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Stark Divide Between Blacks, Whites on Gun Control and Health Care
The National Journal ^ | September 26, 2013 | Ronald Brownstein

Posted on 09/27/2013 12:31:07 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll finds that contrasting racial attitudes loom as an ever more powerful force in politics.

Immigration isn't the only issue that represents a hurdle for Republicans hoping to improve their performance among Hispanics, Asians, African-Americans, and other minority voters.

This week's United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll tested attitudes about two of the most incendiary issues now dividing the parties in Washington: health reform and gun control. While the survey found substantial convergence between whites and minorities on some fronts, it also underscored the consistent tendency of minorities to support a more activist role for Washington than many whites now prefer.

The gap was starkest on health care. Both whites and nonwhites were dubious of Republican threats to shut down the federal government, or default on the national debt, if President Obama does not agree to delay or defund his health reform plan. But minorities were especially resistant. While 33 percent of whites said Congress should withhold funding if Obama won't shelve the Affordable Care Act, only 16 percent of minorities agreed. And while whites divided relatively closely on whether Congress should raise the debt limit only if Obama concedes on health care—36 percent said yes and 48 percent said no—nonwhites stampeded against the idea by exactly 3-to-1. Minorities were also far more likely than whites (53 percent to 33 percent) to say they would blame Republicans if a shutdown occurs.

The contrast was even larger on the underlying issue of the health care law itself. A 51 percent majority of whites agreed that "Congress should repeal the program to expand coverage because the government can't afford it at a time of large budget deficits," while only 43 percent said "Congress should keep the program to expand coverage because it's important to reduce the number of Americans without health insurance." Minorities, by comparison, broke 2-to-1 in favor of the health care law: 62 percent said it was more important to expand coverage, while only 31 percent backed repeal.

All of this reinforces poll results from July in which only 27 percent of whites, but exactly twice as large a share of minorities (54 percent), said the law would benefit "people like you and your family." In that survey, just 16 percent of minorities urged the law's repeal, compared with 44 percent of whites. As The Washington Post's Greg Sargent noted this week, other polls have recorded a similar disparity. These attitudes reflect the underlying reality that African-Americans and Hispanics were nearly twice and three times respectively as likely as whites to lack health insurance, as the Census Bureau reported earlier this month.

On gun violence, the United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll found broad public support that transcended racial, and in most cases partisan, lines for an all-of-the-above approach that included ideas traditionally favored by both the Left and the Right. Majorities of those surveyed said each of six approaches tested "would have a serious impact in reducing mass shootings."

But minorities embraced all of the ideas even more emphatically than whites, with the gap especially pronounced on initiatives topping the priority list for gun-control advocates. While whites split fairly closely on whether banning assault weapons could seriously reduce mass shootings (53 percent said yes, while 45 percent said no), minorities were unequivocal: 68 percent thought a ban would help, while only 29 percent disagreed. Just 47 percent of whites, compared with 67 percent of nonwhites, thought that limiting the size of ammunition clips would help. (While half of whites thought such limits would not have much impact, only one-third of minorities agreed.) There was broader agreement on the value of "background checks for all legal gun transfers, including those between private individuals," but minorities were particularly enthusiastic: Fully 84 percent of them said it would have an impact, while 72 percent of whites agreed.

This racial gap persisted, but only within single digits on approaches to gun violence mostly promoted by conservatives: minorities were slightly more likely than whites to consider it possible to reduce mass shootings through more mental-health services, tougher enforcement of existing gun laws, and more armed guards at schools and other public places. Asked what would do the most to reduce mass shootings, a plurality of minorities picked background checks, followed by better mental health services, and then a tie between the assault-weapon ban and more armed guards. Whites ranked as their preferences more mental health services, background checks, more armed guards, and tougher enforcement of existing gun laws.

Other fissures matter too in shaping attitudes toward gun violence: As the survey reaffirmed, women are consistently more likely to support gun-control measures than men. But the racial contrasts in attitudes loom as an even more powerful force in American politics—especially after an election in which support from four-fifths of minority voters allowed President Obama to triumph despite losing white voters by fully 20 percentage points, a much wider deficit than any previous winning candidate.

The poll, conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International from Sept. 19-22, interviewed 1,003 adults over landline and cell phones. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; Philosophy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2013polls; banglist; blacks; blackvote; guncontrol; gunvote; obama; obamacare; secondamendment; whitevote
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1 posted on 09/27/2013 12:31:07 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Blacks wanted to get off the plantation. In reality, they are more enslaved then ever, and are ruining this nation when it comes to gun rights. They commit most of the violent crimes and yet are the reason pols want to come after the guns of the law abiding.

I will not sugar coat it.


2 posted on 09/27/2013 12:38:39 PM PDT by Red in Blue PA (When Injustice becomes Law, Resistance Becomes Duty.-Thomas Jefferson)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
While whites split fairly closely on whether banning assault weapons could seriously reduce mass shootings (53 percent said yes, while 45 percent said no)

Shows how much the Big Lie technique works-- just repeat a falsehood often enough and a majority of all groups will believe it, even if it has been shown to be patently false.

The poll results also provide considerable evidence justifying making voting as hard as possible for the "low information" population-- no matter what their ethnic background or educational credentials.

In brief, anyone answering "yes" to the question, "Does the 2nd Amendment authorize states to maintain their own militias?" (no matter what educational credential they hold) doesn't get a voter Id card.

3 posted on 09/27/2013 12:41:04 PM PDT by pierrem15 (Claudius: "Let all the poisons that lurk in the mud hatch out.")
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To: Red in Blue PA; All

just as much the fault of the GOPe; there are some sensational black conservative leaders (Allen West, Starr Parker, Deenen Borrelli to name just a few) who the GOPe consistently ignore rather than give the pulpit....


4 posted on 09/27/2013 12:42:37 PM PDT by God luvs America (63.5 million pay no income tax and vote for DemoKrats...)
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To: Red in Blue PA

Not just gun rights and not just blacks— “Hispanics” (i,.e., Mexicans) have even more statist views than blacks— that’s why the ruling class is so anxious to elect itself a new people via shamnesty.


5 posted on 09/27/2013 12:42:43 PM PDT by pierrem15 (Claudius: "Let all the poisons that lurk in the mud hatch out.")
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To: Red in Blue PA

Both issues are about the decision to take care of yourself or delegate that responsibility to someone else.

That’s all there is to say.


6 posted on 09/27/2013 12:44:13 PM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I wonder if blacks will continue to support Obamacare if the next President is not black and thus not as likely to redistribute all the health care in their direction?


7 posted on 09/27/2013 12:48:05 PM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/lifestyle/general_lifestyle/july_2013/more_americans_view_blacks_as_racist_than_whites_hispanics

Among black Americans, 31% think most blacks are racist, while 24% consider most whites racist and 15% view most Hispanics that way.


8 posted on 09/27/2013 12:50:03 PM PDT by JediJones (The #1 Must-see Filibuster of the Year: TEXAS TED AND THE CONSERVATIVE CRUZ-ADE)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNktEtEQpDM

If only there was a way for all black Americans to get access to ALL of this guy’s videos. At the very least, we can find Colon Noir on youtube and send his videos to every black American we know.


9 posted on 09/27/2013 12:51:32 PM PDT by freedom462
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10 posted on 09/27/2013 12:51:41 PM PDT by RedMDer (http://www.dontfundobamacare.com/)
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To: God luvs America

But let’s be honest. Allen West is one of about 3% or so. The rest vote and “think” (for lack of a better word) as a monolith.


11 posted on 09/27/2013 12:52:31 PM PDT by Red in Blue PA (When Injustice becomes Law, Resistance Becomes Duty.-Thomas Jefferson)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
"If you want total security, go to prison. They're you're fed, clothed, given medical and so on. The only thing lacking is freedom."

-Dwight D Eisenhower

12 posted on 09/27/2013 12:56:18 PM PDT by Puppage (You may disagree with what I have to say, but I shall defend to your death my right to say it)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Blacks and other minorities don’t like the idea of whites who can defend themselves, even though none of them are threatened by whites. They want the federal government to protect them from the very cultures they have created.


13 posted on 09/27/2013 12:56:28 PM PDT by pallis
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Minorities, by comparison, broke 2-to-1 in favor of the health care law: 62 percent said it was more important to expand coverage, while only 31 percent backed repeal.

Bless their hearts.

Cradle to grave, uncle sugar will allow you to exist, feed you, clothe you, let you fornicate and create more bastards, give you a phone, give you sub-standard health care, provide for you abortions, and all he wants in return...your soul.

Without a sense of purpose, why are you any different than a kept pet?

14 posted on 09/27/2013 1:06:33 PM PDT by USS Alaska (If I could...I would.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Those who believe they will get something for free are for it, those who realize how prohibitively expensive and cumbersome it will be for everyone, minorities included, are against it.
No big surprise there. Pretty much sums up all big government programs.

15 posted on 09/27/2013 1:06:41 PM PDT by BitWielder1 (Corporate Profits are better than Government Waste)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
The poll, conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates...

Enough said. The poll is absolute garbage.

16 posted on 09/27/2013 1:09:10 PM PDT by WayneS (Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos...)
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To: Red in Blue PA
Blacks wanted to get off the plantation.

It seems to me that many blacks are quite happy to stay on the plantation, provided that their workload is reduced or eliminated.

17 posted on 09/27/2013 1:09:57 PM PDT by matt1234 (The NRA: Redefining "Too big to fail.")
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To: pierrem15

bttt


18 posted on 09/27/2013 1:18:26 PM PDT by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

“The poll, conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International from Sept. 19-22, interviewed 1,003 adults over landline and cell phones. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.”

Horse manure of the highest order.

Survey conducted by telephone - margin of error plus or minus 15 points would be outstanding - and with only 1,003 adults called - probably closer to plus or minus 30%.


19 posted on 09/27/2013 1:34:39 PM PDT by I cannot think of a name
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To: matt1234

The plantation is not stable. The landowners is not reliable and has finances which are in a tenuous position.


20 posted on 09/27/2013 1:51:09 PM PDT by 3Fingas (Sons and Daughters for Freedom and Rededicaton to the Principles of the U.S. Constitution)
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