Voters with college degrees and international travelers are breaking for President Obama over Mitt Romney in the presidential race, according to a polling analysis from John Zogby. Romney, meanwhile, comes out ahead among top earners and the middle class.
The trend should be worrisome for Obama, Zogby wrote:
The picture that emerges from these select numbers is one of dissatisfaction among voters with the highest income, but an incumbent who might be able to cut his losses among more upscale voters by appealing to those with college degrees and those who have a more international perspective. At the same time, the president is waging an all-out war against Romney to win over middle income voters who, at the moment, are really enamored with Obama. An incumbent presently winning only 36% of voters in the $50,000 to $75,000 income range spells potential trouble for him.
Here’s how the numbers break down from Zogby’s analysis of a total sample 5,300 likely voters:
- Among college-educated voters, Obama leads by 8 points, 47 percent to 39 percent. This group makes up approximately 40 percent of likely voters.
- Voters who have traveled internationally give Obama a 10-point advantage, 48 percent to 38 percent. About one-third of voters have a passport, according to Zogby.
- Romney does slightly better among voters earning $100,000 per year or more. He leads by 3 points, 47 percent to 44 percent. Zogby predicts this group will make up about 13 percent of likely voters.
- Among the important group of voters making between $50,000 and $75,000 per year, Romney holds a 6-point edge, 42 percent to 36 percent. This income group makes up 21 percent of likely voters. And, according to Zogby, “it is the group that normally provides the winner in presidential elections going back to 1972.”
Hot Air also covered Zogby’s previous analysis, which examined the “marriage gap” — the sharp political divide between married and single voters.