Imagine A Great Election

Poll: Racial views steer some white Dems away from Obama

Associated Press, September 20, 2008

Deep-seated racial misgivings could cost Barack Obama the White House if the election is close, according to an AP-Yahoo News poll that found one-third of white Democrats harbor negative views toward blacks—many calling them “lazy,” “violent,” responsible for their own troubles.

The poll suggests that the percentage of voters who may turn away from Obama because of his race could easily be larger than the final difference between the candidates in 2004—about two and one-half percentage points.

Other findings from the survey conducted August 27-September 5:

·        40 percent of all white Americans hold at least a partly negative view toward blacks

·        Just seven in 10 Democrats support Obama

·        Given a choice of several positive and negative adjectives that might describe blacks:

·        20 percent of all whites said the word “violent” strongly applied.

·        22 percent agreed with “boastful,”

·        29 percent “complaining,”

·        13 percent “lazy” and

·        11 percent “irresponsible.”

·        When asked about positive adjectives, whites were more likely to stay on the fence than give a strongly positive assessment.

·        More than a quarter of white Democrats agree that “if blacks would only try harder, they could be just as well off as whites.”

·        Among white Independents, nearly four in 10 agree that blacks would be better off if they “try harder.”