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.

luluc if they can figure out who started a fire in California from a little pile of ashes, they should be able to figure out who erected a KKK sign in Dallas. I'm in Texas and that's a little too close to home for me. I'm white and I feel threatened by that..

6 miles from dealey plaza (grassy knoll) creepy. unfortunate, disturbing & i would guess mccain would be appalled.

You know if this thing goes that way - the way of fighting in the streets like we had in the 60s - I will hold John McCain personally responsible for conducting such a sleezy and rage inciting campaign.

Actually she died Sunday. We just heard about it yesterday.

and that makes what you said more tasteful how???

You know if this thing goes that way - the way of fighting in the streets like we had in the 60s - I will hold John McCain personally responsible for conducting such a sleezy and rage inciting campaign.

WHAT? Is that a joke? :thumbup:

Far from it!!! He stayed true to his word that he was not going to bring Rev Wright into his campaign and he didn't. He stayed true to his word that he would not accept public financing for his campaign, Obama did not. He reputiated attacks on Obama, sorry to say Obama would not extend him the same courtesy.

For you to say that he ran a sleezy and rage inciting, (wtf??) campaign really shows how closed your mind really is.

How do we know he didn't snuff granny for the sympathy vote? :thumbup:

That is a horrible thing to say. Just horrible.

His grandmother just died can't you find a little compassion. I am not surprised it is as hateful as other posts you have made.

Beth have you ever lost a grandparent that was like a mother or father to you... What you said cut so deep its not even funny ... it was tasteless and im sorry that even crossed your mind... it was wrong!!!!!

6 miles from dealey plaza (grassy knoll) creepy. unfortunate, disturbing & i would guess mccain would be appalled.

I would guess he would be, too. Last night I was researching something on the internet and I happened upon a site that, I didn't realize at the time, was racist. I was reading through the article pertinent to the subject I was searching (nothing to do with cultural or ethnic issues at all), and then I kept on reading. I got down to an article about how if Obama wins, it will send a message white girls that it's OK to marry a black man, and how horrible that is. I kept reading, thinking it was a joke. It was the last article on the page, so I kept looking over and over for a "next" button to continue reading the article for the part about how the whole thing was a joke. It took a minute to sink in that it was serious. I was disgusted and horrified to read it. It astounds me that people can be so ignorant as to judge someone by their melanin content.

I am equally disgusted by the person that hung Sarah Palin in effigy in West Hollywood.

It was very tasteless. It's sad when people go that far to show their political sides.

I am equally disgusted by the person that hung Sarah Palin in effigy in West Hollywood.

nothing is funny about these sick public displays.

i really hope all are properly protected tonight - and i never thought i'd need to say that.

It especially hard to explain to a nine year old. They are not filled with the hate and prejudice some adults are filled with.

A friend of mine IMed me today...(he's for McCain)...he said...if Obama is elected within a week or two he will be assinated. He said mark my word too...he scares me...

A friend of mine IMed me today...(he's for McCain)...he said...if Obama is elected within a week or two he will be assinated. He said mark my word too...he scares me...

Creepy, I'd be re-thinkin that friendship...

A friend of mine IMed me today...(he's for McCain)...he said...if Obama is elected within a week or two he will be assinated. He said mark my word too...he scares me...

froggi i don't like your friend... matter of fact if Obama wins... can i get his address i wanna have him tailed for surveillance purposes....lol

He's not my friend now. He was until we got into a huge political fight on Yahoo Messenger. It ended in him calling me some rather rude 4 letter and 5 letter words. Who knew politics could end friendships.