Poll: 76 Percent Say U.S. Ready for Black President

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Source: CNN

Poll: 76 percent say U.S. ready for black president

Number who say U.S. ready for black leader up 14 points since December 2006; Part of increase credited to Sen. Barack Obama's presidential run

From Paul Steinhauser
CNN Deputy Political Director

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The number of Americans who believe that the country is ready for a black president is rising, a poll released Thursday suggested.

More than three quarters, 76 percent, of respondents in a CNN/Essence Magazine/Opinion Research Corp. poll said the country is ready to be led by an African-American, up 14 percentage points since December 2006.

Some of the rise can be attributed to the success of Sen. Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential 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," Holland said.

The poll also indicates that more whites than blacks think the country is ready for a black president. Of the white Americans surveyed, 78 percent said the country is ready, as opposed to 69 percent of African-Americans polled. Both numbers are up substantially from December 2006.

Read more:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/04/03/ ... index.html

edited to fix the link

[SahanGalbeed]

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gNpU ... wD8VQSSD80

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"Sixty-three percent of those surveyed say the country is ready for a female president"

"13 points lower than those who say the country is ready for a black president."