New poll: U.S. more ready for black prez than female one

A new poll just out from CNN/Opinion Research tied to Martin Luther King Day today finds blacks and whites optimistic and pretty much in agreement -- 84% whites, 78% blacks -- that a lot or moderate progress has been made toward the civil rights leader's dream of equality in American society.

But hidden near the bottom of the survey of nearly 1,400 adult Americans Jan. 14-17 is some disturbing news for Sen. Hillary Clinton heading into tonight's Democratic debate in South Carolina and the party's primary there Saturday.

The survey's numbers show that Americans are more ready for a black president than a female president. You read that right.

In Saturday's Nevada caucuses, Clinton beat Barack Obama in the total....

vote, but Obama captured something more than 80% of the black vote from the wife of the president sometimes called "the first black president." That already augured ill for her fortunes heading into South Carolina where half the Democratic vote is African American.

But the CNN poll today shows that 72% of whites and 61% of blacks believe the country is ready for a black president. That's up from 65% and 54%, respectively, two years ago. (Both polls have a margin of error of +/-4.5%.)

But asked if the country is ready for a female president, blacks and whites both are in agreement; they're less sure -- only 63% of both whites and blacks answer yes. That's up slightly (from 58%) for whites but down among blacks from 67% since December, 2006.

Interestingly, men and women remain in agreement on this issue, too. In 2006, 60% of both genders said yes and this time it's 65% female and 64% male.

Food for thought, or maybe some debate questions in a few hours.

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[uneeda]

FIrst problem with your little Poll information.."It was done byCNN"..Thereby it is not "RELIABLE"!!!

Don't believe everything you read; PEOPLE LIE..

[Scott Looper]

Interesting to note, more blacks feel America is ready for a woman president than a black president.

[Ramona]

Perhaps it simply reflects history.
The 15th amendment granted black men the right to vote in 1870.
The 19th amendment granted women the right to vote in 1920.

[rubyb]

What this really says is that the country wants a man for president rather than a woman ... still a lot of chauvinism around.

[My 2 cents]

I'm not ready for either. A woman would be too weak, plus the Arabs would just hate us more. As for a black, find me one country in the world ran by blacks that is worth a damn. Not going to.

[gichaba]

If the trend in the recent New Hampshire and Nevada is anything to go by, Obama needs a cushion to at least 15% ahead of Clinton in pre-polling numbers to have any hoping of winning any primary. Right now, the Soouth Carolina polls have Obama ahead by 9 %. I am afraid that won't cut it.

For whatever reason, pollsters are being mislead by potential voters who turn out to be mostly closted Hiliary supporters.

[Rocco]

Wow. They polled 1600 Americans. That's not enough to know. We'll all know on election day when the Clinton/Obama ticket win.

[Xjt]

You seem to be going out of your way to promote Barack Obama on this blog. I believe you actually had the nerve to write that our "better angels" would support Obama last week, or some such nonsense.

The Republicans have moved this country so far to the extreme right that many people are understandably concerned about a candidate who promises to work with Republicans. The Republican party has governed as though Democrats haven't existed for the past 7 years. Now suddenly, when it's clear that the Republicans are about to lose the presidency because of their incompetence, you're in love with a candidate who calls for bipartisanship and working together. A candidate who praises Ronald Reagan. Where has the call for bipartisanship been the last seven years?

It's hard to know what to make of the figures you site. Certainly this blog, as well as the mainstream media (such as Chris Matthews, Tucker Carlson, Andrea Mitchell for starters) have gone out of their way to promote Barack Obama and to insult and degrade Hillary Clinton. Given the hit job that the media has done on Senator Clinton it's no wonder that people may have more doubts about any female candidate.

You guys in the media seem more intent on shaping public opinion these days than reporting it.

[Jay]

Black? Yes. Black woman? Yes. A certain non black woman with the initials HRC..... NO WAY!

[White American]

Black President...sure. Just not Obama.

[John Gearheart]

How about America being ready for a good president. I don't care if it's a woman or a man, a white or black, a Christian or an atheist. WHO CARES. How about a president that believes in a small government and more personal freedoms. A president that believes in secure borders and regulated, legal immigration. A president that believes in less taxes and more self reliance instead of a socialist nanny-state and permanent welfare class. A president that believes in goods being sold in America being made in America, and any "fare-trade" agreement working both ways. A president that believes in a strong military and defends America, but doesn't get into unnecessary foreign entanglements. How about a president that doesn't bow down to fanatical, militant "environmentalism" (i.e. anti-capitalism) and drills for oil here at home, builds refineries, and nuclear power plants to wean us off of Middle east oil while we work toward REAL alternative fuel solutions instead of converting the world food supply into this bio-fuel boondoggle. A president that believes in a common language that helps people to function in society and be successful. A president that believes that in a free society with free speech you are going to get offended once in a while and need to suck it up and get a thicker skin instead of filing lawsuits or having draconian laws imprisoning people for their words. A president that believes that immigrant are welcome to bring there cultures with them, but also need to assimilate into the American culture to once again become a melting pot and not a salad bowl of conflicting cultures.

[John Gearheart]

How about America being ready for a good president. I don't care if it's a woman or a man, a white or black, a Christian or an atheist. WHO CARES. How about a president that believes in a small government and more personal freedoms. A president that believes in secure borders and regulated, legal immigration. A president that believes in less taxes and more self reliance instead of a socialist nanny-state and permanent welfare class. A president that believes in goods being sold in America being made in America, and any "fare-trade" agreement working both ways. A president that believes in a strong military and defends America, but doesn't get into unnecessary foreign entanglements. How about a president that doesn't bow down to fanatical, militant "environmentalism" (i.e. anti-capitalism) and drills for oil here at home, builds refineries, and nuclear power plants to wean us off of Middle east oil while we work toward REAL alternative fuel solutions instead of converting the world food supply into this bio-fuel boondoggle. A president that believes in a common language that helps people to function in society and be successful. A president that believes that in a free society with free speech you are going to get offended once in a while and need to suck it up and get a thicker skin instead of filing lawsuits or having draconian laws imprisoning people for their words. A president that believes that immigrant are welcome to bring there cultures with them, but also need to assimilate into the American culture to once again become a melting pot and not a salad bowl of conflicting cultures.

[Scott C]

thanks scott looper for making an important point, which the author (obviously a hillary-hater) irresponsibly overlooked. this is why people need to actually read the facts for themselves, and not just read headlines picked up on by people like matt drudge (how i got here).

[Duane]

.... and I'd guess that the same percentenge if not higher are ready for an ethical president rather than the Clintons.

[Susan]

Oh for the love of pete!!! I am so sick of these "polls" and their stupid questions.

I"m ready for a black president, a mormon president, a purple president and, gasp, a woman president! But I'm not ready for THAT woman (Hillary) as president.

Please MSM, stop making identity politics your lead story. Give us voters a little more credit. We're smarter than you think.

[TruthBtold]

Gender and race aside Obama inspires Clinton mires.

[GRE]

Good one. Doesn't this well timed opinion poll seem like a red herring? Hopefully, in a free society there will be no race issue, like MLK dreamed about. Today it seems like a reliable divider of the population. As if we're going to forget about those aggressive, bloody wars or our diminishing civil liberties. Happy Dr. King Day.

[Ed]

I don't believe the poll. There is no way Americans would elect a black president. People are terrified of even criticizing a black person lest they be called a racist and lose their jobs. Most white people love blacks when questioned about it in public or in a perceived public forum. How was the poll worded? I would love to know. I agree with uneeda. If CNN is involved, I don't trust it.

[Douglas Blaine Kenney]

Are we to believe that less than fourteen- hundred individuals - no matter how carefully selected by how skillful a pollster - are truly representative of three hundred million Americans?

[MATT]

I keep wondering, come November 2008, which will be easier for Chris Matthews to explain; why America didn't elect a woman president or why America didn't elect a black president. I am sure he is working on his questions now. Are we a racist country or are we a sexist country? The idea that we are a republican country won't enter his mind.

