Obama polled low with Southern whites

President Obama received only 39% of the white vote nationally in this year's election, with much of that traceable to one particular region: The South.

Churning numbers from exit polls, MSNBC reports that Obama received less than 39% of the white vote in every southern state, including the two he won: Virginia and Florida.

In some of the more conservative states, Obama's share of the white vote fell to 10% (Mississippi) and 15% (Alabama).

Meanwhile, the nation's first African-American president pulled above his national average among white voters in Midwest battleground states, including Ohio, Wisconsin and Iowa.

The president -- with a coalition that included single women, Hispanics, and African-Americans -- defeated Republican Mitt Romney overall in the popular vote, with nearly 51% of the total.

Note: Not all states had exit polls, including Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas -- though it's hard to imagine Obama doing better-than-average with whites in those southern states.

The MSNBC rundown of Obama's white vote in selected states, based on 2012 exit polls:

Mississippi: 10%

Alabama: 15%

North Carolina: 31%

Florida: 37%

Virginia: 37%

National average: 39%

Ohio: 41%

Michigan: 44%

Minnesota: 48%

Wisconsin: 48%

Iowa: 51%