February 23, 2006
Diageo/Hotline: Racial Optimism?
When asked if America is ready to elect an African-American responses, 60% of GOPers said 'yes' compared to 43% of Dems.A similar trend is apparent with a potential Hispanic POTUS with 35% of GOPers and 21% of Dems saying the nation is ready. Are GOPers more tolerant or just more optimistic?
When asked to rate race relations in the U.S. today 53% of GOPers say it is excellent/good, yet only 25% of Dems respond the same way.
When asked how much progress has been made towards achieving racial equality Dems say 80% compared to GOPers' 86%.
This is however far different than the response of African American's in a recent AP/AOL Black Voices poll when 66% said significant progress was made.
Maybe Dems and GOPers are wearing some rose-colored glasses when it come to racial equality. There could also be some self-serving interest on both sides.
Notice that a majority of Dems (56%) feel it is time to elect a woman because they have a viable woman waiting in the wings? (Yes, folks -- Hillary). The same is true for GOPers. A majority think the nation is ready for an African-American because of one Condoleezza Rice? The question becomes if Condi runs, despite her numerous objections to doing so, will she be identified as a woman or an African-American?
Diageo/Hotline Poll
State Of Race Relations In US Now?
All Dem Ind GOP
Excell 3% 2% 2% 4%
Good 34 23 32 49
Fair 43 48 49 36
Poor 17 26 13 8
Progress Towards Racial Equality?
All Dem Ind GOP
Great deal/some 82% 80% 80% 86%
Not much/none 15 19 16 10
[AOIFE MCCARTHY]
Posted at 03:12 PM
Comments
Your analysis overlooks the most likely reason for the disparity. The Democratic party has far more African-Americans and Hispanics than the Republican party.
So its not that the GOP is more tolerant or optimistic. It is that the most whites probably think they're tolerant, while African-Americans and Hispanics disagree. Since there are more African-Americans and Hispanics who are Democrats, the Democratic response is simply a realistic assessment from those who know.
JoshA | 02.24.06 03:26 PM
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It's not that this analysis overlooks any particular reasons (it overlooks several), it's that the poll question isn't measuring racial tolerance at all. It's a question that measures people's views about the state of race relations in America. What it means is that on the whole, Democrats think we have a more serious problem, and Republicans don't (or, as a Democrat, I'd say "Republicans don't see it").
Cos | 02.24.06 09:34 PM
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