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.

It is hard to read that statement .... what will it take for people to realize that he is not a Muslim....:thumbup: i mean c'mon.

Like the post before me i mean not to offend .... but first he has Wright issues(his Christian pastor) and then father pflager( a catholic priest) where is it coming from that Obama is a Muslim .... I'm not getting it?

Amen. I dont think race, religion, sex or anything matters. It's what they're doing for us!! I am a 100% Obama supporter. Love him to death and I will be so disappointed if McCain wins. We don't need another 4 years of what Bush did. :thumbup:

I think everyone is giving Obama way too much trouble because he is black and has different beliefs. Why is everyone so against him it seems?

All I know is I am incredibly happy that Obama is the presidental nominee for the Democrats. WAY TO GO!!:biggrin2:

Obama all the way.:tongue2:

i think john mCcain is a good man, i actually like him - however his intent to carry on GW's policy abroad is the single reason, i feel he will not win. i sure hope not at least. i've been an Obama fan for a while now, i think this last run of the Democratic race was probably one of the best things that has happened to the US polical process in a LONG TIME! look how many more people registered...look how many more people are involved / actual care.

john mCcain does not speak to me, we do not share similar views...i joke that if he puts hillary on his ticket he might win. hubby & inlaws don't share my humor - but i'm a lone NY liberal in TX & have to crack a joke here / there.

My preference would be a Obama/Edwards ticket:smile:

Obama/Edwards would be nice, I myself don't want Hillary for VP.:tongue2:

I would hope that we are ready for a Black President or a Woman President (personally I think it's terrible that this question has to be asked in the first place - it shows that sexism & racism still exist)

On the day that he declared himself the Dem candidate (cuz he has the #'s) - I went and told my grandchildren to watch his speech. That this was a special day - a day in History that will be written about in our history book - it's about time that a women & or a man of color even have a chance to be the President of the USA.

Hopefully one day we the people will get it together and understand we are the same no matter the color of our skin or if we squat or stand to pee.

Edited June 6, 200818 yr by IndioGirl55

I remember when i first created this post i was frustrated because my father ( who was in the Civil Rights Struggle) was so pessimistic about Obama s candidacy that i literally depressed me. I mean honest to God I never thought that i would see this day in my lifetime... simply on the basis that i know the history and i know the recent past and it hasn't been too positive of a out look.

I am play uncle to 9 neices and nephews and to thing that when they hear me or their parent say that you can be anything you want in this world if you live right and work hard enough and not have it laced with complete BS...:thumbup: i mean it make me want to go into my old neibor hoods and telling some of the people i once knew who never thought working hard is worth it, i want to grab them point and Hillary and Obama and say look at them... the times have changed ... there are more options.

the only thing that i can wish more for at this point is please God let him win the Big Show.:tongue2:

BTW... my father still doesnt want to put even in the slightest hope that Obama might win. I just think of how i say on news stations how the World reacted to the news of the DNC nomination... There is so much hope...

I Hope and Pray that my father is proven Wrong.

Edited June 7, 200818 yr by TheWatcher

Watcher,

I know I don't think for most people but when I read I don't care what color, pink or poka dots or what religion or sex it sounds more like people just saying what they want you to hear, sometimes. After my daughter took a class on racism in America at her university it makes you question almost everything you say and think! What do you think will happen in the black community if B. Obama is elected? Positives? Negatives?

I know it can't erase past slavery and oppression but what things do you think will change. My youngest brother's first born son is black and was adopted at birth, my niece lives with a black man and has a child by him as white people my family is fairly liberal and my eldest brother is a B. Obama delegate for his state.

My husband on the other hand is more or less inclined to go the McCain route. I decide after debates on what to do and sometimes vote my conscious and sometimes vote my wallet. I'm just being honest.

Just curious of your opinion of what changes may occur for the US black population if Barack Obama is elected president. brandyII, (born in Wash.D.C.)

What an intresting thread.

I read all the posts and if I am not mistaken, Watcher was not the person who first brought up slavery. It seemed to be an assumption on the part of others that slavery is what is making Watcher angry and feeling that he can't trust white Americans.

Well, I'm not a black man or even a black woman. I do not feel that I am qualified to say how a black person in America should feel about living in America. I have not been discriminated against for being black. I may have witnessed discrimination (and I certainly have) but I have never felt what it is like to be discriminated against just because my skin color is dark.

I have been discriminated against because I am a woman (in the work force, a lot). I have been discrminated against because I am white - by 3 black girls on the streets of Richmond. Although I couldn't understand their anger at me - since I felt at the time that I was not a racial bigot - I understand now that as black girls in the south, they had felt what it was like to be treated poorly just because of their skin color. I understand why they resented someone who was acceptible just because they were white.

