The article defines highly educated as people with advanced degrees. They are not academics. I doubt anyone would classify the general population of all college graduates (i.e. from all colleges) in the US as highly educated.
Definition from article:
>But the most highly educated Americans — those who have attended graduate or professional school — are starting to come together as a political bloc.
Doctors make up 1/3 of a percent of the US population (they don't necessarily have Phds)
http://www.wisegeek.org/what-percent-of-the-us-population-do...
Doctors chose Romney over Obama 55% to 36%.
http://dailycaller.com/2012/10/01/survey-doctors-choose-romn...
1.68% of Americans have a Phd (actually significantly more than I expected and significantly more than I think deserve to be handed out). I really wonder how many of these people do practical work. I can't find statistics to prove my bias so we will have to leave it as is unless someone can find some.
Professors in humanities that identify as Republican range from 6 to 11 percent.
Social Sciences 7 and 9 percent
2% of English professors are Republican.
Meanwhile 18% of social scientists are Marxists.
This evidence leads me to believe that Academics self select to be liberal and that people with a conservative mindset do not find academia appealing for whatever reason. The reason I rule it has little to do with intelligence of the groups is the prevalence of Marxism amongst academics. Intelligent people that use evidence to reason about their beliefs wouldn't be Marxist.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/08/opinion/sunday/a-confessio...
>1.68% of Americans have a Phd
If you mean medical doctors you should specify that, Doctors has a different meaning especially within the context of post graduate degree holders.