Growing number say country ready for black president

Posted: 04:01 PM ET

WASHINGTON (CNN) — A new poll suggests that the number of Americans who believe the country is ready for a black president is on the rise.

Seventy-six percent of those polled in a CNN/Essence Magazine/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Thursday say that the country is ready. That's up 14 points from December 2006, at the start of the presidential campaign.

"Some of the increase in the number of Americans who say the country is ready for a black president is a simple recognition of Barack Obama's success in the Democratic primaries," said Keating Holland, CNN's polling director.

"We're not asking this question in a vacuum. In many cases, respondents must have had Obama in mind when giving their answer, even though he is not mentioned anywhere in the questionnaire."

The senator from Illinois is locked in a battle with Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York for the Democratic presidential nomination. Obama currently leads Clinton in states won, delegates pledged, and in the overall popular vote in the primaries and caucuses held so far this year.

The poll also indicates that more white Americans than African-Americans think the country is ready for a black president. Seventy-eight percent of white Americans surveyed say the country is ready, as opposed to only 69 percent of African-Americans polled. Both numbers are up substantially from December 2006.

"Drawing on their own life experience, blacks are a little more skeptical than whites," said Bill Schneider, CNN's senior political analyst. "But blacks, too, have come around, particularly after the Iowa caucuses demonstrated that Obama could win in an overwhelmingly white electorate."

Holland added, "Among blacks, the belief that the country is ready for an African-American president is highest among blacks who share traits with Obama. Optimism about the country's acceptance of a black president is higher among black men than among black women, higher among college-educated blacks than among those with no college degree, and higher among younger blacks than older blacks."

The poll also suggests that more Americans think the country is ready for a black president than a woman president. Sixty-three percent of those surveyed said that the country is ready for a female president. That's 13 points lower than those who say the country is ready for black president.

"Do Americans see more prejudice against a woman than an African-American," Schneider asked. "More likely, they see more negative feelings about this woman than about this African-American. Because it's true. More people have an unfavorable opinion of Hillary Clinton than of Barack Obama."

It's also important to note that the poll asked whether the country is ready for a black or woman president, not whether the respondent would vote for a black or woman president.

"Few people will acknowledge their own prejudices, but they will answer whether they think the country is ready to elect a black or woman president," Schneider said.

The CNN/Essence Magazine/Opinion Research Corporation survey was released on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

The poll was conducted by telephone from March 26 to April 2, with 2,184 Americans questioned, including 1,014 blacks and 1,001 whites. The survey's margin of error is plus or minus 2 percentage points for the overall sample and plus or minus 3 percentage points for the questions asked just of black or white Americans.

Ok, Lets see if I can do this without making everyone mad. I have been under the impression that Obama is of mixed heritage, not white, but not black. So what is the issue? I don't care what color a person's skin is or what his heritage is. I care about his answers to questions that make a difference to me.

He was trying to talked directly to John McCain but McCain would not look him in the eye or talk to him directly.

Excellent observation. I originally pegged McCain to be an out of touch old man. I now consider him to be a condescending, insulting, old man. Perhaps he decided to mimic Palin last night. You know the attack the person not the issue strategy. I really lost respect for the crypt keeper after watching the debate. If pigs start flying and he IS elected president (note to self: buy bandages for slit wrists) will he insult and name call foreign leaders while in a formal political setting? McCain is stomping around like somebody stole his bike ( reference the I'm not campaigning or debating stunt-we all knew that was a joke) simply because his campaign is screwed up and smart Americans are taking notice. Thank God I can take comfort that Barack Obama (aka the People's Champion) will always maintain his dignity. He is class act all the way. McCain is an ass act everyday.

Let me get this straight, Jack... you blame some Democratic Congressmen for this financial debacle? Really? Do you likewise put all the blame for the bad mortgage loans like your fellow Republicans say, squarely on the shoulders of the "stupid" homebuyers who used them? That's like saying that people who didn't drive tiny, low mileage, dangerous cars are also to blame for buying the magnificent, luxurious, extremely safe SUV's that the automakers manufactured.

What convoluted thinking! Who stood to gain from the mortgage loans they invented? Who stood to gain from the gas-guzzling, expensive SUVs they created? I guess we have nothing further to discuss, you and I. We have absolutely no way to get there from here.

You last three posters make some excellent points! Keep up the good work.

Barack Obama (aka the People's Champion)

And here I though the "People's Champion" was former wrestler Dewayne "the rock" Johnson...

Yes we are ready for a black president. But I wonder how many "closet" bigots are still out there. Far too many I fear.

