Are We ready for a Black President?

[TheWatcher 1]

Growing number say country ready for black president

Posted: 04:01 PM ET

WASHINGTON (CNN) — A new poll suggests that the number of Americans who believe the country is ready for a black president is on the rise.

Seventy-six percent of those polled in a CNN/Essence Magazine/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Thursday say that the country is ready. That's up 14 points from December 2006, at the start of the presidential campaign.

"Some of the increase in the number of Americans who say the country is ready for a black president is a simple recognition of Barack Obama's success in the Democratic primaries," said Keating Holland, CNN's polling director.

"We're not asking this question in a vacuum. In many cases, respondents must have had Obama in mind when giving their answer, even though he is not mentioned anywhere in the questionnaire."

The senator from Illinois is locked in a battle with Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York for the Democratic presidential nomination. Obama currently leads Clinton in states won, delegates pledged, and in the overall popular vote in the primaries and caucuses held so far this year.

The poll also indicates that more white Americans than African-Americans think the country is ready for a black president. Seventy-eight percent of white Americans surveyed say the country is ready, as opposed to only 69 percent of African-Americans polled. Both numbers are up substantially from December 2006.

"Drawing on their own life experience, blacks are a little more skeptical than whites," said Bill Schneider, CNN's senior political analyst. "But blacks, too, have come around, particularly after the Iowa caucuses demonstrated that Obama could win in an overwhelmingly white electorate."

Holland added, "Among blacks, the belief that the country is ready for an African-American president is highest among blacks who share traits with Obama. Optimism about the country's acceptance of a black president is higher among black men than among black women, higher among college-educated blacks than among those with no college degree, and higher among younger blacks than older blacks."

The poll also suggests that more Americans think the country is ready for a black president than a woman president. Sixty-three percent of those surveyed said that the country is ready for a female president. That's 13 points lower than those who say the country is ready for black president.

"Do Americans see more prejudice against a woman than an African-American," Schneider asked. "More likely, they see more negative feelings about this woman than about this African-American. Because it's true. More people have an unfavorable opinion of Hillary Clinton than of Barack Obama."

It's also important to note that the poll asked whether the country is ready for a black or woman president, not whether the respondent would vote for a black or woman president.

"Few people will acknowledge their own prejudices, but they will answer whether they think the country is ready to elect a black or woman president," Schneider said.

The CNN/Essence Magazine/Opinion Research Corporation survey was released on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

The poll was conducted by telephone from March 26 to April 2, with 2,184 Americans questioned, including 1,014 blacks and 1,001 whites. The survey's margin of error is plus or minus 2 percentage points for the overall sample and plus or minus 3 percentage points for the questions asked just of black or white Americans.

[MerryHearted 20]

Interesting. Yes, I think we are ready for both.

I don't think we are ready for a Muslim president in today's political climate, though.

I was watching the MSNBC tickers during lunch today, only half paying attention, and it said that something like 12% of people who didn't like Obama held that opinion because they thought he was Muslim. (he's not)

Behold, the power of the internet gossip machine.

[Wheetsin 714]

I'm not sure I can answer that. I don't care if our president is black, purple, yellow, or polka-dotted. I think we're ready for a good, competent president. If that person happens to be black, so be it.

[HarleyGirl 1]

I can't believe in 2008 that's even a question.......

[travelgirl 3]

Who gives a crap what color the pres. is? As long as whomever is elected is competent, it won't matter.

[TheWatcher 1]

Unfortunately it kind of does matter i mean we can all stick our heads in the sand when it comes to the racial issue of this country but lets think about it race is a issue in this country. And there is a reason that half the country is looking high and low for a way to discredit Obama and there is a reason that the News affiliates will not stop talking about it. Why when Rev Wright says gd America and is more or less drawn and quartered by the press but when John Hagee gets up and says things that are every bit as inflammatory no one says any thing.(The Anniston Star ? James L. Evans: Extreme religious endorsements)

And though the US government may not have introduces AIDS to black ... which is absurd, the sentiments did not come out of no where (http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0762136.html)(Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)(NPR : Remembering the Tuskegee Experiment)(The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment)

I am not trying to get anyone angry or anything but i have been posting here a lot and just wanted to get an idea of peoples stances. The racial problems in this country will not go away by just saying " its in the past Get over it" So that being said i believe it is a issue and i just wanted to start a dialog. At least thats what i hope to start.

ADDITION:

I added some articles to show precedence to the examples that i used.

Edited April 3, 2008 by TheWatcher
spelling

[TheWatcher 1]

thanks in advance for your Honesty in the Poll

[sfeiner 2]

I think we are not only ready, we need a black president. We need someone to set an example to all the black children in America who think there is no reason to study. They need to know that they are just as good and capable as any other race. They need to know that the most important man in America is a black man and that other races look up to and respect him.

[Marimaru 7]

I think that a high enough majority of the country is ready for a black and/or woman president... it's just gotta be the right person. There are the people who care about gender/race and the people who don't care about gender/race, and then there's the people who are in the gray who could be persuaded by just the right black person/woman to vote that way, even though their initial inclination might be otherwise.

Gender and Race ARE still issues, no matter how many of us think they shouldn't be (and boy do I think they shouldn't be). I am personally excited about the idea of a politician who is willing to look the race issue in the face, instead of kind of looking around it and throwing more PC laws into the lawbooks to appease people.

