June 3, 2008
Posted: 06:51 PM ET

From

(CNN) — In South Dakota, domestic-minded Democratic primary voters had a different pick than their foreign-policy focused peers.

Voters who said their top concern was the state of the nation’s economy voted for Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama, 58 to 42 percent. But those who said the war in Iraq was their No. 1 concern supported Obama over Clinton by an even wider margin: 61-39 percent.

Obama’s early opposition to the Iraq war has made him the top pick for voters most worried about that conflict – but are international concerns taking a back seat to economic woes?

Filed under: Barack Obama • Exit Polls • Hillary Clinton • South Dakota


JC   June 3rd, 2008 9:26 pm ET

Obama/Clinton = THE Nightmare TIcket.

Obama/Hillary = the Nightmare Ticket.

Vote American democracy.
No more Clinton or Bush anywhere near the White House.

Bill, Covington   June 3rd, 2008 8:50 pm ET

Those voterswho back the negro-caucasian nominee because they are concerned about the war are the same type people we confronted during the cold war the "Better Red Than Dead" bunch, pacifists, turn the other cheekers, for lack of a better term "Gutless Wonders" with no desire to protect, defend and preserve this great nation. Just follow blindly behind the obama people and you will all go down together,

Jaun   June 3rd, 2008 8:31 pm ET

McCain/Clinton ticket more appears as two peas in a pod.
Sen Obama Bill and Hill will have you watching your back more than anything else…don't include THEM please.
AMERICA FOR OBAMA
OBAMA 08

big daddy from california   June 3rd, 2008 8:18 pm ET

speaking of the war Iraq was not a war of necessity it was a war of ego
gw wanted to finish what his daddy started lets get that straight, we are supposed to be in Afghanistan, finishing what we started with osama, think about it if we finished off osama-bin-laden there would be no Al-queda

jessie   June 3rd, 2008 8:12 pm ET

Congratulations CNN you pulled him through!! By the way WHERE IS MICHELLE? Great job of keeping under wraps!!

Voter   June 3rd, 2008 7:59 pm ET

Voting for the war with responsibility is entirely different than making a speech opposing it without access to the Intel reports.

Peter E   June 3rd, 2008 7:44 pm ET

How is it that when Hillary supporters say they'd rather vote for McCain it's considered 'vile' but when Obama supporters say they'd rather vote for McCain it is considered 'positive change?'

Patricia Gardiner   June 3rd, 2008 7:40 pm ET

No Clinton as VP - put her on and you also get Bill and that would spell disaster. We have had enough of the Clintons. Let Obama have his own choice.

Pat   June 3rd, 2008 7:36 pm ET

We lost more than 3,000 innocent souls right here in the U.S. on 9/11. Isn't that enough reason to fight the terrorists? Those dear Americans who have fought and died overseas have ensured that there has NOT been another loss like that since 9/11. Most of them enlisted because they wanted to avenge their U.S. brothers' and sisters' lives. (There is no draft, remember?) The real problem is that the Bush administration focused all its energies on Iraq, while Afghanistan should have remained their real target. I'll never understand that.

As to Hillary's VP spot, I genuinely hope she does NOT accept it. She's way too good for that. I want to see Obama fall on his face all by himself.

Bridgette - PA   June 3rd, 2008 7:35 pm ET

Now wait a minute B-NYC, we don't need you! Don't front. We got this. OBAMA has what it takes to do this. He got this nomination without you and he will be the President without you! Don't any of you HiIllary supporters think for one second that all of the OBAMA supporters want the OBAMA/HILLARY ticket because we don't! HiIllary will not bully OBAMA. She has done enough damage. There are other women V.P. potentials out there that will help OBAMA bring the party together. BTW, I did think before I reponded :) Threats get you nowwhere, your either with OBAMA or your not. If your not, we don't care!

OBAMA / SEBELIUS-08!

Josephine   June 3rd, 2008 7:34 pm ET

Mr. President we love you

David Newport, OR   June 3rd, 2008 7:33 pm ET

The sad thing is that too many do not see the economic drain the Iraq conflict has been.

For the Hillary supporters who refuse to vote for what is best for America…fine…Vote for McCain instead.

martin   June 3rd, 2008 7:31 pm ET

ending the war will directly affect the economy.

kgdexter   June 3rd, 2008 7:29 pm ET

This constant insistance of individuals that they will vote for McCain if their democratic candidate does not win speaks volumes about the fact that they are not voting based on the issues. McCain is light years apart from both dems on issues. We are not voting for the homecoming king or queen! I hope these individuals will consider the young men and women dying every day in Iraq before they cast a spite vote!

Michael   June 3rd, 2008 7:26 pm ET

I'm hoping the people of SD made the smart decision and voted for Barack Obama.

