Two states very much worth watching as signs for the Trump-pocalypse are Virginia and Colorado. They both represent, in somewhat different ways, the demographic challenges that Republicans face in national elections these days — challenges that Trump is making a whole lot worse.
A new batch of Quinnipiac polls neatly illustrates the dynamic. They find that Hillary Clinton is leading Trump among likely voters in Virginia by 50-38, and leading in Colorado by 49-39. In Iowa, a less diverse Midwestern state, it's much closer, with Clinton ahead by 47-44.
But it's the numbers among key demographics that are really striking. In both Virginia and Colorado, Clinton holds huge leads over Trump among women and college-educated whites. Notably, in both states, more than 60 percent of both these voter groups have strongly unfavorable views of Trump. Not just unfavorable views of Trump. Strongly unfavorable views of him.
The numbers in Virginia:
Clinton leads among women by 56-31, and among college educated whites by 54-36. (By contrast, Trump leads by 46-42 among men and by 59-30 among non-college whites).
Among women, 60 percent have a strongly unfavorable view of Trump, and among college-educated whites, 62 percent have a have a strongly unfavorable view of him.
Clinton also picks up the support of 13 percent of Republicans.
The numbers in Colorado: