Here’s a Surprise: Obama Voters Happy, McCain Voters Less So
By Alan Stewart Carl | Related entries in 2008 Election, Barack, McCain
I’m not sure we needed a survey to figure out the following, but it’s intriguing nonetheless:
While 43 percent of [Barack] Obama’s backers said they are excited over the campaign, just 13 percent of [John] McCain’s said so, according to the survey of adults, conducted by Knowledge Networks. Six in 10 Obama supporters said the race interests them, compared to four in 10 backing McCain, the Republican senator from Arizona.
On the flip side, 52 percent of McCain supporters said the campaign has left them frustrated, compared to 30 percent of Obama’s. A quarter of McCain backers say they feel helpless, double the rate of those preferring Obama.
More McCain supporters also feel angry and bored, while Obama’s are likelier to say they are proud and hopeful.
I wonder if this says anything about the style of campaigns run by the two candidates or if this is exactly what you’d expect when one man has been up in all the polls for the final two months of the race. The perceived victors are excited and the perceived losers are disheartened. Well … yeah.
There is also an end-of-an-era vs. beginning-of-an-era feel to these last moments before the election. The Democrats are ascendant on the back of a bright, young superstar candidate while the Republicans are in full collapse with an old, increasingly dyspeptic candidate leading a final, weakened charge. Those who are on Team Democrat are like Phillies fans for whom victory was sweeter on account of the waiting. Republicans, conversely, are like Yankees fans whose sense of entitlement has withered away into bitterness.
Of course, if McCain pulls this election out, get ready for a vicious emotional rollercoaster. A lot of people have already adopted the attitudes of a winner or a loser. Flip-flopping those roles at the last moment wouldn’t be pretty. Not until Tuesday night or even later will we know if these emotions were well-founded or entirely premature.
This entry was posted on Saturday, November 1st, 2008 and is filed under 2008 Election, Barack, McCain. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