Anne   June 3rd, 2008 7:21 pm ET

Voting for the war and voting to support efforts of our troops is two Entirely different things.

Janet, 60+White Female American via Canada   June 3rd, 2008 7:21 pm ET

Democratics in November 4, 2008!

The Movement of Change, for the Democratic Nominee is here and now.

Anne   June 3rd, 2008 7:19 pm ET

@ B-NYC…your tone is rude and disrespectful….I am sure you know the phrase well, you have to give it to get it. The rudeness and disrepect goes both ways and I am pretty sure we all need each other, so I really think we all need to address our own issues before pointing them out in others.

We get, it people like you will vote for McCain, whopdee doo. You would never vote for Obama anyway, then.

CNN Please post becaue I am tired of these same comments…

Obama Fan   June 3rd, 2008 7:18 pm ET

Thanks its over soon.

Hillary will endorse Obama because they are still friends.

The ones who never will vote for Obama, fine, we can live with that because very many of Obama supporters would never vote for Hillary.
I understand that.

But now begins a new contest and true democrats should and will unite!

In every speech McSame is out for lunch. He never will get out of the tunnel.

Obama/Clinton 08

Cynthia   June 3rd, 2008 7:16 pm ET

My hope is that the Democratic Party can come together. We have more in common than most of us know.

Thompson   June 3rd, 2008 7:16 pm ET

Quote: Riiight…. because Obama was against the war before he voted to FUND the war!!

Response: By FUNDING the war, he support the troops. There's a difference. We can't send our troops with nothing to fight with. Therefore, you can support the troop and be against the war.

Dan   June 3rd, 2008 7:15 pm ET

Agreed, B-NYC. It speaks volumes to be told that my vote isn't needed. Hopefully there's time to "change" that message

Cheryl   June 3rd, 2008 7:15 pm ET

I don't in any way condone Father Pfleger's mockery of Hillary Clinton, but neither do I condone her mockery of Senator Obama. Has everyone forgotten her perfomance as such "The skies will open up, and the light will come down and the celestial choir will be singing…….."? It seems she helped create the climate.

Addressing Clinton Supporters   June 3rd, 2008 7:15 pm ET

I would have happily voted for Clinton, even if I agreed with her campaign, because I do, believe this or not, care if another 4,000 young men and women are killed.

I've seen many, many people say they're willing to glide through the next four years with McCain and then get Hillary again. Two things about that, though, you see:

1. Another four years is another 4,000 men and women lost because of your arrogance and childish behavior. There is so much at stake it sickens me to think you won't back Obama, and you provide NO REASONS for it. I would have voted for Clinton because I really do care, and I think she is vastly better than McCain.

2. Sure, let Obama lose and Clinton come back in 2012. Guess who will be getting pay back? Do you think we'd all fall in line after the nasty comments about how you wouldn't support Obama? Think before you make threats. We need you, and you will eventually need us, no matter when Clinton decides to run next.

3. You talked about how this campaign needed to be on issues because Clinton was and is strong on the issues. Now you're willing to turn your back on them?

I beg you, yes beg, because I really want to see this country move forward, and you're all threatening to make the country go stagnant. I ask you simply to think before you vote in November and really think about your children, your job, and our country as a whole.

I hope you come to the right conclusion. God Bless.

Obama '08,'12 - Clinton '16, '20
———Democratic Unity———-

Ratgurl   June 3rd, 2008 7:10 pm ET

What's with the Obama bashing here?

If you're a Democrat & you don't like him, please state a VALID reason why not.

shawn   June 3rd, 2008 7:09 pm ET

Change, we need change. How about gas at $10 a gallon. That is change. Is that good? Is change by itself good? Gosh, "change" what a slogan. I was employed, now I am layed off, what a "change". Just like the dot com bubble, and then the housing bubble, people just want to believe in the silliest stuff.

Ratgurl   June 3rd, 2008 7:09 pm ET

You can't really pick a representative without considering ALL of the issues. Economy is directly affected by war - it's no wonder there's minimal discrepancy. And perhaps these same people should be asked what their second concern was with regard to voting….

Enlightened Voter   June 3rd, 2008 7:07 pm ET

Let's also not forget besides Barack's brilliant judgement, brilliant campaign management skills he is a constitutional scholar, neither of which hillary or mccain can claim. Barack can teach at any university constitutional law and could be a supreme court justice.

