Presidents can win re-election without independents– Obama ’12 proves
Flock 12 [Elizabeth, staff writer for U.S. News; “INFOGRAPHIC: Obama Lost Independent Vote In Almost Every Swing State”; U.S. News; https://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2012/11/13/infographic-obama-lost-the-independent-vote-in-almost-every-swing-state] /sb
President Barack Obama won a second term by taking the majority of swing states. But a closer look at exit polling data shows Obama lost the independent vote in most of those states over the last four years. Independents, who do not align with one political party or another, make up a fast-growing and coveted voting bloc.
A new infographic from marketing technology company Cognitive Match shows Obama garnered less of the independent vote in 2012 than 2008 in eight of the nine battleground states: Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Wisconsin, Colorado, Iowa, Nevada and New Hampshire.