IOWA - OBAMA HUCKABEE WINNERS

Entrance Polls Predicted Obama, Huckabee Wins
by FOXNews.com Friday, January 4, 2008

Caucus voters in action (AP)

Polling the Iowa caucus-goers as they made their way into the polls Thursday foreshadowed some key pitfalls for Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Mitt Romney and reasons to celebrate for their respective rivals, Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee.Democratic voters, for example, declared 52 percent to 20 percent that they preferred a candidate that could bring about much needed change over one who had experience.On the other side of the aisle, 60 percent of voters said they consider themselves evangelical Christians. Huckabee is a Baptist minister. Far more than any other characteristic – 45 percent – Republicans said they are looking for a candidate who shares my values. Of those respondents, 44 percent said they were supporting Huckabee.

Before 9 p.m. EST, Huckabee was declared the winner. With 93 percent of the precincts reporting, Huckabee won about 34 percent of the vote, ahead of Romney who was hovering around 25 percent. Obama was also declared the winner on the Democratic side with 38 percent of the vote, ahead of Edwards with 30 percent and Clinton at 29 percent.The youth vote had experienced a surge of sorts Thursday, benefiting Obama. According to the polling, 22 percent of the vote was under 29 years of age and Obama won big among this crowd, with 57 percent. Conversely, Clinton did better with the 65 and older group – which is typically credited with voting in more numbers in any election. In the Democratic contest, 22 percent were 65 and older.On the Republican side, 11 percent of voters were under 29, and Huckabee did best with this crowd, winning 40 percent of their vote, followed by Romney at 22 percent and Ron Paul at 21 percent. The over-65 crowd clocked in at 27 percent. This vote, too, went for Huckabee, with 30 percent. Romney got 28 percent of that group while McCain won 21 percent. Paul earned 8 percent of older Americans.

Clinton lost her grip on the female vote, at least in Iowa. Obama beat her among women, 35 percent to 30 percent for the New York senator. On the Republican side, Huckabee won big among women, beating out his closest rival, Romney, 40 percent to 24 percent.
Perhaps the biggest indicators of what the voters were thinking were the responses to questions about issues and character.For the Republicans, illegal immigration was the top issue, at 33 percent, followed by the economy at 26 percent, terrorism at 21 percent and the war in Iraq, 17 percent.Following the top characteristic of sharing one’s values, 33 percent of Republican voters want a nominee who says what he believes, while 14 percent want the guy with the right experience. A smaller number – 7 percent – wanted the candidate with the best chance to win in November.The majority of Republicans, 48 percent, said they were satisfied, but not enthusiastic about the Bush administration, while 26 said they were dissatisfied but not angry with the Bush administration.

Sixty-seven of Republican voters said it either matters somewhat or a great deal that their candidate shares their religious beliefs.On the Democratic side, voters were split between the economy and the war in Iraq for the issue most important to them, 35 percent to 35 percent, with health care trailing with 27 percent.Behind wanting a candidate who can bring about change, Democratic voters want someone who has the right experience, 20 percent, and cares about people like me, at 19 percent. Getting someone with the best chance to win – typically, Clinton has been considered the most electable in 2008 – with eight percent.Fifty-nine percent of Republican voters decided their vote within the last month or beforehand, while 73 percent of Democrats say they made their choice a month or more ago. Conversely, 17 percent of Republicans said they made up their minds on caucus day. Of those, 29 percent went for Huckabee and 19 percent for Fred Thompson. Eleven percent of Democrats made up their minds on Thursday, with 31 percent choosing Obama, 28 percent for Edwards and 20 percent for Clinton. Bill Richardson took 9 percent of those caucus-goers.
The Democratic poll sample was 2,136 people. The entrance poll of Republicans interviewed 1,600 caucus-goers.Popularity: 1% [?]