The Republican Party is unmistakablya minority party and cannot win the 1960 presidential election withoutcapturing an overwhelming majority of the independent votes. So, ineffect, reported the Gallup poll this week after a sampling of 9,415voters; only 30% said they considered themselves Republicans, asagainst 47% who said they were Democrats and a remarkable 23% whoclassified themselves as Independents. (Back in early 1956, the Galluppoll estimated the party leanings at 40% Republican, 52% Democratic,8% Independent or undecided. Anestimated 15% of the Democrats votedfor Ike that year, plus about 70% of the neither-nors.)
Today, more professional and business people and more college-trainedvoters are Republican, according to Gallup, but in all other categories theDemocrats lead. The anatomy of the electorate:
Rep. Dem. Ind. SEX
men 28% 47% 25%
women 32 47 21
AGE 21-29 23 45 32
30-49 27 48 25
50 and older 35 47 18
RACE
Negroes 23 54 23
whites 31 46 23
RELIGION
Jews 9 66 25
Catholics 18 57 25
Protestants 36 43 21
EDUCATION
grade school 27 54 19
high school 29 47 24
college 37 35 28
OCCUPATION
unskilled workers 23 55 22
skilled workers 23 52 25
white collar 30 45 25
farmers 36 47 17
bus. & professional 37 35 28
UNION TIES
union families 20 57 23
non-union families 34 43 23
COMMUNITY SIZE over 50,000 24 51 25
2,500 to 50,000 33 41 26
less than 2,500 37 42 21
REGION
the South 22 59 19
rest of U.S. 32 43 25
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