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McCain Leads In Crossover Votes
By: Joseph Curl
March 7, 2008
The two new political demographics - like Soccer moms and NASCAR dads before them - are quickly emerging as the potential election-busters of the 2008 presidential race.
And contrary to conventional wisdom, numbers emerging from polls and primary results show that Sen. John McCain ... holds an advantage over Sen. Barack Obama in the race for crossover votes.
There are now more McCainocrats than Obamacans - about 14 percent of Democrats say they would vote for Mr. McCain today instead of Mr. Obama, but just 8 percent of Republicans say they would vote for the Illinois Democrat, according to a Pew Research Center survey on Feb. 28.
Additionally, 20 percent of white Democratic voters say they would defect to Mr. McCain if Mr. Obama is the Democratic Party's nominee - twice the number who would cross over if Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton wins the nomination, Pew found.
"McCain poses a clear and present danger to Obama in that he draws Democrat base support in historic numbers," said Republican strategist Scott Reed.
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In Michigan's voting, on Jan. 15, some 10 percent of those who voted in the GOP primary were Democrats, and Mr. McCain won half of those votes. A December poll in Nevada showed Mr. McCain drawing 17 percent of Democrats.
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Democratic strategist Mary Anne Marsh said both Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain have crossover appeal.
"If it is a McCain-Obama match up, you could see McCain picking up 'Reagan Democrats' and Obama picking up Republicans who oppose the war in Iraq," she said.
Pollster John Zogby agreed, saying both candidates are successfully wooing crossover voters.
"There are clearly Republicans behind Obama and I'm convinced there will continue to be," he said. But he acknowledged that as the Democratic race drags on, Mr. Obama is endangering that crossover vote by moving to the left to defeat Mrs Clinton.
"For Obama, one of things Republicans will use, in addition to lack of experience, is that he moved so far left, is left wing," Mr. Zogby said.
Read Entire Article At: Washington Times: McCain Leads In Crossover Votes
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