[Peter H]

"72% of whites and 61% of blacks believe the country is ready for a black president."

This little statistic stands out, too! More whites would supports a black president than blacks do....

I think this poll reflects upon the present woman and black(ish) candidates. It shows that Obama is more popular/less offensive than Clinton. Mostly a popularity contest.

This is a CNN poll so consider the source.

[Stuart]

Hillary actually has LESS executive experience than Obama. A senator adds his or her vote to a to a GROUP, like any of us do when we vote. BIG DEAL. So they can join a crowd. That is NOT leadership. Since President Eisenhour we have had as presidents ONE General (Eisenhower), only ONE Senator (Kenedy), four vice presidents (Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Bush the senior), and FIVE govenors (Carter, Reagan, BillClinton, Bush jr.), Why so many Governors? Because Governors are already EXECUTIVE in their experience. Obama has had many executive positions and ventures in his extensive resume. Hillary simply doesn't., she is a wanna-be. If she wanted to be a leader she should have aquired EXECUTIVE experience as a Governor or as a mayor like Guiliani, not hide out as a Senator. Obama needs to stand up to Hill and Bill's misrepresentations of him

[miriam biteng]

If women are not given the opportunity to run this country, thus,this country cease to prove what it stands for. The international hears are not deaf and surely see this as a defeat on each of us.

[Brian Larsson]

Are we more ready for a black, conservative President or a liberal, white, carpet-bagging, commodities-futures insider trading, Rose Law Firm-associated, failed state-run medical system advocater, White House travel office personnel firing, coffee cup saucer throwing female? I doubt if a Clarence Thomas or Thomas Sowell-type candidate was running that CNN would have reached the same manipulated, pushed- polling result. Filter all news through the sieve of history, folks.

[BigGuy]

It really doesn't matter if they are Black or White or Female or Male. What does matter is the person. I don't think the another Clinton would be good for this country. What this country NEEDS is fresh ideas, NOT the same old thing. I am an independant and as of now my Vote would be for Obama. I beleive that he is for the country as a whole, unlike those who only care about themselves.

[John Bull]

Ha ha! You guys vote for a whole year and still end up with Bush. What a hoot! This time you will probably end up with Clinton 2, the crummy sequel, and it will still take you a year to choose.

[John]

When you ask if Americans are ready for a female president, it evokes image os President Hillary which I'm sure makes many people say NO!

I think we are ready for a female President....jsut not the one currently running.

[Stella]

I don`t believe polls. Lot of people lie big time when it come to race questions enough said.

[cindy]

Well we just can't seem to see how we are being played. Keep on fiddling
all the while Rome is burning. There are some serious problems going on
and obviously the press is just to suckered in to even notice.

[X. L. Woo]

I think that an African-American is also a man, who has no difference from other men. A female is very much different from a male. She can bring difference to America, which men may not be able to do. So it's right time for America to have a female prez.

[Danielle]

Oh, but John Gearheart, haven't you heard? The term "melting pot" is politically incorrect now, because people would "lose their identities." I agree with you whole heartedly on everything, and wish more people did. It really doesn't matter to me if the person is black, white, female, male, atheist, Mormon. I just want them to run our country the best way possible.

[ShyGuy]

Stuart must be a stand-up comedian. Only the Writers are on strike!

Obama has more executive experience than Hillary? You based this on what, his statements on his experience?
Such as when he claimed he was an executive at a Financial Consulting Company?
Unfortunately that was a lie! He rewrote copy for this company and they were not a Financial Consulting company. They published a financial newsletter. He claimed that he had a private office and his own secretary, too. Also untrue. The only people who had their own secretary at that company was the President and Vice-President.
He claimed that he wore a three piece suit and had meetings with German bond traders and Japanese money men. Untrue.
Nobody at that company wore suites or even ties. They usually wore blue jeans and anyone wearong a three piece business suit would have stuck out like a sore thumb. They didn't go out and have meetings with money men. They received reports from correspondents via FAX, Internet and mail and rewrote them into a standard form for publishing their newsletters.
That is the "Executive Experience" that Obama has. I've had more meeting with executives than he has had in his whole life and I would hardly describe myself as having Executive Experience.
The only thing is that I don't lie and I don't exaggerate my experiences, unlike Obama.
I also don't award million dollar contracts to my ex-bosses without telling other board members about my relationships to the person being awarded the money nor would I award money to someone just because they are my ex-boss and contribute to my campaign. This is also something Obama has no problem doing either.

