New York Female Voter: Bernie Sanders 'Grasps Us Better'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Despite being 74 years old, Sen. Bernie Sanders has been very popular among younger voters and women.
Sanders crushed Hillary Clinton in the New Hampshire primary earlier this week. A CBS News exit poll showed that Sanders beat the former secretary of state by an 11-point margin among all Democratic New Hampshire female voters – and among women voters under the age of 45, he had more than a 40-point margin.
CBS2's Alice Gainer spoke to some women voters in New York about why the Vermont senator is so popular among their base.
"I feel like Hillary is almost pretending to understand the younger generation," college student Alexa Sepede said. "She's really struggling to get it. Bernie kind of grasps us better."
Cynthia Quito of the Bronx explained she wanted to hear Clinton talk more about education.
"I was going to Hillary because of my parents, because it's always been first lady, president," she told CBS2. "But Hillary, she's just not out there as much as I would've expected her to be when it comes to talking about education."
Joanna Coles, editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, told "CBS This Morning" that the feedback she's received from readers revealed that it has nothing to do with a candidate being male or female.
"They don't trust American institutions, and because Hillary has been their secretary of state, they feel that she's very much at the heart of that government which they think has let them down," Coles said.
She added to "CBS This Morning" that young voters back Sanders on his education plan.
"Bernie feels like this exciting, feel-good candidate who's promising free education -- very appealing if you're a young Millennial," she said. "I think Hillary is running a general campaign, promising more of the same. Bernie's promising something new."
CBS2 did find women who are backing Clinton because of the experience she brings to the presidential table.
"I think she's done a good job as secretary of state and as a senator," Janet Bauman said.
Tiara Perry told CBS2, "Part of it is experience because she's been in the White House before behind her husband, and also she's a woman."
Sanders and Clinton face off in another Democratic presidential debate Thursday night.
