The Starbucks/Wal-Mart Divide in the 2008 Democratic Primary Election

            Wal-Mart customers may be after the tested products and 2-for-1 deals, but for Starbucks customers who cough up $4.50 each morning, it’s all about the Change. Political pundits have dubbed Barack Obama the champion of the upwardly-mobile, professional Starbucks customer, and Hillary Clinton the working class hero of the blue collar, less-educated Wal-Mart shopper. For Charlie Cook of National Journal Magazine, Starbucks and Wal-Mart Democrats have different ideas about what is best for the party. “Young, well-educated Democrats seem the most open to Obama's exotic blend…‘Change’ is not a four-letter word to young Latte Democrats. But to downscale, high-school-educated, white Democrats who make less than $50,000 a year and are more likely to spend money at Wal-Mart than Starbucks, much about Obama seems a bit odd.”

            Although this is mainly a playful generalization, the comparison raises an important question. Are Democratic voters this divided among socioeconomic lines? More importantly, is the average Wal-Mart yokel or Starbucks yuppie this predictable in their voting behavior, or is the Democratic Party more complex than commonly assumed?

            “The Starbucks/Wal-Mart divide is true. The Democratic primary race is becoming so polarizing.” Keith Atchison, a junior at the University of Delaware, gets his coffee at the Main Street Starbucks in Newark, Delaware, but names Hillary Clinton as his candidate. “[Hillary] crushed Obama in West Virginia. The so-called ‘Redneck Democrats’ really supported her. It is unfortunate how divided the party is at the end of this primary race. The terms being used now to describe different factions of the Democratic Party…it’s how Red and Blue voters are usually categorized.”

            Kaitlin Keating, an 18-year-old freshman at UD, is both a Starbucks customer and an Obama supporter, but doesn’t think Barack Obama’s appeal is limited to the latte-loving crowd. “I don’t really understand the whole ‘Starbucks/Wal-Mart’ comparison. I think Obama really appeals to Middle America. He has a wife, two little girls, and seems to be a normal, loving family man. I see him as an average American who wants the same things that the average college student would want.”

           However, ‘Middle America’ is not a homogeneous chunk of white chocolate. Amid the divided results of the Super Tuesday primary, two main support camps began to emerge. Lower-income, working class voters generally favored Hillary Clinton, whereas higher-income, more educated voters generally supported Barack Obama. As the primary race drags on into May, the voting gap between white and blue collars remains significant. According to a Gallup poll published on April 16, 48% of Democratic voters with annual incomes of $24,000 or less support Hillary Clinton, and only 44% support Barack Obama.

            Clinton and Obama voters aren’t just divided by dollars, but also by diplomas. 48% of Democrats without a college education support Clinton, while only 40% favor Obama. Although both candidates are Ivy League-educated, Obama dominates Clinton among college graduates. Another Gallup poll found that 53% of those Democrats with some college education support Obama, but only 40% support Clinton. Even more dramatic is the dichotomy among college graduates. 59% of Democrats with undergraduate degrees and 64% of those with postgraduate degrees support Obama, but only 35% of undergraduate and 30% postgraduate alumni support Clinton.

            So which candidate would have the most success among these social groups in the general election? In a Gallup mock election, Clinton and Obama were matched against John McCain and presented to different key demographics. Clinton was overwhelmingly more successful in these trial match-ups against McCain, and had an advantage over Obama in 13 out of the 16 demographics tested. Clinton had a whopping 17 point advantage over Obama among voters who earn less than $2,000 a month, and a 14 point advantage over Obama among voters with no college education. Obama was more successful against John McCain only among African-Americans, Independents, and wealthy Americans, and enjoyed a 10 point advantage over Clinton when Americans who earned $7,500 or more per month were voting.

            Even if an economic and educational divide exists between Clinton and Obama voters, can we really treat Wal-Mart customers and Starbucks patrons as two separate voting blocs? After all, what red-blooded American wouldn’t want to enjoy a Soy Caramel Macchiato and purchase Paris Hilton’s “Heiress” at a discount price? However, this doesn’t mean that certain voting patterns don’t exist. At the Centreville Road Wal-Mart in Wilmington, Delaware, most of the young customers were in favor of voting for Hillary Clinton for the 2008 presidency.

            “I still haven’t completely made my mind up, but at this point, I’m leaning towards Hillary.” Nicole Donahue, an 18-year-old senior at William Penn High School, cites the Iraq War and gay marriage as the two biggest factors in her decision to support Hillary Clinton. “I think she seems more experienced than the other candidates, and I would also like to have a first woman President.”

            Although Hillary’s gender isn’t as important to Emily Pestlin, a 22-year-old student at Wilmington University, her former residence at the White House is. “I’m not just supporting her because she’s a woman. Because Hillary has been through two presidential elections before and watched her husband run the country for two presidential terms, she has a lot of experience. I will support her in November if she is the nominee.”

            Hillary Clinton’s track record also wins her the support of Salvador Nunez, a 32-year-old tattoo artist and construction worker from Wilmington. Sal, like many, is concerned about the rising cost of gas and food, and thinks Clinton is the only “safe bet” to turn around the economy. “With Hillary, you know what you’re getting into. Obama is the young buck in the election, so it’s hit or miss. When the Clintons were in office, our country had a lot of money. The way gas prices and the cost of food have gone up; we can’t afford to take a gamble.”

            Although the economy was the most frequently mentioned issue at Wal-Mart, young Starbucks customers were more concerned with abstract qualities like integrity and character. Jacqueline Dallaire, a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of Delaware, claims that she was first “superficially” interested in Barack Obama because of his positive ideas. “There’s a lot to like about Barack Obama. I support Obama because his ideas for the future are more optimistic and ideal than the other candidates. Some of his plans – like universal healthcare – may be too ideal, but I think he has great character.”

            For other Starbucks frequenters like Matthew Cash, an 18-year-old freshman at UD, the choice between Hillary and Barack is crystal clear. “Hillary is a go-getter, a political machine. In many ways Hillary and Barack are very similar; they both are ambitious and share many of the same views on issues. But I support Obama because he stands for so much more. His message appeals to so many more demographics – young, old, poor, rich, white, black, male, and female. Hillary may be able to win the big states in the national election, but it is Obama who will unify Middle America.”

            But not all Starbucks patrons take Hope and sugar in their coffee. Other UD students like 19-year-old freshman Tyler Hespe plan on voting for Hillary, and admire her steel reserve to stay in the race. “You have to give her credit for sticking with it – I don’t see her pulling out anytime soon. It’s like she said recently in an interview, politics is like a basketball game. You can always make that 3-point shot at the end before the buzzer goes off. So many ridiculous and unpredictable things have happened in politics – like this primary season, for example. I wouldn’t doubt that she could make a comeback.”

            Keith Atchison is less optimistic that Hillary will win the nomination, but nevertheless credits her for fighting until the end. “I do support Hillary, but I know she’s in trouble now. It’s not looking likely that she’ll get the nomination. However, her tenacity and role as the ‘underdog’ appeals to the middle class. Even though she is currently behind in super delegates, her decision to stay in the race will appeal to Middle Americans, and gain her more votes.”

            Although Keith goes against the grain, a majority of the young customers surveyed supported the theory: Wal-Mart is Clinton country, Starbucks is Obamania. But do all Wal-Mart and Starbucks customers follow this trend? A study conducted by Columbia University