The one thing that I liked that Jesse Jackson started was the slogan, "I'm black and I'm proud." It was a strong message for black America and if we elect Barack Obama it will be another strong message for black Americans.

It will also be a very powerful message to white Americans who have lived the stereotypical white life and who have distrusted black people and who have ignorant ideas about what skin color can tell you about a person.

Skin color alone can't tell you whether a person is good or bad. Americans have pre-judged people based on the color of their skin for hundreds of years and many continue to believe that skin color is important in one way or another.

Until we can have more interpersonal racial relationships and until we give up our ignorant beliefs about race, we will have racial discrmination in this country. That has to stop and we all need to understand that change begins with us. That's one reason why a forum like this is a good thing.

Both black and white participants can learn and change the way they think about skin color. Thank goodness for communication and education!

I am an Obama supporter. I do not want to see Hillary as his running mate. But that has nothing to do with her sex. I trust Hillary about as much as I trust McCain and that is not at all. Both of them have sold out to get the presidency. Neither of them will affect a change in the policies that are harming America so much.

P.S. The garbage about Obama being Muslim is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the number of outright lies that have been posted on the 'net about him. I am sure that the lies about Obama will only get worse the closer we get to the general election.

And unless you want to continue with the Bush policies about the war, the environment, immigration, insurance and all the rest, you need to become knowledgeable about the real Obama and about the changes he wants to help us make. And if you want to have the possibility of a united, strong America again, you better be darned sure that you get out and vote. Remember what happened in 2000 and 2004! We need an enormous landslide so that none of their shenanigans will keep the best man for the job from being elected.

What an intresting thread.

I read all the posts and if I am not mistaken, Watcher was not the person who first brought up slavery. It seemed to be an assumption on the part of others that slavery is what is making Watcher angry and feeling that he can't trust white Americans.

Well, I'm not a black man or even a black woman. I do not feel that I am qualified to say how a black person in America should feel about living in America. I have not been discriminated against for being black. I may have witnessed discrimination (and I certainly have) but I have never felt what it is like to be discriminated against just because my skin color is dark.

I have been discriminated against because I am a woman (in the work force, a lot). I have been discrminated against because I am white - by 3 black girls on the streets of Richmond. Although I couldn't understand their anger at me - since I felt at the time that I was not a racial bigot - I understand now that as black girls in the south, they had felt what it was like to be treated poorly just because of their skin color. I understand why they resented someone who was acceptible just because they were white.

The one thing that I liked that Jesse Jackson started was the slogan, "I'm black and I'm proud." It was a strong message for black America and if we elect Barack Obama it will be another strong message for black Americans.

It will also be a very powerful message to white Americans who have lived the stereotypical white life and who have distrusted black people and who have ignorant ideas about what skin color can tell you about a person.

Skin color alone can't tell you whether a person is good or bad. Americans have pre-judged people based on the color of their skin for hundreds of years and many continue to believe that skin color is important in one way or another.

Until we can have more interpersonal racial relationships and until we give up our ignorant beliefs about race, we will have racial discrmination in this country. That has to stop and we all need to understand that change begins with us. That's one reason why a forum like this is a good thing.

Both black and white participants can learn and change the way they think about skin color. Thank goodness for communication and education!

I am an Obama supporter. I do not want to see Hillary as his running mate. But that has nothing to do with her sex. I trust Hillary about as much as I trust McCain and that is not at all. Both of them have sold out to get the presidency. Neither of them will affect a change in the policies that are harming America so much.

P.S. The garbage about Obama being Muslim is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the number of outright lies that have been posted on the 'net about him. I am sure that the lies about Obama will only get worse the closer we get to the general election.

And unless you want to continue with the Bush policies about the war, the environment, immigration, insurance and all the rest, you need to become knowledgeable about the real Obama and about the changes he wants to help us make. And if you want to have the possibility of a united, strong America again, you better be darned sure that you get out and vote. Remember what happened in 2000 and 2004! We need an enormous landslide so that none of their shenanigans will keep the best man for the job from being elected.

my God...

You get it...

:thumbup:you really get it i owe you a beer:thumbup:

Im sot really sure what else to say ... thank you

i remember some of the post... there was a lot of info shared i think you are right on the money:tt1:

It's also refreshing to see that Obama is not taking money from lobbyests now also!

I admit I didn't read all the posts but some of them were a bit annoying and so I skimmed a bit, brandyII.

