78% Would Vote For Black Candidate; Less Sure of Friends

[brooklynite]

Source: Rasmussen Reports

Nearly four out of five Americans (78%) polled since Barack Obama clinched enough delegates to be the Democratic nominee say they could vote for an African-American for president, but they think only 61 percent of their family, friends and co-workers are willing to do the same.

...snip...

Only 11 percent say they are not willing to vote for an African-American presidential candidate, with an equal number (11%) not sure.

An area of potential concern for the Obama camapign and one that his chief rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, has hammered at is his ability to attract support from low-income, working-class voters.

The new survey found willingess to vote for an African-American candidate lowest among those who did not graduate from high school (57%), those with high school diplomas only (67%) and indIviduals earning less than $20,000 a year (63%).

Read more: http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/78_would_vote_for_black_candidate_less_sure_of_friends

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Time to go to work...

[Gman]

1. The Bradley Effect

The good news for Obama is:

The new survey found willingess (sic) to vote for an African-American candidate lowest among those who did not graduate from high school (57%), those with high school diplomas only (67%) and indIviduals earning less than $20,000 a year (63%).

This demographic is very inclined to not vote. And if they did vote, they would likely vote for McCain.

But putting Hillary on the ticket would greatly increase the chances that they will vote and vote for an Obama/Hillary ticket. And these are votes Obama needs in the big states.

[eagertolearn]

4. The problem with putting Hillary on the ticket is Obama may

lose some of the educated independent and republican voters who say they can't stand Hillary Clinton but would vote for Obama.

[Gman]

6. They are far outnumbered by the people that will vote for the ticket

if Hillary is on it.

[aquart]

5. The Democrat will win.

Doesn't matter a damn who we run this year. That's who will win.

[Peace Patriot]

10. Why do you think a bigot would vote for a mixed-raced ticket, especially

black man/white woman, and especially a woman associated with women's rights and other "librul" commie stuff, and who is venomously hated by knuckledragger radio?

I think Hillary Clinton would significantly reduce the bigot vote, compared to say a white male VP (especially one with a southern accent, like Edwards, or a honcho general, like Clark)--if the purpose is to go after the bigot vote.

Obama could gear his whole campaign to the bigot vote, I guess--and just stay out of sight, and let a white male VP with a southern accent and/or military experience, and other white male surrogates, do the campaign for him, and that would net him a few of that 11% of the bigot vote, but not much. In fact, there is NOTHING Obama can do, really, to attract bigot votes. He's black--or, more accurately--mixed race, and that's a fact.

So why doesn't he just forget the bigot vote, and go after the Green vote, or the don't-vote liberals, progressives and leftists? They're much more likely to vote for him, if he gives them reason to--by being MORE green, more liberal, more progressive and more leftist. Plenty of votes there to be picked up, from non-voters and neglected leftists.

Your logic escapes me. Just because some bigots may have voted for Clinton in the primaries does NOT mean that she can attract them to an Obama ticket. They had no other option in the primary, and so they overcame their hatred of women (and of "libral" Hillary in particular) in order to express their bigotry against blacks--for these two prejudices almost always go together.

Instead of pandering to bigots, of any variety, I hope Obama decides to exercise LEADERSHIP on this matter, picks the best VP he can find--of whatever race, sex or background--and TEACHES THE COUNTRY THAT TOLERANCE AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY ARE OUR HIGHEST VALUES, and makes bigotry unacceptable and ashamed to show its ugly face. John Kennedy did this as to the virulent anti-Catholicism in the 1960 campaign (which I remember vividly). Obama is certainly capable of that kind of leadership. He's already shown it. You RAISE THE TONE OF THE COUNTRY, rather than LOWERING yourself and your campaign to the level of the bigots--or cowering in fear of them. You lift people up. You help them and the country mature. You stand on certain principles and let the chips fall where they may. You speak to the best in people, not the worst. You LEAD!

[eagertolearn]

12. I agree that it will be hard to win these votes but he needs to go

to these places and show his face and talk to them. I believe these people wouldn't vote for Hillary in the GE. I met a lot of democrats while canvassing that have been democrats their whole life but they were different. My suspicion is that they will end up voting for McCain. There was a blog a while ago though that said that biggoted people have basketball players who are black that they admire. They put them in a whole different catagory and this person thought that some of them would do this with Obama and be able to vote for him. Otherwise i am looking forward to the generation that will grow up with Obama being their president for 8 years and hopefully the cycle will be broken!

[harmonicon]

2. no problem

The 22% that wouldn't vote for the black man are probably the same 22% that approve of the job that W. is doing. No loss.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

3. Not around here

most of the hicks that live around here won't vote for a Muslim aka "Barack hussein Obama" You know, those Fox sheeple :puke:

[saigon68]

7. Nice Neighborhood

</sarcasm> :-)

[knixphan]

8. NEW VOTERS

There are far more people in the 'unregistered' camp than any of these small groups.

Let's get 'em in the game!

If you know ANYONE unregistered, twist their arms!

[Township75]

9. My guess is that 78% of those polled don't really have friends

[Peace Patriot]

11. It's an interesting stat--78% would vote for a black, but they THINK that

only 61% of those they know would also do so. That means that the great majority have a dim view of some of their friends, family and co-workers. And I wonder how much of this dim view is based on experience, on misinterpretation of what they've heard or seen, on false presumptions, OR, on CORPORATE MEDIA-colored perception of others. I remember back at the beginning of the Iraq War, when FIFTY-FIVE TO SIXTY PERCENT of the American people opposed the invasion (ALL polls said this--a fact not many people know, because it was buried by corporate warmongering and flag-waving), and most of us had the impression that we were living in a country gone mad. We thought everybody ELSE was goose-stepping to Bush. But, actually, a significant majority were not. And in that situation--of max corporate propaganda--you tend to notice, and be more sensitive to, the one in ten members of your family or acquaintances who takes the fascist view. You focus on that one and argue with him, and despair of him, and you fail to notice the quiet people--the MAJORITY--who agree with you. Your consciousness is blitzed--you think you're all alone. And you start SEEING warmongers and goose-steppers everywhere, and presuming things about people that are not true.

I'm just saying--to ask people about what OTHERS think is a tricky business, especially in our corporate media controlled world--which has been stoking this--in my opinion--mostly phony and deliberately distracting issue. I'm glad that the vast majority, nearly 80%, thinks that around 60% agree with them on voting for a black for president. That's pretty good, actually. But I would be very wary especially of negative views of others--because the overall portrait that corporate media paints of the American people is very negative. It leads you to expect the negative, to presume the negative, and NOT to ASK. That co-worker, or family member, whom you presumed to be FOR Bush's war, may well have NOT been--if you had had the nerve to bring up the subject. But the fascist flag-waving on TV shut you down; caused you to be afraid to ask. And that's what the bastards want--to shut us all up, and only listen to them. And to fear and distrust each other. And think the worst of each other. And to think that fascism is winning, when, in truth, it isn't.

[AlphaCentauri]

13. The 61% may reflect the opinion of people behind doors

many would not express their prejudgments openly but they will when dinning with friends.