White Democrats are more bothered than blacks or Hispanics that their nominee is an old white man

A Democratic presidential primary field once touted as the most diverse group ever eventually whittled down to a race between two elderly white men, with former Vice President Joe Biden emerging as the presumptive Democratic nominee. And as it turns out, the Democrats most bothered by the white maleness of their nominee are white themselves, according to a new poll.

The question: A Pew Research poll posed the question: "Regardless of who you supported for the Democratic nomination, would you say the fact that the likely Democratic nominee is a white man in his 70s…" The choices were "Bothers you" or "Doesn't bother you."

The results: White respondents care more about the nominee's demographic than minorities; 49% of white respondents said it bothered them that the Democratic nominee was a white man in his 70s, whereas only 28% of black respondents and 30% of Hispanic respondents said it bothered them.

The poll results showed noticeable trends in age and education. Generally, respondents were more likely to be bothered by an older white male nominee the more educated they were. Of those who did not attend college, only 24% were bothered; but 41% of those who attended some college, 49% of college graduates, and 58% of those who had post-graduate education were bothered.

In the 18-29 age group, 54% were bothered by Biden's age, race and gender, compared to 45% for age 30-49, 35% for age 50-64, and 36% for 65 and older.

Only 32% of those who identified as politically conservative or moderate had a problem with a white male nominee in his 70s, contrasted with 51% of self-identified liberals.

The sample consisted of people overwhelmingly likely to vote for the Democratic nominee — 97% of them disapprove of the way President Donald Trump, 73, has done his job.

What this means: These numbers may reflect why 77-year-old Biden has committed to choosing a female running mate, and possibly a minority female running mate. However, the numbers may also indicate that while white Democrats place heavy emphasis on identity politics, the minority voters who are being pandered to might not prioritize that as highly in selecting a candidate.