White Democrats more bothered by Biden’s race and age than black and Hispanic Democrats: Poll

White Democrats find former Vice President Joe Biden’s age and race more bothersome than do black and Hispanic Democrats, according to a poll released on Tuesday.

Nearly half of white Democratic voters, 49%, told the Pew Research Center that they were bothered that the likely Democratic nominee was a white man in his 70s. Democratic voters of other racial backgrounds found Mr. Biden’s ethnicity less problematic, including 30% of Hispanic voters and 28% of black voters surveyed who said it bothered them.

“Democratic voters who are bothered that the likely nominee is an older white man are more liberal, more educated, younger and more likely to be white than those who are not bothered, according to the survey, which was conducted just after [Sen. Bernard] Sanders suspended his presidential campaign,” wrote Amina Dunn and Jocelyn Kiley of the Pew Research Center. “Democratic voters with a postgraduate degree are the only educational group in which a majority (58%) say they are bothered the likely Democratic nominee is a white man in his 70s. In contrast, 76% [of] those with no college experience and 59% of those with some college experience are not bothered by this.”

Approximately 60% of Democratic voters who supported Mr. Biden’s competitors said they were bothered by his age and race, including 73% of Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s supporters and 57% of those who favored Pete Buttigieg, former South Bend, Indiana mayor. Mr. Biden is 77 years old, Ms. Warren is 70 years old, and Mr. Buttigieg is 38 years old. All three are white.

Democratic voters who are bothered by Mr. Biden’s skin color and elder age are more likely to vote for him against President Trump than Democrats who are unbothered, however, according to the Pew Research Center.

The Pew Research Center surveyed 4,917 respondents from April 7-12 with a 2.1% margin of error.