(Week of 4/7/2012) In this Economist/YouGov Poll, Americans see clear party differences in the voting patterns of the last few decades. By 70% to 4%, Americans say blacks tend to vote Democratic, by 39% to 8%, they believe whites vote Republican. Younger voters are seen as Democrats; older voters as more Republican.
When it comes to the sexes, Americans see a party battle there, too. 43% think women tend to vote Democratic, while by 43% to 9%, Americans see men as leaning Republican.
Democrats and Republicans agree on how the sexes vote, but they don’t agree on the question of which party is better for women. For Democrats, it’s the Democratic Party. For Republicans, it’s the GOP. On the whole, both men and women think the Democrats are the better party for women.
In recent weeks, the debate about requiring health care coverage for contraception has caused prominent Democrats, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, to assert that the Republican Party is "waging a war on women." Although Americans may think the Democratic Party is better for women, they don’t think the Republicans are waging a war on them. Just 24% say they are.
44% of Democrats agree with this belief. But women disagree. Only one-quarter of women say the GOP is waging a war on women. Nearly twice as many women disagree.
Economist/YouGov poll archives can be found here
Photo source: Press Association
