For myself, I don’t think anti-black sentiment will factor significantly in the election. I realize that there are a number of Clinton supporters who won’t vote for Obama because of his race. The poll addresses that:
But I think we can rely somewhat on the correlation between bigotry, education level and likelihood of voting. In other words, uneducated bigots don’t bother to vote. They’ll answer a poll, but they won’t show up at the polls or mail their ballot.
It completely blows my mind, but yeah, there are at least SOME people who will look at race rather than stands on issues. I wouldn’t have believed it had I not heard it with my own ears. I grant you these are not the smartest people in the world, but they would never be considered amongst the most ignorant, either. And perhaps that is a poor choice of words in and of themselves, but still
I think it likely. I know a few people who always vote Democratic who will not vote for Obama because it will make black people “uppity”. I am aghast, but not surprised.
Whites–and everyone else–would be quite accurate in assessing that blacks as a group are much more violent than whites in the US. I’ve never seen any crime statistics to the contrary and the difference is substantial.
“Lazy” and “responsible for their own troubles” are judgment calls using perjorative adjectives indeed, but it’s not as if there is no observational evidence for taking those positions. Again, we are speaking of broad generalizations in differences among large groups and not an evaluation of a given individual.
And the poll further reminds us that blacks as a group are almost overwhelmingly in favor of Obama. So apparently blacks as a group shouldn’t be characterized as bigots–they are just voting positions–but whites who hold to generalizations about blacks or who want to vote their clan can be classified as bigots.
I’m not sure I agree with the assumption that all individuals who hold negative (if accurate) stereotypes about a group’s average behaviour would be less inclined to vote for an individual who clearly is not stereotypical. I’d say Mr Obama is as likely to pick up votes from those who want to cheer on an exception to the stereotype as he is to lose votes from those who let their stereotypes extend to an individual.
This poll nests tightly with the OP of why is the election so close when the repubs have screwed things up so badly. Many are surprised it is close but do not want to face the real reason. Clinton would be picking out new white house china if she managed to beat out Obama.
And how many people will vote for McCain-Palin because she’s a hockey mom?
We can play this game as long as you like.
People have good and bad motivations for their political choices. My point is that I believe – go ahead, call me a foolish optimist – that race won’t play as large a role in those choices this year, that there are enough people who disregard such considerations that they will overwhelm the votes of those who are led by their prejudices.
Very few. A huge majority of blacks vote Dem. Obama is working with a small numerical difference here. Blacks voting for Obama do not sway the polling numbers.
The poll mentions saying that blacks are “responsible for their own troubles” is an anti-black statement. That gets a big :dubious: and :rolleyes: from this guy.
Any racists who’re using that as a reason to vote for McCain (or not vote at all) have already been accounted for in the current polling. Those who’re undecided aren’t suddenly going to become racists in the next few weeks.
Right. So no single black person is responsible for aything in their lives, meaning black Americans as a whole are not responsible for anything that happens to them. The Democratic party is the party that really keeps Jim Crow (i.e., the victim mentality) alive.
I’d be interested in reading the results of a poll conducted entirely by automated calling (“Press 1 if you are a registered voter”). It would allow people to give the answers they want without having to tell a human being. I believe it would reveal people who wouldn’t otherwise admit that they won’t vote for Obama because he is black.
I wonder if the Obama campaign has done a poll like that.
By the way, I’m in Kansas City, and McCain support seems amazingly soft. Obama signs outnumber McCain signs by more than ten to one, even in areas that were displaying Bush signs in 2000 and 2004, and Jim Talent signs in 2006. He really does not seem to have very deep or wide support in the conservative Republican base in this area. They may hold their noses and vote for him anyway, but if they aren’t excited, they aren’t going to donate.
