It’s no secret that Democratic primary voters prize fall “electability.” But for all the clamor about progressive versus moderate choices, the obstacles to pulling voters toward Democrats — particularly in the battleground states — could prove more cultural than ideological. …
In many ways, what people buy, eat and wear is just another lens through which to view the growing political divide between Americans with college degrees and those without. …
There will always be plenty of voters who defy stereotypes: Republicans who shop at Whole Foods and Lululemon, or Democrats who stop at Cracker Barrel on road trips. But much as retail chains have effectively micro-segmented consumers to map where new locations will perform best — as Whole Foods has done around clusters of college graduates — candidates and parties can increasingly depend on “lifestyle brand” data to predict voter behavior. CONT.
David Wasserman (Cook Political Report), New York Times