Early exits: Candidate qualities
Posted: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 7:03 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under:
2008, Polls
From MSNBC's Norah O’Donnell and Adam Verdugo
It's been a full six weeks since the last contest, and we're getting a good look from our NBC News exit polls at which personal qualities Pennsylvania Democratic voters value. Today, voters in the Keystone State say it's the candidate that can bring about “change.” Nearly half said this -- 49% -- followed a quarter that said “experience.” Fifteen percent said that it was important that the candidate "cares about me." While only 8% said electability.
As has been the pattern in previous races, Obama's voters are looking for change -- 73% of his voters said this. Far fewer mentioned anything else: 14% wanted a candidate who cares about people like them, 8% are concerned about electability, and just 3% say it's experience that counts.
Among Clinton voters, it's a very different picture: experience is the quality most valued. Nearly half of Clinton's voters say experience is what they value most. 27% want a candidate who can bring about change, 14% want someone who cares about them, and just 9% say the key for them is electability.
However, when it comes to just who they believe will be the Democratic nominee more voters in this Democratic primary feel it will be Obama: Obama -- 54%, Clinton 43%. But we should note, in this state it's just a small majority, much smaller than in recent national polls. It also appears that about one in five Clinton voters in the state now feel that Obama will be the nominee.
