What does the exit polls tell us about who voted for Donald Trump and what does it mean? Many would say that the stereotypical Trump-voter is an angry poor white man, but is that the truth? What does the statistics show us after you break them down?
Something that I did not expect was the relation between income and who you voted for. I believed that Trump was the strongest among the poor but it is actually the opposite. The more you earn the more likely you are to vote for Trump. I was wrong when it came to who the rich voted for but the women must still have voted for Clinton I guessed. Trump is known for being sexist and Clinton is both female an avid equality advocate. But yet again I was wrong; 42 percent of the women voted for Trump. And if you look at only white women a majority voted for Trump, roughly 53 percent. In line with my other predictions I was wrong about how the minorities voted. Blacks, asians, latinos and other minorities all voted for Trump to a greater extent compared to the 2012 election.
When thinking about who would vote for Trump I draw a parallel to Sverigedemokraterna in Sweden. I thought Trump’s votes would solely come from uneducated and dissatisfied white men which was not the case. Trump did receive a lot of votes from dissatisfied Americans but as well from all parts of the american society which shattered my predictions. But what does these results tell us? What conclusion can we draw from the exit polls?
Firstly, I don’t think that the American people agree with Trump’s statements and actions. I believe many compared him being accused of sexual harassment, him being taped saying “grab them by the pussy!” and calling Mexicans “killers and rapists” to Clinton’s wrongdoings and mistakes. He did wrong and she did wrong. The election was not between good and evil but between two evils.
Furthermore I believe in that there was a fuck-it-factor involved. A lot of Americans are dissatisfied and want change, a change they are certain Clinton would not bring and but maybe Trump will. I think that some might have seen a vote for Trump as betting on black in roulette, he will bring some change and that change might be good.
In conclusion, the popular theory that Trump won the election through the appeal to angry white uneducated men is false. Comparing this years results to the 2012 election, it is clear that the republicans have gained popularity in almost all demographic groups. Along with reaching a wider range of groups than believed I think we will see a more tidy and presidential version of Trump. Some election promises have already been dropped from his website and he has backed on some more extreme opinions. But in the word of the Donald himself, “In the end, you’re measured not by how much you undertake but by what you finally accomplish.” so lets sit back and see what happens.