As to the poll, what does the result of this poll have to do with anything? If it were accurate, which I highly doubt, that doesn't mean that the people answering the poll were saying they were more likely to vote for Obama over Hillary. They said they would be more likely to fote for a Black than a Woman, not this Black over this Woman. What about a Black Woman? Did they ask about that? I bet not.

Like several respondents, I am in favor of any person for President who can be a competent President. No mattter what their race, creed, color or political party may be. Right now the best Democrat can't win and of the two left, Hillary would be the better President than Obama. Not that she would be the best choice, but any means. Just the best choice of those who have the ability to actually be nominated and can win.

[ejj]

Has anyone here ever worked in a majority female government agency with 90% of the managers being female? I have....and I will never do it again. I will never allow myself to be put in a situation where I have a female boss again (except when I get married) either. The agency I worked at was severely dysfunctional and very, very poorly managed. I shudder when I think what will happen to our country with a female president - talk about broken government and widespread turmoil.....it would probably be good to get it done and over with though.

[Mark Twain]

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics" Mark Twain

[Taniwha]

"the Clinton/Obama ticket"

Oh, brother. Yeah; THAT'LL happen...

Not saying it wouldn't be good tactics, just that, well, look: they can't even stop hitting each other when they have to because they're both getting hurt. They declare truce, and both keep swinging. The hatred is palpable, and their followers hate each other just as hard if not harder.

Besides - which ever one wins the nomination will need to pick a runnngmate with some experience in something. Neither of them will do that for each other.

[Other Brother Darrell]

Did the poll ask how many Americans are ready for another stupid white guy for president?

[Oakland Girl]

I think that what America wants most is a fresh face, a brand new show instead of another stale rerun.

People who still have a mindset of identity politics should realize that the world is much different today. Us young people are colorblind in the sense that we see a person as a person, regardless of gender or skin color. Only the simple minded like to pigeon-hole people according to superficial appearances.

Moreover, whether you like him or not, you cannot deny that Obama is something different. He is not just another politician. It takes someone with an amazingly intelligent and creative mind to speak the way he does. We are in the midst of experiencing the kind of ground-breaking history that we have only read in history books (or that baby boomers lived through while in college).

I have yet to find a convincing argument against Obama's candidacy. The worst you can say about him is his "lack of experience", but perhaps this time around the less time you've spent in the White House, the better. And besides, it's not like he is some Joe Shmuck standing on a soapbox. He has much more experience than we give him credit for, not to mention that his character and intellect is far above the rest of the candidates.

[mike]

I think the country is ready for either a black president or a woman president. I am not, however, ready for another Clinton. I think Bill is looking for Hill to get into office and then would be able to pardon him for anything he did.

[Carl]

Hillary Clinton is the Anti-Christ.

If you disagree, then you either don't know much about her or have not read much about her.

[GL]

America is getting what they deserve. Anytime you get a decent man, like George Bush, you can't pillory him fast enough. You deserve another eight years of Clinton lies, deceit, sexual abuses. Think of what the jihadists will make of another Clinton in the White House. If they hated you before, think of the venom they're going to feel toward the great satan after you elect her.

[Harry From Iowa]

Remember folks. It's all about Bill. He wants a 3rd term so he will have a legacy instead of all the baggage of the scandals he was involved. At least Obama is a fresh face and appears to be squeaky clean. Yes, he experimented with drugs in his youth, but he has owned up to it.

[Joseph]

Of course, when a lot of people answer this question, the woman they will have in mind is Hillary Clinton. That probably accounts for a significant part of the result. When a more qualified candidate comes along who has a better character and isn't part of a family dynasty, I'm sure Americans will show more enthusiasm to elect her.

