CNN has released their exit polls which include some interesting numbers: 65% either support or are neutral about the Tea Party “movement”, only 31% oppose. The Democrat party’s unfavorables (53%) exceeded the Republican party’s unfavorables (52%). Obama was “not a factor” for only 37%. Gays/Lesbians went 31% for Republicans. Union households went 38% for Republicans. I’ll bet those union numbers are more than a little scary for the Democrats. They look at unions as a monolithic group, almost like blacks, that vote overwhelmingly for Democrats. Not anymore. And you can put gays in that same category. David Freddoso adds some other notes: Two years of Obama-Reid-Pelosi were enough to rehabilitate the philosophy of limited government. 56 percent of this year’s voters felt the government is doing too much, and only 38 percent believed it should do more. Each group voted roughly 80-20 on opposite sides. You can blame the Tea Party for Republicans’ failures in the Senate, but also credit them for successes in the House. Pending late outcomes, so-called “Tea Party” candidates, as defined by the New York Times, made between 30 and 35 of the GOP’s net House gains. Many of these came in places where Republicans have never been competitive — at least not in my lifetime. Some in the GOP have chosen to focus on the Senate failures and ignore the House gains as they discuss the Tea Party’s impact on the election. They do so at great risk of ticking a lot of Tea Party people off and encouraging them to take their business elsewhere.
Exit Polls Have Some Interesting Numbers