Poll: Barack Obama Could Lose Six Percentage Points on Election Day for Being Black
By Corky Siemaszko
Daily News Staff Writer
Six percentage points is the price Barack Obama could pay on election day for being black.
That disturbing calculation was found in a groundbreaking new Associated Press-Yahoo News poll conducted with Stanford University which probes the effect of the Democratic presidential candidate's race on his historic campaign for the White House.
"There's a penalty for prejudice, and it's not trivial," Stanford University political scientist Paul Sniderman told the AP.
In a close contest, racism "might be enough to tip the election," Sniderman said.
Still, the Illinois senator seems to be making some headway even with white Americans who don't have much good to say about African-Americans.
Among the white Democrats who think blacks are lazy, or violent, or boastful, two-thirds said they will vote for Obama over Sen. John McCain, a white Republican.
The poll of 2,227 adults was conducted Aug. 27-Sept. 5, and was designed to probe people's racial attitudes and how those attitudes affect voting.
It shows that when it comes to race, there has been some progress in America: Most white people have positive things to say about black people.
Still, pollsters found that a substantial portion of white Americans have very little contact with African-Americans - and many still harbor negative feelings toward them.
Whites also have a rosier view of race relations than blacks. When asked "how much discrimination against blacks" exists, 10% of whites said "a lot" while 57% of blacks said "a lot."
Asked how much of the nation's racial tension is created by blacks, more than a third of whites said "most" or "all."
Meanhile, nearly three-fouths of the blacks polled said while people have too much influence in U.S. politics.
Also, the perception that voters in their 20s and 30s might go for Obama because they're less racially biased than their parents might be wrong.
The survey found no meaningful differences in the way younger and older whites viewed black people. But older whites were more likely to say when they really think of blacks than the younger generations.
Not surprisingly, racial prejudice tends to be lowest among college-educated whites living outside the South, the pollsters found.
With wire services
Reader Comments
He will lose....
Hes associated with someone who hates the government, I believe he is trying to win this race for himself, his race, and I also think he belives the same views that his "Spiritual Advisor" believes in, he wants to win this race for the radicals, he wants power, and is playing on the peoples needs, promising nothing but Fantasy, and lies.
True Americans will not vote Obama....only the people living in a fantasy land, and have no clue about what is really going on, which is the corruption in the Senate. Its not Bush, but Democrats who do nothing, but point the finger, and never try to fix the problem but make it work. They are nothing but actors...funny how alot of actors in Hollywierd like Obama, because he is fake just like them.
Amen.
net gain
Obama gets a net gain of 3 points just because hes black. Voting against the white guy is just as bad as voting against the black guy IMHO. If he looses it will ultimately be because of his radical associations and his voter record which is inconsistent with his rhetoric. Inexperience and proposing tax hikes during the biggest economic disaster since the great depression do not help. Neither does his record on hand gun bans in Chicago. The things I personally find as the biggest turn offs are not only his cheerleaders in the media and tinsel town but also his criticism on small town people. I hate it that he is tied to ACORN who tried to hijack an election AND bullied banks into giving bad loans, which is... the root of the economic nightmare. Well that and the fact that he voted consistently with congress 97% of the time who blocked Bush and other regulating republicans such as John McCain then somehow end up getting the republicans to take the rap. Barack Obama will make things worse. If his voting record doesn't prove it then you are a lost cause.
He Will Lose Because Of His Radical associations
I am a Vet and a retired NYPD Sgt. I am second generation NYPD. In the early 70's The Weather Underground had bombed the Pentagon and were planning on setting off a bomb in NYPD Headquarters. At the time the Waether Underground was run by rterrorist Bill Ayers and his fellow terrorist and future wife Bernadine Dohrn. Well it seems Barak H Obama has a friendly relationship with Ayers and his bride,in fact Obama launched his political career at Ayers Home in Chicago. It should also be noted that Ayers doesn not regret his terrorist acts in fact he wished he did more and expressed that in a NY Times article on of all days 9/11/01.
It should also be noted that for over 20 years Obama sat in a church listening to his Minister / "Spiritual Advisor" Jerry Wright deliver anti white,anti American and anti semetic rants
The question should be who is racist the Voters or Obama
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