Not only do the rich donate money to political campaigns, more than 99% of them say they go to the polls. According to a recent survey we conducted in March of 338 “Middle-Class Millionaires,” (households with self-made net worths of between $1 million and $10 million dollars, they also told us that they plan to discuss their presidential choice with others.
Here’s what we found:
Affluent are Very Likely to Vote and Fund Candidacies:
99.7% of the middle class millionaires surveyed for the piece say they voted in the last presidential election. They will also put their money where their mouth is, with a full three-quarters likely to donate up to the legal limit to a political campaign.
The Middle-Class Millionaire Intends to Use their Influence to Determine the Outcome of the Election
Almost all (98.7%) of Middle-Class Millionaires report they are “talking to people about their choice for President.” Nearly the same amount (98.4%) “expect to be very involved in convincing people to vote for their choice for president.”
Both the middle-class and the Middle-Class Millionaire views the Middle-Class Millionaire’s ‘connectedness’ to their community as one of the key drivers to their success. Our research suggests that Middle-Class Millionaire fully intend to use their credibility to help influence the outcome of the 2008 Presidential election.
As for what sways their decision when pulling the lever? Here are the results:
More than 85% say the candidate's position and solutions on the economy will affect their vote.
- More than 80% will consider the candidate's position on their personal tax situation
- 56% will consider how the candidate stands on the war in Iraq and Afghanistan
- Nearly 48 % consider the stance on terrorism to be key.
Middle-Class Values Still Important
While money remains top priority, these middle class millionaires remain concerned about many of the things as their middle class counterparts, including:
- More than 47% will consider how much a candidate will support social programs.
- 45.4% want to be sure their civil liberties are protected
- More than 36% are concerned about the environment
Not only do they vote, donate and prosthelytize about their favorite candidate, our 2006 study indicated that they are more willing to cross party lines than the rest of the middle-class. In other words, whether or not they are Democrat or Republican, they think independently of their party. As such, their vote is “winnable,” while they look for the candidate whose platform, values and character most appeals to them. In my opinion, the Middle-Class Millionaire, with nearly 9 million households and a stunningly high voting rate, is a lynchpin to winning the presidential election.
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