Polls: Race helps Clinton with whites

[Starbucks Anarchist]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080407/ap_on_el_pr/campaign_racial_voting

WASHINGTON - Add this to the divisive debate over race in the presidential campaign: Whites who said race was important in picking their candidate have been about twice as likely to back Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as Sen. Barack Obama.

Exit polls of voters in Democratic primaries also show that whites who considered the contender's race — Clinton is white, Obama is black — were three times likelier to say they would only be satisfied with Clinton as the nominee than if Obama were chosen.

The figures shed some light on race's effect on a competition that moves to the April 22 primary in Pennsylvania, which has a slightly greater proportion of whites than average. The numbers also underscore the challenge Obama could face in the general election, when whites will comprise a larger share of voters and tend to be more conservative than those participating in the Democratic primaries.

Throughout the campaign, Obama has tried to avoid being cast narrowly as a black candidate. Last Friday, he was the only one of the three major presidential contenders to not travel to Memphis, Tenn., to mark the 40th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

(more at link)

[izzybeans]

1. Didn't the Party send you the memo? Only black people can be racist.

[maximusveritas]

5. Yep. And if you even consider the possibility that some white people are racists

Then you are calling all white people racists. And that's just not right.

[izzybeans]

10. Race baiter. How dare you make such an assertion?

:)

[zanne]

2. DUH.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

7. no kidding....

It might not be right and it's pitiful but let's face it - no matter who the "white" candidate is - they will get the white racist vote.

[zanne]

9. And racists are comfortably camouflaged

They look like our neighbors.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

12. a few of my neighbors are pretty bad.....

I've heard and seen quite a bit of racist talk here in Florida and I've had to set the people straight.

One neighbor used the "N" word and I asked if she was racist - she was shocked. She's also said things about gays - which I gave her a hard time about. Now she tries to pretend that she's not by making "nice" comments about blacks, gays, etc. I really doubt that she's make a 180 - but at least now she knows that it's not acceptable to ALL people to make racist/homphobic comments.

Her mother also thinks that a woman cannot be President becasue they can't "be the commander-in-chief." Between all the members of that family - they've got almost all the areas of bigotry covered...

[zanne]

14. Volunteering for the Obama campaign was an eye opener...

I did alot of phonebanking in NH. Some nights, I'd get home and feel like there was a brick in my stomach. Racism is alive and well and lives everywhere.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

15. This campaign has really ripped the scabs off a lot of ugly wounds.

It might be good or bad. Hopefully good by pointing out that there is a lot of ugly stuff out there and that it needs to be changed. If the media does their jobs and discusses what's REALLY going on after this election - it might work out.

I hope that it doesn't leave a lot of people saying "see - everything's hunky-dory becasue we had a black man and a white woman almost become President." I fear sometimes that with either candidate - we will get a big backlash and that we'll be looking at a Presdient McCain because of all the ugliness out there.

If you live in a red or purple state - it's easy to get freaked out.

[BklynChick]

3. it's the Archie Bunker effect. sad, really. i think it's different voting for a woman or person of

color for a positive reason rather than NOT voting for a particular candidate because of their race (or gender). NOT the same at all.

[cooolandrew]

4. I think the PA stats are proving that Obama is not the average contender.

[galaxy21]

6. I think Mccain and Obama are so drastically different no one can make a decision solely on race

What if you have a son in Iraq? You'll go for the man wanting to keep them there, over the guy who wants them out ASAP? Solely because the other guy is black? You'd risk losing your son, just because you didn't want to vote for a black man?

Or if you're a woman and believe in the right to choose? You'd pick someone almost guaranteed to try and overturn roe versus wade, over someone who is strongly pro choice just because he's black?


No one can be that stubborn.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

16. what have the stats been saying?

I haven't been following it lately....

[Cali_Democrat]

8. So Hillary supporters are more concerned about the race of a candidate than Obama supporters

These are the people Hillary was appealing to with her race baiting campaign. There was a poll that came out not too long ago that said numerous Hillary supporters oppose interracial dating and think civil rights have gone too far. Hillary is making herself a nice racist base at the expense of the Democratic Party.

[FrenchieCat]

13. That's the extra sad part......that promoting division between the race

is considered good for them. I don't think there could be a sadder thing than that.

[anamandujano]

11. Did they do a similar poll on blacks and Obama?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[Cali_Democrat]

17. Blacks don't seem to have a problem supporting whites. They supported Bill big time.

This is the first time there is a serious African American candidate for President and a good amount of Hillary supporters are turned off to him because he's black.

Blacks will always support the Democratic candidate in huge numbers whether they are white or black. If you look at some elections the last few years, blacks have no problem opposing a black Republican candidate. It's more about politics than race with blacks. However, Hillary supporters seem to think its about race which is sad.

[Danger Mouse]

22. Hahahahahahahahahaha...

*gasp*
hahahahahahahaha
haaaahahahah
ahhh...
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[anamandujano]

25. I guess that's a no.

[Skwmom]

18. Camp Clinton: Obama can't win b/c he's black, Obama can't win b/c he's black, Obama can't win b/c

he's black, and on and on. Then when people go to vote they think, hey Obama can't win in the general election b/c he's black, race is a factor, I'll vote for Clinton.

[anamandujano]

26. They didn't say that. Don't put words in her mouth.

[Skwmom]

19. BIG ? - WHY did they consider RACE a FACTOR?

B/c they are racist and won't vote for a black man or BECAUSE they've been constantly told by Camp Clinton that a (GASP) black man can't win the general election? I vote for the later. Of course, what's a little painting your voters as racists if it will serve your purpose.

[democrattotheend]

20. It's not all Clinton's fault

There are plenty of people who genuinely wouldn't vote for a black man. And there are people I know who won't vote for Obama in the primary because they think being black makes him unelectable. They will vote for him in the general if he gets the nomination, but they are afraid he can't win because he's black. And I think they felt that way long before the clinton camp starting hinting it. Honestly, I think many of the white people who are admitting in the exit poll that race was a factor aren't even the racists. I think the ones who are admitting it are the ones who worry about electability.

[anonymous171]

21. Bb-b-but, OBAMA IS THE "RACE MAN"!

:rofl: He doesn't benefit from bringing up race, so why do HRC supporters continue to maintain that he does?

[Danger Mouse]

23. sadly, this is not surprising.

[AtomicKitten]

24. It helps her with some whites, whites that probably are in the wrong party to begin with IMO.

Prejudice is not a Democratic/democratic value.