[justwalkingby]

None of that surprises me a bit. My personal feelings are in line with the poll results.

Colin Powell could have been President if he wanted it. We have had former generals and officers as Presidents. Some did pretty well. Grant was at best so-so.

I would have happily voted for Powell. I really believe he would have carried the South too. A shoulder full of stars overcomes a lot. And Heaven knows he could have done the job too. But he was not interested.

But Obama has potential and possibilities but, in my opinion, is short on experience. But Hillary is about at the same level in my opinion.

Bill Richardson, a Hispanic, has tons of experience at several levels of government. He never got a look and has since left the Presidential hunt.

[Linda]

As a 72 year old woman I must say I would vote for a woman but NEVER HILLARY. TAKE THAT HOLLYWOOD.

[Debbie]

I'm still trying to understand why the newsmedia has not asked Americans why they would want an impeached president back in the White House. A president who sexually harassed a white state employee and while a state lawsuit was going on turned around and sexually harassed a white federal employee. Both of these victims were women.

Also, the newsmedia in this country lie all the time about leaders. You do recall that Saddam Hussein was accused of having weapons of mass destruction and that turned out to be a lie. I would suggest people tunr to LINK TV. You would be amazed about what is really going on in other countries.

In terms of all presidents of color being bad. Do you recall American President Richard Nixon? Do you recall President Bill Clinton, who used the Oval Office as a bordello? And do you recall the secret arms deals of the Reagan Administration?

[Chuck]

This isn't about being "ready" for black or female. It is about the individuals vying for the job!

I'm just not ready for them.

[Michael]

Uh. 65% of of women and 64% of men equals 63% total? Is there another gender out there I don't know of?

(No, not a gender, but there are men and women who said no, they're NOT ready.)

[Debbie]

EJJ, I worked in an all female enviornment for six years and it was a nightmare. Everything, I mean everything was personal. There were cliques and backstabbing galore. They thought of the workplace as a an extension of their home life. If they weren't speaking to Suzie this week then Suzie wouldn't get the support she needed to get her work done. They gossiped and gossiped and were mad if you didn't particpate in the gossip or if they didn't have any gossip about you.

If the woman running was Barbar Bush, or Elizabeth Dole, or Condi Rice I would consider it but not the woman with the initial HRC. A woman who remained silent and complicit in her husband's sexual harassment of a Whiet House intern.

This race is about character and that completly leaves the Clintons OUT!

[Carl Buschmann]

As our country finds itself in deep trouble with a myriad of issues confronting it, I firmly believe we have to elect a president that has no connection to the Tri Lateral Commission and Council on Foreign Relations. We have to start somewhere and we need to have a man or woman of strong stature in the White House that will initiate the actions required to return this country back to the people. We have to start somewhere.

Consider this. Multiple taxation, binding mandatory arbitration in all contracts, a controlled press, a shadow government, drug use, torture, runaway health costs, government control of schools and what children learn, government control of states using highway funds, destruction of the nations self sufficiency and replacing with dependency, government lies, bankruptcy of the United States (Can you come up with 30 thousand or more dollars which is your part currently of the national debt?), and so forth. Do a search on your favorite search engine and your eyes will be opened.

All this did not happen overnight and will not be fixed overnight. The cleanup job will require a lot of dedicated work by many many people.

Self denial has to be eliminated and working together initiated.

We are not presently the leader of the free world. There is no free world. We do not treat other countries as we want to be treated.

I am willing to fight for my freedom - are you?

And thank you Andrew for another fine springboard to use. And should we ever meet I fervently hope it is in a country of true freedom - The United States of America under the red white and blue.

Regards. Carl

[Incredulous]

Woman? Margaret Thatcher, Ann Coulter, Condi Rice? Sure. HRC. NO WAY!
The big difference is that Hillary is the epitome of the victicrat. She plays the "poor little woman, all beaten up by men and mean republicans" routine. Can you imagine the Iron Lady ever taking that posture? No way. Hillary is a disgrace.