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.

I am so delighted!! Look at all those projected electorial votes! Amazing! I am a proud American.GObama!!

I feel like I've waited my whole life to hear the speech that Obama gave tonight. I have renewed hope for our country and I am so proud to be an American!!! What an incredible and momentous event - absolutely the most exciting political event in my life. The promise of a better future for our children and a stronger and more unified America with this new President and Congress is thrilling.

I was worried that McCain might let us down with his speech, but it was a really good unifying speech and I appreciated it very much. He did a great job.

Who knew politics could end friendships.

Raising hand! Someone I barely know because we share a hobby just sent me some political crap last night. I told him to delete my email address from his address book because I don't associate with bigots.

My faith is restored in humanity.

Mine too. It was pretty crushed when MLK was killed and the 80s and 90s in particular have filled me with despair. But now I'm proud to be an American again.

Take it in people .... this is what it feels like when AMericans get it right!!!!!!!:lol::lol::lol::lol::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

I'm in the UK, been up all night watching history in the making.

America got it right! I'm british yet I feel so proud. What a night!

Laura

I feel like I've waited my whole life to hear the speech that Obama gave tonight.

dh and i had chills watching him speak, it was as if you could have heard a pin drop in the audience - the crowd hanging onto his every word.

mccains final speach was his best - class act!

can't get the U2 song "its a beautiful day" out of my head - because it IS a BEAUTIFUL DAY!!!!

Congratulations on your brand new President, folks.

Whether you were a McCain supporter or a Obama supporter and no matter the color of yourself or your ancestors this historic moment should be considered a victory for all! As McCain stated so gracefully:

I urge all Americans ... I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together to find the necessary compromises to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited.

Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans. And please believe me when I say no association has ever meant more to me than that.

It is natural. It's natural, tonight, to feel some disappointment. But tomorrow, we must move beyond it and work together to get our country moving again.

I voted for McCain last night strictly on party issues. But last night when Obama won with such an overwhelming majority of the electoral votes I have to say I was overcome with emotion. NO! not grief or resentment that my candidate didn't win, but with PRIDE that Americans have come so far.

I haven't felt this way since watching the Berlin wall come down. When the wall fell I wept. I wept for all the families that had been separated by it. I wept for all the lives that had been lost trying to escape it. But most importantly I wept tears of joy that is was finally gone.

Now it is time for me to weep for this AMERICAN Victory. It is wondorous beyond description but as before with the wall I can't help but cry for all the families (both black, white and every other color) that have been divided and lost for over a century by slavery and its reprecussions we continue to experience to this day. I look forward to this being the day that began the true healing of our nation.

Obama's speech last night was amazing. I had tears welding up in my eyes. And much kudos to McCain for such a wonderful speech of congratulations to Obama...it was very tasteful...now only if his supporters during his speech wouldn't have booed so much.

America changed completely yesterday and I am proud to have been able to vote yet again and for such a wonderful addition to the whitehouse.

Obama's speech last night was amazing. I had tears welding up in my eyes...

Me too, Now, iff he can only accomplish a fraction of what he has campaigned for in regards to a nation healing it racial wounds and its citizens taking self resposibility for thier lives, as well as helping their neighbors. It will be a wondrous thing and well worth my candidates loss.

...And much kudos to McCain for such a wonderful speech of congratulations to Obama...it was very tasteful...now only if his supporters during his speech wouldn't have booed so much...

I agree I was EXTREMELY annoyed at the crowd having felt the need to boo. It was not appropriate!!

Though I feel it was inevitable that either sides "victory" crowd would have fallen prey to the same actions after losing such a long and contested race. Some would even suggest that after the Democrats losing the last two elections to Bush they may have fallen to even worse behaviour if they had lost a close election again last night.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrXkBuWNx88]YouTube - Obama Acceptance Speech HQ (Part 1) 11/04 - Barack Obama Victory Speech November 4th 2008[/ame]

I must say it again...the speech was beautiful!

Me too, Now, iff he can only accomplish a fraction of what he has campaigned for in regards to a nation healing it racial wounds and its citizens taking self resposibility for thier lives, as well as helping their neighbors. It will be a wondrous thing and well worth my candidates loss.

I agree I was EXTREMELY annoyed at the crowd having felt the need to boo. It was not appropriate!!

Though I feel it was inevitable that either sides "victory" crowd would have fallen prey to the same actions after losing such a long and contested race. Some would even suggest that after the Democrats losing the last two elections to Bush they may have fallen to even worse behaviour if they had lost a close election again last night.

Yes I agree...this is a time for us americans to come together as a nation and unite! The people who are upset about the loss need to get it out of their systems and still remember that we're all americans and we need to stick together...no matter who the president! God Bless America!:biggrin:

Hi,

I just wanted to put my 2 cents in and say that both Obama and McCain conducted themselves with much dignity and grace when giving their speech. Not only was last night a proud moment for me as a African-American but also as an American.

Now today is a new day and of course there are some haters but I called them necessary haters. The reason why I referred to them as necessary haters is because they keep us motivated and keep us looking and reaching for bigger and better goals.

I keep hearing "Well I hope Obama does what he promised to do." Yeah! Well I hoped the same thing from the presidents that I voted for in the past. All I have to say is give President Obama the same respect, patience, and consideration that was given to the past 43 presidents especially that 43rd president. I think America was very patient with him.

Oh another thing! If I hear another person or hater ask "When is he going to start cleaning up the economy" I'm going to scream :biggrin:. Obama didn't put us in this mess so the question should be "When are we as Americans going to work towards getting ourselves out of this mess."

This has been my 2 cent commentary...Now we will return you to your regular program. Thank You:rolleyes2:

Edited November 5, 200817 yr by Melolo

All I have to say is give President Obama the same respect, patience, and consideration that was given to the past 43 presidents especially that 43rd president.

Um, you probably want me to give him MORE respect and patience and consideration than I gave the 43rd president. :smile2: