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CBS News’ Election and Survey Unit’s survey analyst Jennifer De Pinto goes inside the exit polls once again to examine the impact of the Hispanic vote on the 2008 presidential election:

Hispanics were a key factor in President-elect Barack Obama’s victory. He captured the support of 67 percent of this group, an increase of 14 points over John Kerry’s 53 percent in 2004. Republican nominee John McCain took just 31 percent, down from the 44 percent President Bush received in 2004.

Yet, these voters were not solidly behind Obama during the Democratic primaries. In fact, Hillary Clinton won the support of about six in 10 Hispanics in those contests and they were essential to her victories in the California and Texas primaries.

As the primaries ended and the general election campaign got underway, Hispanics warmed to Obama. A troubled economy and dissatisfaction with the current President and his party drove more Hispanics to the Democratic column this time around.

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CBS News’ Election and Survey Unit’s survey analyst Jennifer De Pinto goes inside the exit polls once again to examine the impact of the Hispanic vote on the 2008 presidential election:

Hispanics were a key factor in President-elect Barack Obama’s victory. He captured the support of 67 percent of this group, an increase of 14 points over John Kerry’s 53 percent in 2004. Republican nominee John McCain took just 31 percent, down from the 44 percent President Bush received in 2004.

Yet, these voters were not solidly behind Obama during the Democratic primaries. In fact, Hillary Clinton won the support of about six in 10 Hispanics in those contests and they were essential to her victories in the California and Texas primaries.

As the primaries ended and the general election campaign got underway, Hispanics warmed to Obama. A troubled economy and dissatisfaction with the current President and his party drove more Hispanics to the Democratic column this time around.

Read full post…

CBS News’ Election and Survey Unit’s survey analyst extraordinaire Jennifer De Pinto goes inside the exit polls from last week’s election and finds some interesting nuggets about those Hillary Clinton supporters who voted for John McCain:

As voters left the polls on Election Day, many were asked how they would have voted if the election match-up were between Hillary Clinton and John McCain rather than Barack Obama and McCain. 52 percent said they would have backed the former Democratic candidate; 41 percent would have voted for McCain, wider than Obama’s 7-point margin over McCain.

Interestingly, 16 percent of McCain voters said they would have voted for Clinton, the Democrat, if she had been her party’s nominee.

So who were these potential cross-over voters?

They were older: 61% of them were age 45 and above.

53% were women; while 47% were men.

43% of these voters who supported McCain but would have backed Clinton if she were in the race described themselves as Independents. 31% were Republicans; while 26% were Democrats.

84% of them were white – higher than the electorate at large. 12% were Hispanic, compared to 9% of the total electorate.

21% of McCain voters who would have supported Clinton said race was factor in their vote. 19% of McCain voters overall said race was factor in their vote.

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The polls in Kentucky close at 7:00pm ET and in Oregon at 11:00pm ET but here is a look at some of the early exit poll numbers. (Note: Because Oregon conducts all elections by mail, the poll in that state was conducted by phone and was completed on Sunday).

The split within the Democratic Party that has been evident in recent contests like West Virginia was revealed once again in Kentucky, where 80 percent of those voting for Hillary Clinton saying they would be dissatisfied with Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee while just 19 percent said they would be satisfied. Forty-nine percent of Obama voters in Kentucky said they would be dissatisfied with Clinton as the nominee while 47 percent would be satisfied.

Also, just 33 percent of Clinton voters in the Bluegrass State said they would back Obama in a general election. Forty one percent said they would support Republican John McCain and 23 percent said they would not vote in the fall. Seventy one percent of Obama voters said they would back Clinton in the fall should she win the nomination.

In Oregon, however, a majority of voters supporting both candidates said they would be satisfied with the other as the nominee. Fifty eight percent of Clinton voters there would be satisfied with Obama and 55 percent of his voters said they would be satisfied with Clinton. Sixty eight percent of Clinton’s supporters in Oregon said they would support Obama in the fall while 80 percent of his voters said they would back Clinton as the nominee.

The polls close at 7:30pm ET in West Virginia but we have our first peek at some of the exit polling results. Most voters made up their minds at some time before last week – a period which has been dominated by talk of Hillary Clinton’s ability to continue in the race. Seventy eight percent of voters in the early CBS News exit polls said they had decided who they would be supporting before the past week.

As it has been throughout the primary season, the economy was once again the top issue on the minds of voters, with 64 percent saying so. Eighty eight percent said they had been directly affected by the economic slowdown and 63 percent said they were in favor of proposals to temporarily suspend the gas tax.

Change was the quality voters were looking for most in a candidate, with 48 percent saying so compared to 23 percent who said experience was. Just eight percent said the ability to win in November was the most important quality for them.

There are more signs of a split within the Democratic Party. Just 23 percent of Hillary Clinton voters in West Virginia said they would be satisfied if Barack Obama was the Democratic nominee while 75 percent said they would be dissatisfied – the highest number recorded in exit polls yet. In Indiana, 62 percent of Clinton voters said they would be dissatisfied with Obama as the nominee. Sixty one percent of Obama voters said they would be dissatisfied with Clinton as the nominee while 33 percent said they would be satisfied.

Looking ahead to the general election, 59 percent of Clinton voters say they would either vote for Republican John McCain or not vote at all if Obama is the Democratic nominee. Thirty six percent of Clinton voters said they would vote for Obama while 35 percent said they would vote for McCain and 24 percent said they would sit the election out. Fifty one percent of Obama’s voters said they would support Clinton in the general election while 31 percent said they would support McCain and 14 percent would not vote.

Other indicators: Over half, 51 percent, of West Virginia voters said they think Obama shares the views of his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. Sixty two percent said that Bill Clinton’s campaigning in the state was an important factor in their vote. And 70 percent of Clinton voters said they think the race should continue.

Polls in Indiana close at 7:00pm ET and at 7:30 in North Carolina, check back with CBSNews.com for full coverage. In the meantime, here is a sneak peak at the early CBS News exit polls:

Most voters in both states made up their minds about who to support before the last week. Seventy six percent of voters in Indiana said they made up their minds before the past week as well as 81 percent of North Carolina voters.

The economy remained the dominant issue for voters in both states, as it has in contests throughout the primary process. Sixty five percent of the voters in Indiana and 60 percent in North Carolina said the economy was the issue they are most concerned with. And over 80 percent of the voters in both states said they have been affected by the slowing economy.

In Indiana, 50 percent of the voters said Hillary Clinton would be more likely to improve the economy as president. In North Carolina, 52 percent said Barack Obama would be.

And about half of voters in each state said the ability to bring change is the quality they are most looking for in a candidate, followed by just less than a quarter who cited experience.

More voters in both states said they believed Clinton attacked her opponent unfairly. Sixty three percent in Indiana and 67 percent in North Carolina said so while 43 percent and 40 percent respectively said they felt Obama had attacked Clinton unfairly.

Supporters of both said they would be unsatisfied with the other candidate as the nominee, but more of Clinton backers in both states said so than Obama supporters. Among Clinton voters in both states, 64 percent said they would be dissatisfied with Obama as the nominee. Fifty eight percent of Obama supporters in Indiana said they would not be satisfied with Clinton as the nominee, compared to 55 percent of his voters in North Carolina.

In both states, 48 percent of all voters said that the situation involving Obama’s former pastor Jeremiah Wright was something that was important in their vote.

Polls close at 8:00pm in Pennsylvania and here is a look at some of the early exit poll results among Pennsylvania Democratic voters. Most Keystone State voters made up their minds about who they were supporting before last week. Seventy seven percent said they made their choice before that, 23 percent did so within the past week. (Click here for the updated exit poll data.)

The economy was the issue that Democratic primary voters said mattered most to them today, as it has been in most every other state throughout the campaign. Fifty four percent chose the economy as the most important issue, compared to 28 percent who said the war in Iraq and 14 percent who said health care. Eighty nine percent said the U.S. is in a recession while 10 percent said it is not.

Change was the most important quality for voters in Pennsylvania today. Forty nine percent of voters said change was what they were most looking for in a candidate while 26 percent said experience was what mattered to them. Fourteen percent said they were looking for a candidate who cared about them and just 8 percent said they most wanted a candidate who could win in the fall.

After being deluged with campaign ads for weeks, more than half said those ads were an important factor in their decision. Fifty four percent said the ads were important while 43 percent said they were not.

More than half of the supporters of both candidates say they would not be satisfied if the other candidate ends up as the Democratic nomination. Sixty four percent of Clinton voters said they would not be satisfied with Obama as the nominee while 35 percent said they would. Fifty four percent of Obama voters also said they would not be satisfied with Clinton, 44 percent said they would be. Overall however, 70 percent of all Democratic primary voters said they would be satisfied with Clinton as the nominee while 64 percent said they would be satisfied with Obama.

When it comes to the general election, Clinton fared slightly better against John McCain among Democratic primary voters today. Clinton led McCain 80 percent to 11 percent while Obama bested the presumptive GOP nominee 72 percent to 15 percent. But 26 percent of Clinton supporters say they will support McCain in the fall election if Obama is the nominee while 17 percent of his supporters said they would vote for McCain if Clinton wins the nomination.

Here are some data from the early CBS News exit polls:

The economy was the top issue for Democratic voters in all four states voting today, and large majorities say the economy is in bad shape.

Ohio Democratic voters hold mostly negative views on U.S. trade with other countries: Eight in ten say trade takes jobs away from their state. In Texas, 58 percent say trade takes jobs away, while a quarter say U.S. trade with other countries creates jobs.

Thirty-two percent of Texas Democratic primary voters are Hispanic, according to the early exit polls -– up from the 24 percent in 2004. Eighteen percent are black, down from 21 percent in 2004.

In Ohio, 20 percent of Democratic primary voters are African American, up from 14 percent in 2004.

Obama is seen by voters in Texas and Ohio as the candidate most likely to beat the Republican nominee in November. A larger percentage of voters in both states say Clinton has attacked Obama unfairly than the other way around.

In both Ohio and Texas, a majority of Democratic voters say superdelegates should cast their vote based on the results of the primaries. A third say the superdelegates should support the candidate who has the best chance of winning in November.

For more exit poll results, see our main election story.