Edited June 8, 200818 yr by brandyII

I am humbled by your response, Watcher. I hope I really do get it. God I can be stupid sometimes. And it has taken me a long time to figure out why black people are angry and why white people fear blacks so much.

You know the one good thing that has come of the Dubya presidency is that everything that has been wrong in America has become even more obvious. It's pretty hard for us to continue to stick our heads in the sand and claim that we're fair, unbiased and good people when we elect someone like him. We've been all about greed.

We decided a long time ago that welfare was invented for black people. We resent black people because we think they're all on the dole and that we're paying for their $500 tennis shoes. We think that black people are committing all the crime in America. We think that all a black person has to do is to work hard and they'll become Oprah or Barack.

How ignorant can we be to allow discrimination against black people to continue and pretend that we had nothing to do with allowing it to continue? Everytime we say we don't understand why black people are still angry today, we are allowing it to continue.

:thumbup:me liki some Collin Powell....

Edited June 9, 200818 yr by ELENATION

What an intresting thread.

I read all the posts and if I am not mistaken, Watcher was not the person who first brought up slavery. It seemed to be an assumption on the part of others that slavery is what is making Watcher angry and feeling that he can't trust white Americans.

Well, I'm not a black man or even a black woman. I do not feel that I am qualified to say how a black person in America should feel about living in America. I have not been discriminated against for being black. I may have witnessed discrimination (and I certainly have) but I have never felt what it is like to be discriminated against just because my skin color is dark.

I have been discriminated against because I am a woman (in the work force, a lot). I have been discrminated against because I am white - by 3 black girls on the streets of Richmond. Although I couldn't understand their anger at me - since I felt at the time that I was not a racial bigot - I understand now that as black girls in the south, they had felt what it was like to be treated poorly just because of their skin color. I understand why they resented someone who was acceptible just because they were white.

The one thing that I liked that Jesse Jackson started was the slogan, "I'm black and I'm proud." It was a strong message for black America and if we elect Barack Obama it will be another strong message for black Americans.

It will also be a very powerful message to white Americans who have lived the stereotypical white life and who have distrusted black people and who have ignorant ideas about what skin color can tell you about a person.

Skin color alone can't tell you whether a person is good or bad. Americans have pre-judged people based on the color of their skin for hundreds of years and many continue to believe that skin color is important in one way or another.

Until we can have more interpersonal racial relationships and until we give up our ignorant beliefs about race, we will have racial discrmination in this country. That has to stop and we all need to understand that change begins with us. That's one reason why a forum like this is a good thing.

Both black and white participants can learn and change the way they think about skin color. Thank goodness for communication and education!

I am an Obama supporter. I do not want to see Hillary as his running mate. But that has nothing to do with her sex. I trust Hillary about as much as I trust McCain and that is not at all. Both of them have sold out to get the presidency. Neither of them will affect a change in the policies that are harming America so much.

P.S. The garbage about Obama being Muslim is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the number of outright lies that have been posted on the 'net about him. I am sure that the lies about Obama will only get worse the closer we get to the general election.

And unless you want to continue with the Bush policies about the war, the environment, immigration, insurance and all the rest, you need to become knowledgeable about the real Obama and about the changes he wants to help us make. And if you want to have the possibility of a united, strong America again, you better be darned sure that you get out and vote. Remember what happened in 2000 and 2004! We need an enormous landslide so that none of their shenanigans will keep the best man for the job from being elected.

I absolutely loved reading this BJean! Couldn't agree with you more.:tongue2: Sometimes I think we should all be completely colorblind so no one is judged for their skin color, people would still find something else to not like someone for though, they always do. Thanks for such a wonderful post.

Thanks a lot froggi! Does anyone ever ask you to plunk your magic twanger?

In the 50's, there was a shoe commercial for Buster Brown shoes. Once the magic twanger was plunked, a little frog jumped up and said, "Hiya kids, Hiya, Hiya, Hiya."

Hmmmm, loses something in the translation. :biggrin:

elenation: What do you like about Colin Powell?

Thanks a lot froggi! Does anyone ever ask you to plunk your magic twanger?

In the 50's, there was a shoe commercial for Buster Brown shoes. Once the magic twanger was plunked, a little frog jumped up and said, "Hiya kids, Hiya, Hiya, Hiya."

Hmmmm, loses something in the translation. :biggrin:

lol never heard of such a thing and nope no one has asked me. lol seems a little odd. If someone asked me if i plunked my magic twanger id be like do I look like a man or something LOL, it sounds quite perverted lol.:wink_smile: