In 1995, Kenneth Walsh, a reporter for
U.S. News & World Report, polled 28 of his fellow White House correspondents from ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, the
Los Angeles Times,
New York Times,
USA Today,
Washington Post, Copley, Cox, Hearst, Knight-Ridder, plus
Newsweek,
Time and
U.S. News & World Report, about their presidential voting patterns for his 1996 book
Feeding the Beast: The White House versus the Press. Walsh found that his colleagues strongly preferred Democrats, with the White House press corps admitting a total of 50 votes for Democratic candidates compared to just seven for Republicans.
KEY FINDINGS:
- In 1992, nine of the White House correspondents surveyed voted for Democrat Bill Clinton, two for Republican George H. W. Bush, and one for independent Ross Perot.
- In 1988, 12 voted for Democrat Michael Dukakis, one for Bush.
- In 1984, 10 voted for Democrat Walter Mondale, zero for Ronald Reagan.
- In 1980, eight voted for Democrat Jimmy Carter, four for liberal independent John Anderson, and two voted for Ronald Reagan.
- In 1976, 11 voted for Carter, two for Republican Gerald Ford.
- Walsh wrote of the White House press corps members he surveyed: “Even though the survey was anonymous, many journalists declined to reveal their party affiliations, whom they voted for in recent presidential elections, and other data they regarded as too personal — even though they regularly pressure Presidents and other officials to make such disclosures.”
- “Those who did reply seemed to be representative of the larger group. Seven said they were Democrats, eleven were unaffiliated with either major party, and not a single respondent said he or she was a registered Republican (although some might have been but were not willing to say so).”
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