During the 2008 presidential campaign, commentators on both the left and right trumpeted that the election of Barack Obama, America’s “first black president,” would do wonders in ushering in a new era of harmonious post-racial relations.
A Gallup poll conducted shortly before the election found that voters bought the propaganda. Over half of all Americans were confident that interracial relations would dramatically improve under a President Obama.
Immediately after he was elected, the number of expectant optimists soared to 70%, with many Americans looking forward to Obama’s “fundamental transformation” of America by healing the country of its historic racial wounds and divide. (Source: FrontPage)
That was then, and this is now.
A new New York Times/CBS Poll finds that only 10% of Americans believe that race relations have gotten better since the POS was elected president in 2008.
From Aug. 19-20, 1,025 people were polled by telephone. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus four percentage points.
Here are the poll’s findings:
1. On whether race relations have become better or worse under Obama:
- More blacks than whites say race relations have improved, although even among blacks, it’s a small minority of 17%. Among whites, only 8% believe race relations have improved under Obama.
- 35% of Americans believe that race relations have gotten worse in the Obama era — including 40% of whites and 21% of blacks.
- 52% of Americans said that race relations have stayed about the same.
2. On how race relations are in America today:
- 47% said they’re “generally good” in the United States; 44% said they’re “generally bad.”
- 78% said race relations are “generally good” in their community; 18% said they’re “generally bad.”
3. On Americans’ relations with the police:
- 42% said they think of the police as “friends”; 10% said “enemies”; 44% said “neither.”
- 16% said there was a specific instance when they felt discriminated against by the police because of their race or ethnic background; 83% said no.
- 37% said police are more likely to use deadly force against a black person; 50% said race does not affect police use of deadly force.
- 26% said police should have military weapons and vehicles; 68% said military weapons and vehicles should be reserved only for military and National Guard.
4. On the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri:
- 9% said it was justified; 25% “not justified”; 64% said “Don’t know enough to say.”
- 56% have some or a lot of confidence “that the investigation by the local authorities into the shooting of Michael Brown will be conducted fairly”; 34% have not much or no confidence.
- 41% are satisfied with the way Barack Obama has responded to the situation in Ferguson; 34% are dissatisfied.
- 59% think the protesters have gone too far; 7% said “not far enough”; 20% think the protesters are “about right”.
- 32% think the police in Ferguson have gone too far; 15% said police haven’t gone far enough; 33% think police have done “about right.”
- 26% think sending National Guard troops to Ferguson made things better; 20% “made things worse”; 35% “not having much effect.”
- 32% are satisfied with the way Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has handled the situation in Ferguson; 34% are dissatisfied.
H/t Breitbart
~Eowyn
