Welcome to Byron York’s Daily Memo newsletter.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here to receive the newsletter.
WHERE THINGS STAND: The states that were problems for Trump on Wednesday are still problems on Thursday. Georgia and North Carolina have not been declared for Trump, and he needs those to have a hope of winning. Same for Pennsylvania, where the president’s lead is diminishing as more mail-in votes are counted. And finally, the same for Arizona, where Joe Biden’s lead is diminishing as more votes are counted.
The bottom line is: Trump needs to win some states. Any states. And if he fails to do that, he, or his lawyers, need to make the case that significant irregularities have taken place in specific places where the vote count is close. There are plenty of anecdotal reports of things that look fishy, but it is up to Trump to present some evidence of irregularities.
Meanwhile, we now have a better view of who voted for the president, and who voted for Biden. Trump, for example, won narrowly, 50 percent to 48 percent, among Americans who work full-time for pay, according to exit polls. But that group was just 59 percent of the electorate. Among the Americans who do not work full-time for pay — retired, unemployed, underemployed, disabled, etc. — Biden won big, 58 to 41. Trump also won, 52 to 45, among Americans who have served or are serving in the U.S. military. But that was just 15 percent of all voters. Among the other 85 percent, Biden won, 52 to 46.
Subscribe today to the Washington Examiner magazine that will keep you up to date with what’s going on in Washington. SUBSCRIBE NOW: Just $1.00 an issue!
The economy was the most important concern for the greatest number of voters; 35 percent said it mattered most in their decision on which candidate support. Among them, Trump won an overwhelming victory, 82 to 17. The top concern of the next-largest group of voters, 20 percent, was racial inequality. Among them, Biden won big, 91 to 8. The third-biggest concern was the coronavirus pandemic, cited by 17 percent of voters. Among them, Biden won big again, 82 to 14. Then came the issue of crime and safety, cited by 11 percent of voters. Trump won big, 71 to 28.
One notable point about all that: The pandemic was not the most important concern of the largest number of voters. It wasn’t even the most important concern of the second-largest number of voters. It ranked third. When the exit polls first came out on election day, CNN anchors were openly incredulous when they reported that fact. After all, the news media, and CNN in particular, had made the virus the top story of nearly every newscast on nearly every day. And yet the voters had a more balanced view of the pandemic’s place among their concerns.
Exit pollsters also listed four qualities of a president and asked which was most important for them in deciding how to vote. The largest number, 32 percent, said “Is a strong leader” was most important to them, and among that group Trump won big, 71 to 28. The next-most important attribute, “Has good judgment,” was cited by 23 percent, and Biden won that group 68 to 27. The third most important characteristic was “Cares about people like me, cited by 21 percent, and that was virtually tied, with Biden edging Trump 50 to 49. Finally, the least important characteristic was “Can unite the country,” cited by 19 percent of voters. Biden won it 76 to 23.
Notable: All Biden’s talk about uniting this divided country, about uniting all Americans — it just wasn’t that big a deal for voters. They know the country is divided. They don’t expect to support the policies of the next president if they don’t support them now.
Finally, Trump did indeed perform better with minorities than Republicans of the past. The electorate, at least as measured in the exit polls, was 65 percent white and 35 percent nonwhite. Trump won white voters 57 to 42, while Biden won nonwhite voters 72 to 26. But Trump’s 26 percent was big, for a Republican. He won 12 percent of the black vote — 18 percent of black men and 8 percent of black women. He won 32 percent of the Hispanic vote — 36 percent of Hispanic men and 28 percent of Hispanic women. He won 37 percent of men and women of other races.
Back in 2012, after Mitt Romney lost to Barack Obama, the Republican Party leadership had a nervous breakdown over the party’s inability to attract Hispanic voters. Romney won 27 percent of Hispanic voters, according to exit polls back then. The party would have to do better, GOP officials said. Now, with Trump, it has. The question will be whether the next Republican presidential candidate can do as well as Donald Trump did.
