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Racial Divide Persists Despite Obama: Poll

Racial attitudes have barely budged despite groundbreaking run

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 16, 2008 12:57 AM CDT

(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%.

Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., greets supporters at the NAACP convention in Cincinnati, Monday, July 14, 2008.
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)
Barack Obama acknowledges the crowd after speaking at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center  yesterday.
Barack Obama acknowledges the crowd after speaking at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center yesterday.   (AP Photo)
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.
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)
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