Older, educated, white voters shift away from Trump's party

[HAB911]

Older, white, educated voters helped Donald Trump win the White House in 2016. Now, they are trending toward Democrats in such numbers that their ballots could tip the scales in tight congressional races from New Jersey to California, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll and a data analysis of competitive districts shows.

Nationwide, whites over the age of 60 with college degrees now favor Democrats over Republicans for Congress by a 2-point margin, according to Reuters/Ipsos opinion polling during the first three months of the year. During the same period in 2016, that same group favored Republicans for Congress by 10 percentage points.

The 12-point swing is one of the largest shifts in support toward Democrats that the Reuters/Ipsos poll has measured over the past two years. If that trend continues, Republicans will struggle to keep control of the House of Representatives, and possibly the Senate, in the November elections, potentially dooming President Trump's legislative agenda.

The real core for the Republicans is white, older white, and if they're losing ground there, they're going to have a tsunami, said Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political scientist who closely tracks political races. If that continues to November, they're toast.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/09/as-elections-near-many-older-educated-white-voters-shift-away-from-trumps-party.html

[lark]

1. Wonderful news.

I just hope Russia doesn't fully get "mid-terms" and steal that election like they tole the last. I don't know if our bluewave can overcome determined Russian hacking and individually targeted fake news.

[NewJeffCT]

2. Bad News for Republicans

Older people get out and vote reliably.

Now, if we can combine that with a big increase in 18-24 year-old voters, it will spell disaster for Republicans.

[HAB911]

15. I have high hopes the influx of Puerto Rican voters helps turn FL too!

[Maraya1969]

27. I hadn't thought of that but YES!

I could not image any Puerto Rican citizen voting for #45

[DownriverDem]

3. What took them so long?

I will never understand why old folks, no matter their race, would vote for the repubs who just want to take away the programs they need. Unless you are rich, you have no business voting for the repubs.

[TheBlackAdder]

4. Educated, perhaps. Slow Learners Who Poorly Adapt -- Definitely!

[ProfessorGAC]

8. And Define Rich Too

I'm nearing retirement and won't be all that worried about money, but it would be stupid for me to vote "R" even if i were socially conservative. (Which i'm not, so this is all hypothetical.)

I'd say unless you are well into 8 digits, voting republican is stupid.

[Lucky Luciano]

21. Agreed 25+ million net worth is where being R might make sense if one is selfish. nt

[ProfessorGAC]

22. That Sounds About Right

I'm figuring a minimum of 8 digits, but your number makes more sense.

Of course, as you said, if one is selfish, since one doesn't really need any more money. Well, unless you really have your heart set on your very own G IV.

[Ligyron]

12. People who don't know better think Dems are spendthrifts out to raise taxes.

Taxes on working Americans I mean. Middle class Americans were once where all the money was for purposes of taxation but that ended awhile ago. Now we know where all the money is and it ain't us anymore. We need a message and a messenger to better educate our fellow countrymen.

[True Blue American]

14. So many Retirees listen to the TV

And,of course they want to be entertained. A TV Star fit the bill. Now,they are beginning to realize just how fake Trump and Republicans are.

I was shocked to see how many good? Christians were so impressed with Duck Dynasty. They loved the nasty,old Preacher who taught his flock to marry ‘em young so you could raise ‘em right!

The whole family were con men. Mind you,I am speaking of well Educated people, middle aged,too.

[Iliyah]

13. If true, they sure did not educate themselves with facts prior to the 2016 elections.

Plus, ya think they realize how "fucked" seniors are under GOPs? Damn, how slow can they be in realizing that? Oh right, RW media and sin sin clair sure is not helping.

[NewJeffCT]

16. I'm not quite in that older voter category yet

but, sometimes with older people, habits take longer to break/change, if they change at all.

[IronLionZion]

31. Doesn't matter. We should welcome everyone who votes for Dems

regardless of their past votes. There's not need to punish these old folks any more. Trump is punishing them anyway.

[Orsino]

32. A different sort of education.

The naked lack of giving a fuck for people in the age bracket these voters are entering, perhaps.

I dare not hope for any more enlightened motive.

[SallyHemmings]

5. Spanky is crushing their 401k

He has moved the goal line on their retirement plans.

[unc70]

6. Also, baby boomers are aging into this group

A tsunami of aging baby boomers are flooding into the older demographic. In this case, it is those over age 60 which includes the bulk of boomers. Though not all the same, this influx will signicantly shift the profile of this demographic.