Danny G. Boca Raton, FL   June 3rd, 2008 7:04 pm ET

Don't count your pennies yet… even after a democrat is elected into office (January 2009) it will take them anywhere from 90-120 days to draw out a plan to reduce forces. the International community does not want a bigger mess in Iraq so the U.S is going to confront the real possibility of having to have a precense in the region. Sen. Obama is going to have a very hard time making this work… don't get me wrong Sen. Clinton would have had an equal size problem. However I believe that an Obama Cabinet (if he chooses close to the vest line Bush did) is going to allow for a grace period, so at best we will see some of the savings of the war starting in late 2009 or 2010. this is not going to be as easy as Sen. Obama has suggested in the past.

john   June 3rd, 2008 7:03 pm ET

Thank heavens this race will be over tonight

B - NYC   June 3rd, 2008 7:03 pm ET

With all due respects, hats off to Senator Obama for a campaign well done. He only needed four times the money and the aid of the press that slammed her and adored him… But, he did it with "politics as usual"… Well done sir.

So, to all of the Obama supporters that have continued to be so rude and disrespectful throughout this election… Word of warning… You NEED us, we don/t need you and your tone should shift soon because most Clinton backers will NEVER vote for Obama…

Think before you speak…

O-blah-ma   June 3rd, 2008 7:03 pm ET

Riiight…. because Obama was against the war before he voted to FUND the war!!

Ratgurl   June 3rd, 2008 7:03 pm ET

You can't really pick a representative without considering ALL of the issues. Economy is directly affected by war - it's no wonder there's minimal discrepancy. And perhaps these same people should be asked what their second concern was with regard to voting….

Steve   June 3rd, 2008 7:02 pm ET

Barack Obama, as the presumptive nominee, can unify the Democratic Party by selecting Hillary Clinton as his running mate. Clinton has made the offer to be VP. Now it's up to Obama.

NEW DEMACAIN   June 3rd, 2008 7:02 pm ET

Obama will make sure that america gets exactly what it deserves.

Mr. & Mrs E Renfro   June 3rd, 2008 7:02 pm ET

We are definitely opposed to Obama choosing Hillary Clinton as Vice President. Many people voted for Obama because they do not want the Clinton's back in the White House.

DAvid Frederick   June 3rd, 2008 7:01 pm ET

The popular vote means more to me than the super-delagates.
In my opinion Hillary actually is the winner. I believe that if legitimate new elections had been held in Florida and Michigan,
Hillary Clinton would have already been our Presidential nominee.

Dave   June 3rd, 2008 7:01 pm ET

Amen, Nevada.

A lot of people are being seriously hurt by this economy. I am not aware of over 4000 people being killed by it.

D.J.   June 3rd, 2008 7:01 pm ET

Is it so difficult to see that the economic woes are a result of compromising our resources in a foreign and undesired war that will last for years if it is allowed to continue?

True Democrat   June 3rd, 2008 7:01 pm ET

Let me get that straight:

Obama says he wants to meet with all enemies of the USA without preconditions.
Then he is pressed on that and admits "oh, of course I will have lower level meetings go on first and have them make concessions…"

Obama says he will end the war in Iraq immediately.
Pressed by McCain, he says "oh, i will consider the progress on the ground and withdraw them slowly"

Obama says he won't need to visit Iraq to make a political point.
Pressed by McCain, he agrees to visit Iraq with him.

So how is Obama different from Clinton I ask??? She had the ideas of lower level meetings+preconditions as well as a drawdown of forces based on progress first and now Obama is starting to agree with everything she says when he is pressed? What kind of parrot is that?

Anonymous   June 3rd, 2008 6:59 pm ET

It is only natural for the Iraq war to take a back seat to the economy. The economy issue is present in the everyday lives of Americans. Whereas the Iraq war is able to be put out of sight and out of mind.

john williams san diego, ca.   June 3rd, 2008 6:59 pm ET

it seems a lot of West Virginia hillbillies moved to South Dakota. 54% of the people in the exit polls think that Hillary is honest…but then again maybe they don't have cable TV. or don't read newspapers.

TonyNJHC   June 3rd, 2008 6:59 pm ET

If the market does not pick up, and with $125.00 a barrel oil, soon everybody will be concerned with the economy.

Yes to Obama   June 3rd, 2008 6:56 pm ET

Sorry NY Newspaper, the slot of VP is not determined through an endorsement game. Our winner Barak Obama will make a deciscion about this based on his own creteria. Once again keep the rules clear.

Shawn from Kansas   June 3rd, 2008 6:55 pm ET

Bill, are you saying she's going to win S Dakota??? Boy this would make a real mess of things. He may be forced to have her on the ticket !!!! If the do team up ….. LANDSLIDE general election victory, but problems between them when they get to Washington.

Nevada   June 3rd, 2008 6:54 pm ET

Resolving some of our international concerns could go a long way in helping the economy. After all, quite a bit of money is going into Iraq with not much coming out of it.

marianna   June 3rd, 2008 6:53 pm ET

Clinton/Obama - yes we can

Obama/Clinton - will vote McCain

Mr. B.   June 3rd, 2008 6:53 pm ET

America Is Ready
Obama 08

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