I believe that the ultra conservatives have stolen the Republican party away from mainstread Republicans. I have voted Republican in the past and my husband is a staunch Republican. However, we both agree that the Constitution is a scared document that the current administration has knowingly ignored, with malice in their hearts. Too many neo-cons believe that they know it all and that they should always be in charge, telling us who is patriotic and who is not, deciding whether we should go to war against our enemies or not. These new power grabbing, greedy, ignoramuses have been in control of the Congress for about 12 years.

We are seeing only some of the aftermath of their way of doing things. It is time to throw the bums out!!! And that includes John McCain. He wants us to think of him as being on our side, but in nearly every case, he agrees with the current administration's actions. Besides, he likes the power that the war would give him. He should have stayed in the military and become a general like Patton.

I feel sorry for true moderate conservatives in this country. Many of them must be struggling with what they hear their leaders tell them (over the past 12 years, especially) and what they've done while they've had the power and they've got to be very conflicted over this election process.

I am not conflicted in the least. I know that Senator Obama is extremely capable and is extremely intelligent and that he will lead this country better than it has been lead in well over a decade. I am sorry that so many people fear someone (Senator Obama) who is a person who has proven that he cares about the working class. I don't have any pie-in-the sky illusions about what I believe he can accomplish while in office. On the other hand, I know exactly what we will get if we elect the McCain-Palin ticket and I honestly wonder how much worse it can get with Republicans at the helm. If Palin actually were to step into the Presidency, God Help Us All!! George W. Bush's actions would pale by comparison. I say this because she has proven it by her words and actions.

When I said congress was controlled by Republicans for the past 12 years, I mean prior to the current Demo control. The Republicans keep yelling that the Democratic controlled Congress has done nothing to fix all the stuff [the Republicans] have fouled up. They always forget to mention that they are the ones who got us here and that the Dems have only had a short time with more Democratic potential votes and that we continue to have a dishonest President who loves using his veto power. For heaven's sake, give us a break. We're not all completely stupid and ignorant of the facts. But I gotta say, if you're buying what they're saying, you just might be.

Ok, here's a Republican tactic. Obviously this kind of thing is more to your liking.

http://www.zimbio.com/Bristol+Palin/articles/342/Sarah+Palin+Want+Baby+Die

Here's another one you will probably think is relevant.

http://socraticgadfly.blogspot.com/2008/09/show-me-trig-palin-birth-certificate_03.html

You don't have to thank me. I know how much you all appreciate swapping pertinent links.

I disagree. Those links aren't from another universe. They're from people who have become very upset about the lies that the Republicans have put forth about the Democratic candidate for president. The people who authored those two pieces I posted links to, want to distribute via the 'net, the same kind of bunk that they've been reading everyday about Obama, only they make their bunk about McCain and Palin. There's lots more where that came from but I honestly do not wish to be one of the people who posts links all the time, knowing that the links are nothing but made up stories, like the extremists here at LBT do.

I realize that Republicans aren't used to this behavior from Democrats, but let's face it you sure can't blame them. We've had to put up with the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter for years and from someone like T. Boone Pickins and other anonymous authors of extremist garbage fostered to make people fear Obama - a man who has worked hard for people - and a man who has been a Christian his entire life - a man who has been severly maligned and who has seen fit to rise above it.

You better believe I will do a victory dance if he wins. I'm really tired of being beaten down by the lies and innuendo the Republicans have heaped on each and every nominee they oppose. Tired and sick of their dirty tricks at the polls and election boards. Tired and sick of people saying that both parties do it, when up until now it has been the Republicans who have won dishonestly.

If the Democrats have learned that the only way to win is to play the game the Republican way, then maybe they'll have a fighting chance in this political game, which will be an enormous change in this country. And we darned sure need change, Jack. Surely you can agree with that.

yes yes yes im more than ready

BJean- you talk as if there aren't lies coming from both sides of the camp. I'm not willing to be so naive to say one party is any better than the other.

On both sides you have good people and you have bad people. On BOTH sides, we have honest people and dishonest people. It all comes down to which party supports our beliefs the most.

As far as you saying "I realize that Republicans aren't used to this behavior from Democrats, but let's face it you sure can't blame them. We've had to put up with the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter for years and from someone like T. Boone Pickins and other anonymous authors of extremist garbage fostered to make people fear Obama - a man who has worked hard for people - and a man who has been a Christian his entire life - a man who has been severly maligned and who has seen fit to rise above it."