Not ignoring the Trump effect.

[IronLionZion]

7. Dipshit is destroying their retirement funds

every time the stable genius announces disastrous trade policy or tariffs, the market dips. Elderly might want some more stability from someone else.

[Corgigal]

9. Wish you used your educated brain

the last time around. If Russia is allowed to screw around with our mid term election, might be too late. Got to try, and monitor which electronic machine is used, and do your best. I'm gonna use paper, a first for us.

[mountain grammy]

10. My generation and I couldn't be more ashamed

everytime I see a group of old, white haired women who look like me carrying trump signs.. Maybe, at long last, they're snapping out of their madness.
I'd check with some of my peers, but we're not actually on speaking terms.

[True Blue American]

17. Granny

Some never learn. They heard it on the TV or from the Pulpit.

Hear about the old lady who shouted,” Amen,Amen,” when the Preacher shouted about the evil demons of drink and smoking?

Then he began to talk about that evil snuff! The old lady said,” That Preacher has gone from Preachin’ to meddlin” now!”

I am old with a strong Southern accent so take my joke lightly. And still pay Union dues, volunterally.

[mountain grammy]

19. With my inlaws,

it's 100% true. Whatever the preacher says, and the give and give their tax exempt $$$$ to the tax exempt preacher, who laughs all the way to the bank.. Suckers all!

[True Blue American]

24. My InLaws

Were good Tenn. Baptist Democrats. They would be ashamed of both Evangelicals and their beliefs today.

I was their favorite Yankee!

[mountain grammy]

30. We do have a few, thank goodness.

My husband's 92 year old aunt in El Paso proudly proclaims to be a Democrat and an athiest, all 5 feet, 100 pounds of her. I love that woman and her name is Bonnie, my middle name.

Then there's the good Baptist cousins in San Angelo who completely reject the madness of trump. They're life long Republicans who followed and comented on my posts about Hillary.. One cousin started calling her Madam President before the election. She said she never thought she could accept Hillary because in Texas you hear only the lies, and thanked me for enlightening her to the truth. Since she couldn't vote for trump, she had considered not voting at all for president until I changed her mind. that's me, a diehard Bernie woman.

[world wide wally]

11. This is the best anti public education arguments the Republicans have

[moonseller66]

18. Older voters helped trump win...

uh huh!

But the 18-30 age group by and large doesn't register and if they do, how many vote? How many are too busy doing whatever to care?

So it was the fault of the older voters? Not the Russians or the media. Just the older voters.

Wonder where and who those older voters were in 2008 and 2012?

But we gotta blame someone. Might as well be others not in our circle.

[True Blue American]

25. From what I have been reading

16 and 17 year olds have been pre-registering all over the Country.

[Sparko55]

20. Talkin' abut MY GENERATON..... MY GENERATION

As with many posts here from my age cohort - i've been disgusted with the Kool-Aid drinkers since Reagan came about in '76 and then won in '80. The Baby Boom went all in, and still does now. Don't know what they didn't get then, and still don't get now. They saw the mayhem created by every GOP administration. Tax cuts (although very little for them), endless wars, "drug wars", and their usual cabal of as Jimmy Buffet said: "Religion's in the hands of some crazy ass people. Television preachers with bad hair and dimples."

And the CON never changes through time. Just look at Franklin Graham, J. Falwell Jr., Tony Perkins and every new green shoot of grifters to grace the TV's.

Most will only learn when they need their social security, or medicare - and it's gone. The best one can hope for is it's quick and painless, the lesson's learned and then, hopefully, the country can move forward in more progressive fashion. Don't think that will happen, they'll still be waiting for Trump to bring back the coal mining and steel jobs in the Ohio Valley, or the GM Plant to Janesville, WI, so their kid can be a fifth generation employee, but that boat sailed long ago. But still they'll wait at the dock for the next ship that will never sail.

[True Blue American]

26. I think Billy would have been ashamed of Franklin.

They did not agree when he was young. He is hanging on Dad’s coat tails, just like Junior Bush. Never measure up.

[Politicub]

23. You can be educated but still do stupid things

These older white Americans are an example of how education doesn’t necessarily translate to wisdom.

[obnoxiousdrunk]

28. I remember

when they said educated white Republican women would vote for Hillary in 2016.

[BobTheSubgenius]

29. Absolutely fantastic news!!!

Assuming a fair election, which is by no means certain. The best way to counter the dirty tricks and propaganda is by creating a landslide victory so decisive that cheating could not be explained away.