Don’t you just hate it when you asked people “who did you vote for?” and they keep it a secret like it’s their social security or their ATM pin number. According to Kelley Blue Book, you can tell just who your neighbor or friend voted for by looking at the vehicles parked in their parking lot.
Kelley Blue Book recently surveyed 11,142 vehicle owners that are registered to vote on its kbb.com web site. The results show that McCain supporters drove most American made SUVs and pickups while Obama supporters mainly own foreign makes, smaller cars and hybrids.
The survey found that…
McCain receives the highest support from:
Full-size truck owners – 66%
Full-size SUV owners – 61%
Luxury SUV owners – 61%
Obama receives the highest support from:
Luxury station wagon owners – 59%
Station wagon and sport wagon owners – 55%
Hatchback owners – 52%
Luxury crossover vehicle owners – 52%
Hybrid vehicles owners – 48%
Presidential Candidate Preference Related to Car-Owner Brands, Segments, According to kbb.com Market Research – Full-Size Truck Owners Favor McCain, While Wagon Owners Look to Obama
IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 23 /PRNewswire/ — According to Kelley Blue Book http://www.kbb.com/ Marketing Research, the car brand and segment owned by voters is related to their preference in presidential candidates. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) rates high among domestic and luxury owners. Among the domestic brands, owners of GMC (61 percent), Chevrolet (60 percent), Buick and Dodge (each at 58 percent), as well as Ford (57 percent) vehicles are the highest in favor of McCain. In the luxury vehicle segment, McCain leads among Lexus, BMW, and Lincoln owners at 52 percent each.
Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) leads McCain among owners of import vehicles with the highest ratings for MINI (70 percent), Subaru (61 percent), and Saab (59 percent). Fifty percent of Honda owners plan on voting for Obama, ten points higher than McCain.
In addition, vehicle segments have a direct correlation to car-owners’ preferred presidential candidates. McCain receives the highest support from full-size truck (66 percent), full-size SUV (61 percent) and luxury SUV (61 percent) owners. Obama leads McCain among luxury station wagon (59 percent), station wagon and sport wagon (55 percent), hatchback (52 percent) and luxury crossover vehicle (52 percent) owners. Among owners of hybrid vehicles, Obama leads with 48 percent of the preferences, nine points more than McCain.
The connection between car ownership and Presidential candidates can also be seen in both the Democratic and Republican campaigns. Republican rallies often promote the idea of “drill, baby, drill,” which may link gas-guzzling truck and SUV owners to McCain. On the other hand, Obama has stressed the importance of putting more money toward wind, solar, and other alternative forms of energy, which may relate to his popularity among hybrid owners.
“McCain’s appeal among owners of domestics and large trucks/SUVs is right in line with where we see a majority of those vehicles selling – in the traditionally Republican ‘red’ states,” said Rick Wainschel, senior vice president of marketing and analytics for Kelley Blue Book and kbb.com. “With import and hybrid owners typically favoring Obama, this also aligns with strong sales of these types of vehicles in predominately Democratic ‘blue’ states.”
Kelley Blue Book Marketing Research also conducted this survey for the 2000 and 2004 Presidential elections, and accurately predicted the results. Eight years ago, the survey predicted George W. Bush would take the lead over Al Gore. In 2004, the results revealed President Bush would win over Senator John Kerry.
“Car ownership says a lot about a person, and can even be an indicator who they are likely to vote for,” added Wainschel. “If consumers are concerned about the environment, they may choose a more eco-friendly vehicle, like a hybrid, and vote for the candidate with a favorable stance on energy. Consumers’ values impact their purchasing decisions and reflect their preferences in political leaders.”
The latest study from Kelley Blue Book Marketing Research was conducted September 19 through October 8, 2008, on Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com among 11,142 vehicle owners planning to vote in the upcoming 2008 United States Presidential election.
