Results of the Texas Exit Polls

Ohio and Texas are the major states in tonight Democratic primaries. The results of these states may very well determine if the battle between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama lasts until the convention, or ends tonight. Texas is an unlikely barometer for a Democratic primary, considering the state's traditional Republican roots. But tonight, Texas Democrats will help decide Clinton and Obama's future. The exit polls indicate which issues and concerns are key to voters, and which issues will help Clinton or Obama more.

NAFTA was a key part of the Clinton and Obama campaigns in Ohio, since it was vastly unpopular there. In Texas, NAFTA did not get favorable ratings from voters, but it did slightly better there than in Ohio. 58% of Texas voters believe NAFTA has taken away more jobs, but 24% of Texas voters believe it has created more jobs. As such, Obama's recent claims about Clinton's support of NAFTA may not work as well on Texas voters.

The Hispanic vote, which helped Clinton win California over Obama, proved to be a big demographic in Texas. 32% of Texas voters were Hispanic, in contrast to 24% in the 2004 Presidential election. As in California, Clinton has substantial support from Hispanics, as 64% of Latino voters voted for Clinton over Obama. The African American vote remained the same in Texas, as two out of 10 voters were black, which is consistent with their share of the electorate. Obama took most of the support from Texas African Americans, as 84% of them voted for him. Somewhere between five and six out of 10 voters were women.

The economy was the number one concern for Texas voters, as it has been in almost all the primaries. Eight out of 10 voters rated the economy as being in poor shape. Only three out of 10 Texans were "very" worried about the economy. One out of seven Texas voters viewed the economy as being in good condition, which is among the highest totals in any recent primary.

However, other concerns also rated highly in Texas. The war in Iraq, terrorism, and immigration were also key issues for voters, particularly for Republicans. 26% of Republican Texas voters named the economy as their top concern, while 23% said it was terrorism, 21% said it was Iraq, while 16% said it was illegal immigration.

John McCain has nearly sealed the Republican nomination, and continues to try and make waves with hard core conservatives. Four out of 10 Texas Republicans said in the exit polls that McCain's views were not conservative. This largely matches the results from other states after Super Tuesday.

Sources

CNN Political Ticker- "Schneider: Texas v. Ohio on NAFTA" politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/03/04/schneider-texas-v-ohio-on-nafta/

The Trail- "Economy Tops Again In Exit Polls" blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/03/04/economy_tops_again_in_early_ex.html

ABC News- "Voters Want Change Over Experience, Again" www.abcnews.go.com/PollingUnit/Vote2008/story

CNN Political Ticker- "Exit polls: Economy top issue for Ohio, Texas Republicans" politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/03/04/exit-polls-economy-top-issue-for-ohio-texas-republicans/

CNN- "Clinton winning Latino vote in Texas primary" www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/04/march.4.dems/

The Guardian- "Early Exit Poll Results" www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/7358054