We went back to a group of voters BusinessWeek profiled four years ago to see which Presidential candidates are speaking to their concernsWith the U.S. economy souring and stock markets down, where are voters in the so-called investor class turning?
American voters who identify themselves as investors—those who own stocks and bonds directly or invest in them through 401(k)s, mutual funds, or other accounts—have been a key bloc in recent elections. Their backing was critical to both of President George W. Bush's victories, and their shift away from the Republican Party in 2006 helped put Congress back in Democratic hands. The same holds true now, says Daniel Clifton, a Washington policy analyst with Strategas Research Partners. "Whichever way they move in the general election, that will sway the vote."
Today the investor class accounts for roughly a third of the electorate. It's a diverse lot, including everyone from union members and suburban environmentalists to a growing number of African Americans and Hispanics. Still, within each group, investor-class voters lean toward Republicans, says independent pollster John Zogby. Union members who own shares back GOP candidates more often than their peers who don't, for example.
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