Based on Indiana and North Carolina, we can now further clarify Sen. Obama’s weakness. He doesn’t have a big problem with whites. He has a problem with older whites. Consider this: in North Carolina, Sen. Obama beat Sen. Clinton among 17- to 29-year-old whites 57%-41%. Among those 30 to 44 years old, Sen. Clinton was ahead 52%-45%.
In Indiana, Sen. Obama won the young white vote (ages 17 to 29) by 62%-38% and those between 30 and 44, by 56%-44%.
But it was among the older whites that Sen. Clinton trounced Sen. Obama, winning the over-60 set 69%-29% in North Carolina and 64%-34% in Indiana.
What’s more, younger folks made up a bigger portion of the electorate: 22% of the voters in Pennsylvania were under 40. By contrast, 34% of the voters in Indiana were under 40, and 27% were in North Carolina
Reprinted from Wall Street Journal Online