CLINTON CORE EVAPORATING
  • Hillary Rodham Clinton last night lost ground with her core supporters of whites and women, even as she crushed rival Barack Obama among Hispanics, exit polls showed.

    Clinton led Obama among whites 50 percent to 44 percent - a far lower ratio than during most of the earlier primary races.

    And while she was ahead comfortably among white women (57 percent to 45 percent), she trailed the Illinois senator badly among young whites (35 percent to 64 percent).

    Obama won support from more than four in 10 women, leaving him trailing Clinton in that category by just a few percentage points, according to surveys of voters.

    Women made up 57 percent of yesterday's vote nationally, according to the early polls.

    Those under 30, whom Obama dominates, made up 12 percent of voters yesterday, the polls showed.

    Clinton ran strongest among Hispanics, beating Obama by a 62 percent to 36 percent, while Obama drew his standard 80 percent of the black vote. He also did well among higher-income voters.