Gil Dobie wrote:
What was the percentage of people that said no to the exit poll, the thought the economy was the reason they voted for who they did? I for one, never reply to exit pollsters.
In the breakdown about what people thought the most important issue was 13% said foreign policy, 13% said immigration, 52% said the economy, and 18% said terrorism. 13+13+52+18=96 so it could be that 4% didn't have an opinion on that.
Of the 52% who said they thought the economy was the most important issue, 7% were categorized as "other/no answer." Recall that there were a Libertarian and a Green Party candidate involved.
I think it's instructive also to compare how that question went this time to how it went in 2012. Even if you put all 7% who either were for a "third Party" candidate or didn't respond in Trump's column Clinton still won among those who considered the economy the most important issue by 52% to 48%. In 2012
the Republican, Romney, won among those who thought the economy was the most important issue by 51% to 47%.
It's pretty clear that Trump did WORSE among people who said the economy was the most important issue than Romney did.
It's just ridiculous to say, in the face of something like that, that the difference between Romney losing last time and Trump winning this time was concern over the economy.