Campo-Flores in Newsweek. Four common misconceptions:
  • Immigration is everything. A recent survey showed that education, health care, the economy, and crime were more important in the demographic. Recent immigrants are most likely to care about immigration—and least likely to be
...

Dean: 'Mitt Was the Candidate I Feared Most'

Cites Romney's money, willingness to 'say anything' to win

(Newser) - Mitt Romney would have been a better GOP candidate than John McCain, Howard Dean told the press yesterday—with unlimited cash resources and a willingness to “say anything” to win. “I know him from New England,” the top Dem said, and he “was the candidate I...

GOP Embraces Clinton as Obama Surges
GOP Embraces Clinton as Obama Surges
OPINION

GOP Embraces Clinton as Obama Surges

And as Barack tries on his blue collar, righty suggests running mate

(Newser) - As Barack Obama emerges as Democratic front-runner, Republicans appear to be recalibrating their compasses:
  • Disparaging Obama and praising Hillary Clinton is an inevitable response to Obama's growing odds of winning, Jonathan Chait writes in the New Republic: Karl Rove & Co. “discredit” Obama by defining his “supporters out
...

Candidates Home In on NH Independents

Critical 45% bloc favors McCain, Obama; but many still undecided

(Newser) - As the battle for New Hampshire looms, would-be presidents are largely abandoning partisan rhetoric to court the state’s independents, who comprise 45% of the voting base there. The New York Times explores the far-reaching implications in this contest of unaffiliated voters, whose decisions will likely come right down to...

Gay Support Turns Off Swing Voters
Gay Support Turns Off
Swing Voters

Gay Support Turns Off Swing Voters

Endorsements hurt more than help in key states, poll finds

(Newser) - The backing of gay rights groups could turn swing-state voters against a candidate, new polls show. Politico reports that Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania voters, by a large margin, consider the support of such groups reason to vote against rather than for a candidate; no one since JFK has been elected...

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