Exit poll: McCain wins independents in Tenn.

Republican John McCain carried the independent vote while holding onto the GOP base in Tennessee on Tuesday.

He appealed to those most concerned about the economy and those wanting a presidential candidate who shares their values.

Those are the results of surveys of voters in-person and by telephone conducted for The Associated Press by Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International.

McCain won two of every three independent votes in Tennessee, where independents make up about a third of all voters.

Republicans and Democrats each have another third. Both McCain and Democrat Barack Obama carried their party's base.
The top issue by far among Tennessee voters was the economy, and most of those voted for McCain.

Obama did best among voters wanting a change, urban voters, younger voters and lower-income voters.