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.

time for me to interject a little comedy into this way too serious thread... then we can get back to debating.

Synchronized Presidential Debating - 236.com - Video

No, that list is not a comprehensive look at Senator Obama's accomplishments. It was a quick study of an isolated period of time. It's not a brand new study, nor the whole picture. It was just the first thing I came up with on google that proved my point.

I doubt seriously if anyone here would be thrilled if I came up with some of the outrageous laws McCain has proposed, or even some of the nutty things he actually voted for in his career. We aren't wanting to discuss the merits of the "Keating Five" debacle are we?

No, that list is not a comprehensive look at Senator Obama's accomplishments. It was a quick study of an isolated period of time. It's not a brand new study, nor the whole picture. It was just the first thing I came up with on google that proved my point.

I doubt seriously if anyone here would be thrilled if I came up with some of the outrageous laws McCain has proposed, or even some of the nutty things he actually voted for in his career. We aren't wanting to discuss the merits of the "Keating Five" debacle are we?

BJean, that's where experience comes in. The Keating Five debacle happened early in McCain's political career when he was "green". McCain learned early on to avoid falling into the trap of associating with unsavory characters, but at least he had enough character to admit he made a mistake. That particular experience really helped shape McCain's political career from that point forward. No doubt in 10 or 15 years, Obama will be much better qualified to be the most powerful man in the most powerful nation in the world.

I understand your point. And you said it well.

But you can't deny that McCain is still associating with known felons - like G. Gordon Liddy. And unsavory characters like Karl Rove. I'm not sure exactly what he did learn from the Keating Five scandal.

P.S. The idea that Senator Obama is too inexperienced to be president is no less discriminatory than saying that Senator McCain is too darned old to be running for president.

Neither is absolutely true - but that doesn't stop people from saying those things.

The keating five happened when he was green?

It happend in the 80's. He is 72 now, so he was in his 50's and had been a Senator for years.

The keating five happened when he was green?

It happend in the 80's. He is 72 now, so he was in his 50's and had been a Senator for years.

McCain was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982, he served two terms, and was then elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, winning re-election easily in 1992, 1998, and 2004. While generally adhering to conservative principles, McCain at times has had a media reputation as a "maverick" for having disagreed with his party. After being investigated and largely exonerated in a political influence scandal of the 1980s as a member of the "Keating Five," he made campaign finance reform one of his signature concerns, which eventually led to the passage of the McCain-Feingold Act in 2002. He is also known for his work towards restoring diplomatic relations with Vietnam in the 1990s, and for his belief that the war in Iraq should be fought to a successful conclusion. McCain has chaired the Senate Commerce Committee, has opposed spending that he considered to be pork barrel, and played a key role in alleviating a crisis over judicial nominations.

When I said "green" I meant as a politician, the age is relative.

So if you are saying that McCain was green policitally when Keating Five happend and has learned from his experience. Can you give the same benefit of the doubt and say that Obama was green when serving on a boad with Ayers?

Of course. Clusk, review the threads. I'm not the one throwing accusations around. I respect and admire John McCain and I voted for him for those reasons. I've been a fan of McCain for well over 10 years.

So if you are saying that McCain was green policitally when Keating Five happend and has learned from his experience. Can you give the same benefit of the doubt and say that Obama was green when serving on a boad with Ayers?

Obama is still green.

re: " Because so far he has been one of the most effective Senators we have"

Name one legislative accomplishment.

LOL, so true. He had been in office 143 DAYS before he ran for president. And most of that time he spent casting "no vote." :biggrin:

P.S. The idea that Senator Obama is too inexperienced to be president is no less discriminatory than saying that Senator McCain is too darned old to be running for president.

Neither is absolutely true - but that doesn't stop people from saying those things.

Except that there's a HUGE difference between inexperienced and old. I'd take old and experienced over inexperienced any day.

Obama is still green.

And far from learning from his mistakes, he flaunts them.

Boy my dad was right one should never talk about politics or religion. Nothing can get the blood boiling than an opinion that is different from ones own.

A "present" vote is different from no vote. You proabably don't know the reasoning behind some Senators voting "present."

Ha, ha, ha. Since when have you cared one whit about what France thinks?

Anybody want to discuss the fact that John McCain actually has "ties" to Bill Ayers and the "PLO" operative Palin, Karl Rove and Rudy Guliani have insinuated that Senator Obama consorted with? Interesting disclosure today. And no, McCain wasn't disclosing a thing. It was discovered by others and revealed on MSNBC. Also reported by CNN although not as in depth.

Even Fox News has found recent assusations against Senator Obama to be utterly ridiculous. Wow. Never thought I'd see that day. Did you?