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Anti-Incumbent Fever Runs Highest Among Older Americans

1 year ago
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Bruce Drake
Bruce Drake
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One of the forces behind this year's anti-incumbent mood turns out to be older Americans -- people over 50 -- who are far more likely than their younger counterparts to hold their noses when it comes to incumbents running for office and more likely to back a candidate who has never held elective office, according to a Pew Research/National Journal poll conducted May 20-23.

Twenty-seven percent of the overall population says it is less likely to vote for an incumbent while 15 percent are more likely to do so with 51 percent saying incumbency makes no difference to them.

But 32 percent of those between 50 and 64 and 36 percent of those over 65 say they are less likely to vote for an incumbent. That compares to 13 percent percent of those between 18 and 29 who say they are less likely to back a sitting officeholder and 24 percent of those between 30 and 49.

Twenty-four percent of all Americans say they are more likely to vote for candidates who have never held an elective office. For those between 50 and 64, the number is 27 percent and for those over 65 it is 32 percent. In the cases of both groups of older voters, the percentage more likely to vote for a newcomer edges those who are less likely to do so.

That compares to 15 percent of 18-to-29 year olds who would be more likely to vote for a newcomer (35 percent of young voters would be less likely to do so) and 22 percent of 30-to-49 year olds (28 percent of that age group would be less likely to vote for such a candidate).

Pew notes that partisanship is an obvious dynamic driving these numbers and that its surveys have consistently found older Americans to be more Republican and conservative.

But the pollster says, "However, even when partisanship is taken into account, age differences in views of candidate traits are evident. The differences in opinions between younger and older Republicans are particularly stark."

Thirty-seven percent of Republicans or Republican-leaners in the 18-49 age group would be less likely to vote for an incumbent compared to 49 percent of 50-to-64 year olds and the same is true for 52 percent of those 65 or older.

Twenty-eight percent of Republicans in the 18-to-49 age group would be more likely to vote for someone who has never held office compared to 34 percent for 50-to-64 year olds and 43 percent of those 65 or older.

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Filed Under: House, Polls, Poll Watch, 2010 Elections, Congress
Tagged: 2010 Election Polls, 2010 House Elections, 2010 House Races, anti-incumbent, dailyguidance, older voters
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62 Comments

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Michael

Buh-bye, Dems. You have so overstepped the mainstream taxpayer's wishes, your fate is almost irrevocably sealed. Perhaps if you opened your ears to the voice of your constituents... but what am I thinking? Forget it.

June 05 2010 at 10:28 PM Report abuse +3 rate up rate down Reply
Jeff

Tell me it wasn't better in the 50's and 60's than this.What
failed policys are you talking about.

June 04 2010 at 9:32 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Jeff's comment
Michael

One factor is that in the 50's and into the 60's, the British industries were at labor war and the European and Asian economies were rebuilding from the ashes left by American and allied military action. Today we must compete with vital economies having well-educated, well-equipped nations having global access to raw material.
This precludes union featherbedding and distorted wage scales for unskilled labor which could be hidden in past decades, but now cannot be sustained.

June 05 2010 at 10:34 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
jcarolinaunc

EDUCATION DOES NOT EQUAL EXPERIENCE! Obama should stick to giving speeches. He is inadequate and unqualified to lead our great nation.

I am more likely to vote for anyone but a democrat. Obama has spent the last year and a half trying to convince us that "government" can solve everything --- healthcare, student loans, the auto industry, the financial industry, etc. Government has NOT helped our postal system, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, etc. Why should we think government can take care of anything? Obama and the liberal members of Congress are supposed to be representatives FOR the American people --- not dictators OVER us!

June 04 2010 at 7:56 PM Report abuse +10 rate up rate down Reply
welfareannie

Those educated in the 60's and 70's are locked in time. They cannot see that the ideals of their day- failed miserably.

June 04 2010 at 6:03 PM Report abuse -20 rate up rate down Reply
ettu

Well, turnabout is fair play. It was the "older" women in this country who made a great contribution to the mistake in 11/08. Time to atone.

June 04 2010 at 5:11 PM Report abuse +16 rate up rate down Reply
altollew

the older voters have seen the good bad and ugly. let's just say we are not in the good zone currently. we have worked hard, paid our taxes, raised our kids, served our country, sacrificed and usually did it without asking or expecting our government to do anything for us but keep us safe. we are now tired of seeing our kids and grandkids futures being put at risk by an out of control big spending government. ENOUGH.

June 04 2010 at 5:08 PM Report abuse +22 rate up rate down Reply
dcpeck50

When you're young I believe you want to do everything possible to help your fellow
man...as you grow older you realize that to help your fellow man you ultimately penalize yourself and your family; and this for lazy people that won't help themselves.

June 04 2010 at 4:54 PM Report abuse +16 rate up rate down Reply
glers

I'm 50 and will not vote Democrat or Republican anymore

June 04 2010 at 3:53 PM Report abuse -9 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to glers's comment
Blenn Geck

Vote for who carries your concerns not because you've been left or right your whole life. Step back and take a look at all sides.

June 04 2010 at 8:04 PM Report abuse +7 rate up rate down Reply
drbuckles

Cowboybill vote Republican they want to end your SSI and that will fix the debt. Good luck with that one.........

June 04 2010 at 3:51 PM Report abuse -19 rate up rate down Reply
drbuckles

Fannie and Freddie did not get into the subprime slime until 2005, long after the too large to fail banks, CITI, were on the way to the melt down. And even then they took the better loans and were doing it becasue they were losing market share, and I believe in 2005 there was a Bush in office and a Republican Congress. No Fannie and Freddie didn't create this mess, your friends the Republicans and the neoliberals, like Clinton did this. Allan Greenspan a devout Ann Rand libertarian, stepped on the gas, lowered interest rates, and watched your house, the economy, go over the cliff becasue free markets don't need regulations or control.

June 04 2010 at 3:44 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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