[LauraD 2]

I don't think America is ready for a black president in general but they are probably ready for Barack Obama. I think the article states it well, it's a case by case basis. Obama is succeeding because he isn't (and I apologize in advance to whomever I offend) overtly ethnic.

Absolutely, race is still an issue in this country. Anyone who thinks differently, subscribe to the Southern Poverty Law Center's Hatewatch List. It's a list of hate crimes committed in the US-on a weekly basis. They're not just isolated incidents in the South, either.

SPLC also has a map showing the locations of all active hate groups in the US. Pretty startling. For that matter, just take a drive to the "bad" side of your town, the poor side.

I really can't speak much about racial prejudice, I'm a lily white WASP from the 'burbs. But to me, the most pervasive prejudice is quiet. And that's what could cost Obama the election. It's startling, how many people nurture a subtle and quiet prejudice that even they might not acknowledge until they have to face it head on.

[TheWatcher 1]

Gender and Race ARE still issues, no matter how many of us think they shouldn't be (and boy do I think they shouldn't be). I am personally excited about the idea of a politician who is willing to look the race issue in the face, instead of kind of looking around it and throwing more PC laws into the lawbooks to appease people.

PC laws

yup thats exactly what the run of the mill politician throws at the race issue. The whole Political Correctness march has lead to what i like to call the PUSSIFICATION of America, WE are so wound up that me are afraid to hurt someones feelings or be looked at the wrong way.... but thats a topic for another thread... coming soon

I want to talked to like the adults that i am don't worry about hurting my feelings, On the day Obama gave that speech he spoke to Americans As Adults and it scared people.

[MerryHearted 20]

Race still is an issue in this country, as Watcher said, much as we would like to pretend it's not, or much as we *wish* it weren't or think it shouldn't be anymore. I hope skin color and gender are not the deciding factors in this election. It should be about the issues.

If you have a chance to pick up the latest issue of Sci American Mind, they have a fascinating article about unconscious prejudice. Buried Prejudice: The Bigot in Your Brain Unfortunately the entire article is not online. The gist is that while you may despise racism and consider yourself color-blind, you hold unconscious beliefs that affect your reaction to people based on their skin color. They did some interesting studies on people using functional MRIs to track brain response while showing pictures of white faces and black faces to see if people who consider themselves non-racist responded differently. They do.

[Gone4Now 4]

I am not trying to get anyone angry or anything but i have been posting here a lot and just wanted to get an idea of peoples stances. The racial problems in this country will not go away by just saying " its in the past Get over it" So that being said i believe it is a issue and i just wanted to start a dialog. At least thats what i hope to start.

I have to disagree with this one, sorry. I think that telling people, "It's in the past, get over it" is what we need to move on. My mother is racist, even though she tries hard not to be. But, whenever she says something, I challenge it. Sometimes she admits that she is wrong, and in the last few years she's said very little. (My daughter is mixed, and that helped open my mother's eyes a little.)

Also, I've noticed that the kids of my daughter's class never refer to people by color. My mother will say, "See that black lady? I like her dress." My daughter says, "See that lady? I like her dress." (Just to give a weird example.)

But, the point is - the more we say it's not an issue then one day it really won't be. Maybe not in my lifetime, but certainly in the up coming generations.

Also, I think if the president is competent, then I'll vote for him/her. Color doesn't matter to me, or the people I associate with. I'm working on the family...

[TheWatcher 1]

I don't think America is ready for a black president in general but they are probably ready for Barack Obama. I think the article states it well, it's a case by case basis. Obama is succeeding because he isn't (and I apologize in advance to whomever I offend) overtly ethnic.

Absolutely, race is still an issue in this country. Anyone who thinks differently, subscribe to the Southern Poverty Law Center's Hatewatch List. It's a list of hate crimes committed in the US-on a weekly basis. They're not just isolated incidents in the South, either.

SPLC also has a map showing the locations of all active hate groups in the US. Pretty startling. For that matter, just take a drive to the "bad" side of your town, the poor side.

I really can't speak much about racial prejudice, I'm a lily white WASP from the 'burbs. But to me, the most pervasive prejudice is quiet. And that's what could cost Obama the election. It's startling, how many people nurture a subtle and quiet prejudice that even they might not acknowledge until they have to face it head on.

Preach...:thumbup:

i didn't even know there was a organization that tracked that data i think i would be interesting to check out my area.

[TheWatcher 1]

I have to disagree with this one, sorry. I think that telling people, "It's in the past, get over it" is what we need to move on.

But, the point is - the more we say it's not an issue then one day it really won't be. Maybe not in my lifetime, but certainly in the up coming generations.

That will only work for some... Because the pain and frustration is still being felt in Vast parts of America. I happen to live in a Highly diverse community in the SF Bay. But how can you tell a person who around during the Tuskegee experiments. Or who marched in Birmingham when the dogs were released. How do you tell a person in that situation to Get over it its in the past. I am 25 and i would like to do nothing but to move on and start anew but when i see racial injustice that is still institutionalized and when i speak to my grandmother and talk to her about her life. i cant help but to be a little frustrated and it makes it a lot harder for me to just say I'm over it. Most people get stories in a paper, I get events from peoples lives, i know these people. There is fear and anger on both sides of this issue. You say your mother is racist; but did You ever ask her why?

Edited April 4, 2008 by TheWatcher