While the primary totals for Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg were relatively close, their support came from radically different segments of the population.
Unlike Iowa’s debacle, yesterday’s New Hampshire primary results were announced promptly, showing Vermont senator Bernie Sanders in first place with 26 percent of the vote total. Former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg was a close second, winning 24 percent of votes and the same number of delegates as Sanders. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar came third, the only other candidate to draw enough support to secure any delegates.
But while the primary totals were relatively close, the top candidates’ support comes from radically different segments of the population, highlighting the deep fault lines in American society. Sanders was the runaway winner among New Hampshire’s working class, receiving 38 percent of the vote from those with household incomes less than $50,000. That is a 21-point lead over his nearest challenger. But his support fell to just 17 percent among those earning over $100,000. In contrast, Buttigieg doubled Sanders’ votes among the rich but fared poorly among the working class. It was a similar case with Klobuchar, who fared extremely well among the super-wealthy, but was in single digits with those earning under $50,000. Indeed, of all the measurable metrics polling tracked, she and Mayor Pete fared the worst when it came to class. Sanders also was the clear favorite among unionized households.
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