And? The media, historically and is currently, more liberal. The only station that is conservative is FoxNews. I don't complain just because the news reporters don't agree with me. Move on and let's discuss issues.

On a funny note, my husband says, in response to this thread question "No, I think we're only half ready, ironically, Obama fits that too." lol.

To everyone reading this, don't vote based on everything you read, vote on the issues, and don't get taken in by wolves who will try to distract you by posting link after irrelevant link.

BJean- you talk as if there aren't lies coming from both sides of the camp. I'm not willing to be so naive to say one party is any better than the other.

On both sides you have good people and you have bad people. On BOTH sides, we have honest people and dishonest people. It all comes down to which party supports our beliefs the most.

As far as you saying "I realize that Republicans aren't used to this behavior from Democrats, but let's face it you sure can't blame them. We've had to put up with the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter for years and from someone like T. Boone Pickins and other anonymous authors of extremist garbage fostered to make people fear Obama - a man who has worked hard for people - and a man who has been a Christian his entire life - a man who has been severly maligned and who has seen fit to rise above it."

And? The media, historically and is currently, more liberal. The only station that is conservative is FoxNews. I don't complain just because the news reporters don't agree with me. Move on and let's discuss issues.

On a funny note, my husband says, in response to this thread question "No, I think we're only half ready, ironically, Obama fits that too." lol.

To everyone reading this, don't vote based on everything you read, vote on the issues, and don't get taken in by wolves who will try to distract you by posting link after irrelevant link.

that's because there arin't lies coming from both sides... there is a campaign based on integrity and there is a campaign based on lies bulshig and drama .... you tell me which is which

MissFFs: I challenge you to go back through all the posts here and at the other one pertaining to this subject and see just how many assinine links have been posted by Republicans and how many have been posted by Democrats.

My only reason for posting any links (which I try to rarely do) was in response to someone accusing me of saying that the Republicans put out lies and innuendo as their campaign plan of action. I believe that's the way they win elections - that and voter booth fraud. I believe this because I have witnessed it myself, starting with Richard Nixon's bad guys. (One of whom is a big McCain supporter and who McCain saw fit to rub elbows with and take his money.)

The Democrats are up against it. They are not willing to commmit crimes like the Republicans just to get elected. And if you will notice one thing I'd appreciate it: as a rule, Obama speaks to McCain's proposed plans for the country, he does not lie or insult personally, or attack McCain on a personal moral basis. Although as you probably saw, there have been some reasons that he could have done just that. If anyone sticks to the issues, it is Senator Obama. I'm not saying that each and every ad that the Democrats run are pure as the driven snow, but by comparison to the Republican rabid dog ads, the Democratic ones are baby kittens.

Have you ever watched the documentary, "Murder, Spies and Voter Lies"? Most of us know what happened in the past two presidential elections - and I believe it probably was also true in the case of the Tom Bradley defeat in California.

You see, I just don't believe in the "Bradley Theory" that the media is touting right now. But I do believe in illegal elections because I have been witness to it.

Let me ask you this,why would people think it is cool to say that they voted for someone other than who they actually voted for when they come out of the voting places? And why would they do it in such incredibly high numbers? Do you think that there was an underground agreement for everyone to throw off the media so that they would air early announcements that the Democrats won - just as a lark? Or what's your theory? You buy the Bradley Theory?

If Obama doesn't win and the exit polls have pointed to the Democrats winning again, there should be marches on the White House and we should rise up and demand a new election - one where the people count the paper votes in the town squares.

I think that one reason that the election process hasn't been changed in the past 8 years is because none of us wanted to believe that something like that could happen to us in America. We all want to believe that our elections are honest and representative of what the majority of Americans believe in and want for this country.

By the same token, we all want to believe that we can trust our bankers and our brokers too. We've been terribly naive and woefully ignorant of how greed corrupts, both in politics and the financial institutions in America.

I have been amazed at how quickly Britain and some other European countries have acted to fix their financial woes. We Americans often are paralyzed and too slow to realize the truth of what's happening. And they have been dealing with terrorists up close and personal for many, many years. They have had to learn how to react quickly in crises.

I must say though, I wonder if I am the only one who was competely amazed at how quickly our government shut down the airports on 9/11. It was out of character for us as a nation. For instance, think about the firemen and others who didn't get out of the buildings before they collapsed. And think about all the people who stood outside the buildings in shock, only to be sucked into the fray.

But as usual, I digress. I believe that the primary reason that Senator Barack Obama is needed in this country is that he is extremely smart and he is quick to identify problems and go about solving them. I cannot say that of John McCain.