White men boost Obama`s win in Virginia, exit poll shows

Source: Xinhua | 02-13-2008 11:18

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill)'s easy win in Virginia primary Tuesday is boosted by the support of white men.

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) applauds at the end of his speech at the  Virginia Democratic Party Jefferson Jackson dinner in Richmond, Virginia Feb. 9, 2008.  (Xinhua/Reuters File Photo)

Exit poll by ABC News indicated that Obama not only won 9 in 10 African-Americans, but split white voters with opponent Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY).

That came on the strength of his support from white men, who favored him by more than a 10-point margin.

Obama has won or tied Clinton among white men in 12 previous contests.

Blacks accounted for nearly three in 10 voters in Virginia, and Obama's support from African-Americans in the state was at or near his highest in any primary this year.

He was also helped by independents, who made up a fifth of voters in Virginia's open primary.

Clinton won white Democrats by nearly a 20-point margin, but white independents went even more broadly to Obama.

The "change" theme was powerful for Obama.

More than half of Democratic voters in Virginia said the top attribute they were seeking in a candidate is the one who can "bring needed change," and those "change" voters favored Obama by a 5-1 margin.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei