MS exit poll highlights

Highlights from results of exit polling Tuesday in the Mississippi primary for The Associated Press and television networks:

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CONTEST POLARIZED BY RACE

In the Democratic race, Mississippi voters were strongly polarized by race, even more than in most other states that voted this year. Seventy percent of whites voted for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, while 92 percent of blacks voted for Sen. Barack Obama. Clinton won among both white women, a group she normally carries, and white men, a key swing group in this campaign. Clinton won the votes of 68 percent of white men, one of her best showings to date. About half of the voters in the Democratic primary were black.

A quarter of whites said race was important to their votes, and they voted overwhelmingly for Clinton. Thirty-seven percent of blacks said race was important to their votes and nearly all voted for Obama.

CHARITY BEGINS IN THE PARTY PRIMARY

On several counts, Obama voters were more charitable toward Clinton than vice versa:

-- Fifty-eight percent of Obama voters said he should pick Clinton for vice president if he wins the nomination; 38 percent of Clinton voters said she should pick Obama as her running mate if she wins.

-- Seventy-two percent of Clinton voters said they would be dissatisfied if Obama wins the nomination. Fifty-seven percent of Obama voters would be dissatisfied with Clinton.

-- Forty-four percent of Obama voters said Clinton has offered clear and detailed plans to solve the country's problems. Only 23 percent of Clinton voters said that about Obama.

However, on electability in November, 20 percent of Clinton voters said Obama is more likely than Clinton to beat Sen. John McCain; only 5 percent of Obama voters said Clinton was more likely than their candidate to defeat McCain.

LOOKING AHEAD TO NOVEMBER

Fifty-seven percent of Clinton voters said they had a favorable opinion of McCain; only 23 percent of Obama voters viewed McCain favorably.

ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE

Sixty-eight percent of Republican primary voters had a favorable view of Mike Huckabee. Just 9 percent had an unfavorable view of McCain but 40 percent said he is not conservative enough. Eighty-two percent were satisfied with McCain as the Republican nominee. Twenty-nine percent said they listen to conservative talk radio frequently.

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Results from exit polling by Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International for The Associated Press and television networks. Samples in 35 precincts across Mississippi including interviews with 1,667 Democratic voters and 613 Republican voters. Margin of sampling error plus or minus 4 percentage points in the Democratic race, 6 percentage points in the Republican race.