Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

August 21, 2008 8:26:17 AM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Racial Divide Persists Despite Obama: Poll

Posted Jul 16, 08 12:57 AM CDT in Politics 

(Newser) – Barack Obama's often hailed "post-racial" run for the White House is, in fact, unfolding in an America still sharply divided by race, a New York Times/CBS News poll has discovered. The lives of most Americans are as racially segregated as they were 8 years ago, the poll says. Black and white Americans differed on almost every question on race relations—although both agreed America is ready for a black president.

Among the poll' s findings:

  • 80% of black voters say they have a favorable opinion of Obama, compared with just 30% of whites.
  • 60% of blacks say race relations are "generally bad," versus 34% of whites.
  • 70% of blacks say they have encountered racial discrimination—up from 62% in 2000—compared with 26% of whites.
  • 58% of black voters have a favorable opinion of Michelle Obama, as opposed to 26% of whites.
  • Among whites, John McCain leads by 46% to 37%. Among blacks, Obama is ahead 89% to 2%.

Source New York Times

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Why This Year's Pollsters Are Stumped

    Aug 8, 08 8:30 PM CDT
    Why This Year's Pollsters Are Stumped This year's presidential race is bamboozling many a pollster. Todd Domke looks at some of skewing factors for the Boston Globe:

    • Race: White voters might be reluctant to tell pollsters they oppose a black candidate. Tom Bradley, remember, led the polls for California governor but lost the race. Then again, will white guilt over prejudice offset that? 

    More »

  • For African Americans, Pride in a Breakthrough

    Jun 5, 08 6:33 AM CDT
    For African Americans, Pride in a Breakthrough In his St. Paul victory speech, Barack Obama made no mention of the fact that he is effectively the first black presidential nominee of a major party. But in interviews with African Americans across the country, the New York Times discovered overwhelming pride in the Illinois senator's candidacy and optimism that race relations are improving. "Never in a million years would I have thought this was possible," said one woman in Harlem. More »

  • Clinton: Great White Hope?

    May 19, 08 4:52 PM CDT
    Clinton: Great White Hope? Working-class whites, as "a social category," fear a loss of definition and power, and that might be lead them to support Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama, Gregory Rodriguez writes in the Los Angeles Times. This isn't white supremacy; "in fact it might be its opposite, an acknowledgment that white privilege has its limits," as non-college-educated whites feel their position slipping away. More »

  • Obama Erases Clinton's Lead With Speech

    Mar 25, 08 9:01 AM CDT
    Obama Erases Clinton's Lead With Speech A new Gallup poll puts the two Democratic presidential candidates on even footing nationally, with Barack Obama holding a statistically negligible 1-point lead over Hillary Clinton. The poll, conducted after Obama's widely praised speech on race, suggests that the Illinois senator has erased the damage done by the Jeremiah Wright controversy, writes the Baltimore Sun. More »

  • Obama Calls for Racial Unity

    Mar 18, 08 10:46 AM CDT
    Obama Calls for Racial Unity Barack Obama tackled the issue of race in a candid and risky speech this morning, recounting America’s racial history and acknowledging both black anger and white resentment “we’ve never really worked through.” He denounced the divisive statements of his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, saying they "denigrate the goodness and the greatness of our nation," but he said he could "no more disown him" than he could his own white grandmother, who sometimes succumbed to racial stereotypes. More »

Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., greets supporters at the NAACP convention in Cincinnati, Monday, July 14, 2008.   (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. watches as he is introduced at a town hall-style meeting in Powder Springs, Ga., Tuesday, July 8, 2008.   (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Barack Obama acknowledges the crowd after speaking at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center yesterday.   (AP Photo)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (1 of 9)

Tags

Barack Obama  • poll  • race  • race relations  • racial inequality  • African-Americans  • New York Times/CBS News poll


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular


Other Politics Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »