Obama and Huckabee Declared Frontrunners in McCormick Freedom Museum Student Election Poll
Will Student Poll Predict Outcome on Super Tuesday?
Chicago, January 31, 2008
More than 1,000 Chicagoland students voiced their support for Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee in an election poll of students, high school and below, visiting the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum between December 8 and January 25. While most of the students polled are unable to vote on Super Tuesday, the more than 6,000 adults participating in the Freedom Museum visitor poll also reached the same outcome.
“In the last three decades, there’s been a significant decline in youth participation, due to lack of education on our political process, polarizing candidates and the feeling of alienation as leaders neglect issues that resonate with young people,” said Shawn Healy, resident scholar, McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum. “The Freedom Museum poll reveals that young people are engaged and thinking for themselves, and it is our goal to encourage and involve them in this historic election.”
The student polling results declared Barack Obama as the top choice among Illinois youth, capturing 80 percent of the vote. Mike Huckabee was the preferred candidate among young Republicans, with 34.9 percent of the vote. The student election poll results defy the national polls that show Hillary Clinton leading Barack Obama by 8.5 percent, 43.1 percent to 34.5 percent (in a composite of polls collected to date by Pollster.com), and John McCain leading Huckabee by 12.8 percent, 32 percent to 19.5 percent (in a composite of polls collected to date by Pollster.com).
The McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum plans to capture the voice of future voters on
Super Tuesday. On February 5, more than 3,000 Chicagoland students will participate in
the Freedom Museum’s Student Vote Project by casting a vote in a primary simulation.
Throughout the day, students will have an opportunity to see how their votes fare among
others by checking live election results posted on the Freedom Museum Student Vote
Project Web site:
www.freedommuseum.us/students/student_vote_2008.htm.
For the General Election on November 4, the Freedom Museum will open up the Student Vote Project to any middle or high school classes that are interested in participating.
Adult Polling Results
More than 6,000 adult visitors cast their vote at the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum
during the 2008 election season. The Museum’s “adult” visitor polling results also counter
the national polls declaring Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee the winners. Obama
claimed 53.5 percent of the Democratic vote, compared to Hillary Clinton’s 29.9 percent.
Huckabee maintained 27 percent of the Republican vote with John McCain trailing close
behind with 22 percent. In the past two weeks, the Freedom Museum’s adult polling
results have been consistent with the national polls showing Huckabee declining, and
McCain surging upward.
“These polling results are an interesting sample of voter sentiment in Illinois and the
Midwest,” said Healy. “Democratic candidates have received significantly more support at
the Museum, which is consistent with the higher voter turnout witnessed in the
Democratic primary elections to date.”
Polling Statistics:
Note: This is not a random sample. It includes visitors (general visitors and school groups) to the McCormick
Tribune Freedom Museum from December 8, 2007-January 25, 2008. The Museum has only included statistics
for top candidates.
|
Democrats
|
Students:
|
Adults:
|
|
Barack Obama:
|
80.3%
|
53.5%
|
|
Hillary Clinton:
|
14%
|
29.9%
|
|
John Edwards:
|
1.4%
|
7.1%
|
|
|
|
|
|
Republicans
|
Students:
|
Adults:
|
|
Mike Huckabee:
|
34.9%
|
27%
|
|
Mitt Romney:
|
17.7%
|
10.7%
|
|
Rudy Giuliani:
|
15.4%
|
21.8%
|
|
Ron Paul:
|
12.6%
|
9.5%
|
|
John McCain:
|
9.7%
|
22%
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other
|
Students:
|
Adults:
|
|
None:
|
4.8%
|
6.4%
|
|
Green:
|
2.2%
|
2.4%
|
|
Libertarian:
|
0.3%
|
1.2%
|
About the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum
The McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum (
www.FreedomMuseum.US) inspires
generations to better understand, value and protect freedom. Through interactive
exploration, visitors gain a greater understanding of the struggle for freedom in the United
States and the role the First Amendment plays in society. The McCormick Tribune
Freedom Museum is part of the McCormick Tribune Foundation team, which also
includes the Robert R. McCormick Museum, Cantigny Park and Golf, the Cantigny First
Division Foundation and five grant making programs.
A focus on children, communities and country binds the Foundation and its many parts
and keeps us true to our mission of advancing the ideals of a free and democratic
society. To learn more, please visit
www.McCormickTribune.org.