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Newsweek/Daily Beast Poll Finds Majorities of Americans Think Country Divided by Race
The Daily Beast ^ | April 7, 2012 | Douglas Schoen, Democratic Pollster

Posted on 04/07/2012 1:54:46 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

A new Newsweek/Daily Beast Poll finds that America is facing a deepening level of racial division and polarization.

Majorities of both whites (72%) and blacks (89%) believe the country is divided by race, the Poll finds. But twice as many blacks (40%) as whites (20%) say it is very divided. And just 19 percent of whites say that racism is a big problem in America, vs. 60 percent of blacks.

Meanwhile, the killing of 17-year old Trayvon Martin has further polarized America along racial lines, the Newsweek/Daily Beast Poll finds. In the survey, whites are divided over whether they think Martin’s death was racially motivated. Thirty-five percent of whites say Martin’s death was racially motivated, while 30 percent say Zimmerman acted in self-defense and 35 percent are not sure. African-Americans, however, are convinced it was racially motivated (80% vs. 2%).

Whites also are divided on the question of whether Martin was targeted because he was a young black man–41 percent say yes, while 34 percent say no and 21 percent are not sure. Blacks are convinced he was targeted because he was a young black man (85% vs. 4%).

There also is a significant split over President Obama’s handling of the Trayvon Martin controversy–with a majority (52%) of whites saying they disapprove of the way he has handled the shooting while only 38 percent approve.

Blacks say the opposite–with near unanimous (87% vs. 5%) approval for the president’s handling of the shooting.

Nearly four years after the election of the nation’s first African-American president, majorities of both whites and African Americans surveyed say that race relations in the country have either stayed the same or gotten worse. Sixty-three percent of whites and 58 percent of African-Americans say race relations have either stayed the same or worsened—while only 28 percent of whites and 38 percent of African-Americans say they have gotten better.

Similarly, on the question of how Obama has handled race relations since he became president, whites disapprove (47% vs. 41%) while blacks are overwhelmingly positive (84% vs. 8%).

And when asked whether or not Obama has been helpful or not in bridging the racial divide in the country, whites say not helpful (51%) while blacks say helpful (69%).

The Newsweek/Daily Beast Poll found that both whites and blacks agree that racial stereotyping still occurs in American society today and majorities of both whites (72%) and blacks (89%) say America is divided on the basis of race.

But blacks and whites have fundamentally different perspectives when it comes to frequency, severity, and longevity of racial discrimination blacks face.

Whites and blacks disagree–and disagree fundamentally when it comes to when—blacks will achieve racial equality with whites. While a clear majority of whites (65%) say that blacks have achieved or will soon achieve racial equality, blacks are much less optimistic about the state of black progress. Only 16 percent of blacks say they have already achieved racial equality and nearly half of blacks (47%) say that they will not achieve racial equality in their lifetime or will never achieve racial equality.

African Americans were particularly sensitive to the economic downturn and were much more likely than whites to say that the prolonged recession contributed significantly to more discrimination in employment and housing. Sixty-five percent of African-Americans surveyed said that the current economic situation today has played a role in promotion racial discrimination, compared to just 42% of whites.

And while seventy percent (70%) of whites think that blacks in America the same chance as whites to get housing they can afford, only 35 percennt of blacks agree.

Similarly, 70 percent of whites think blacks in America today have as good a chance as whites to get a job for which they’re qualified–a view shared by only one-quarter of blacks.

And while virtually all whites (92%) and blacks (95%) agree that racial profiling occurs at least some of the time, the two groups diverge over whether profiling happens all of the time–a solid 63 percent of blacks say yes while less than one-quarter of whites agree.

Both whites and blacks agree that it is the responsibility of the federal government to make sure that the courts and the police treat minorities and whites equally. But the two groups disagree fundamentally over whether it is ever justified for police to take factors such as race ethnicity and overall appearance into consideration when making an arrest. A majority (56%) of whites say that it is at least sometimes justified for police to use factors such as race, ethnicity, and overall appearance–a view shared by only 28% of blacks.

Nearly six times as many African-Americans as whites (29% vs. 5%) say they have been unfairly stopped by the police because of their race or ethnicity all or some of the time.

When asked whether the police and courts treat blacks the same as they treat whites in America today, 82 percent of whites say that police treat blacks the same as whites all or some of the time, and 86 percent say the same of the courts. A majority of blacks however, say that blacks are rarely or never treated equally by the police (53%) or the courts (52%).

The Newsweek/Daily Beast Poll was conducted by telephone between March 30 and April 1 from a random sample of 600 registered voters and a separate oversample of 400 registered African-American voters. The margin of error for the first group is plus or minus 4 percent while the margin of error for the second group is plus or minus 4.9 percent.


TOPICS: Campaign News; Issues; Parties; Polls
KEYWORDS: obama; obamanation; polls; trayvonmartin; tribefirst; zimmerman
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Douglas Schoen is an American political analyst, pollster, author, and commentator. He is a political analyst for Fox News. He partnered with political strategist Mark Penn and Michael Berland in the firm of Penn, Schoen & Berland. He believes that lower taxes would be a successful Democratic strategy, opposed President Obama's Affordable Care Act, warned the Democratic Party to reject the Occupy Wall Street protest, and recommended that President Obama not run for reelection in 2012.
1 posted on 04/07/2012 1:54:55 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Zero has set back race relations in this country by decades.


2 posted on 04/07/2012 1:59:39 AM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (If you like lying Socialist dirtbags, you'll love Slick Willard)
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To: fieldmarshaldj

Surprise, surprise...

From the tone of this you would never get the idea that the MSM is primarily responsible through their actions.

Oh, Obama deserves a lot of credit, too. But if it were not for the grandstanding and fear-mongering by the MSM — who has constantly pushed the race button and thrown rhetorical gasoline on the resulting flames, people wouldn’t be developing a bunker mentality.

And that is exactly what is developing. People are concerned about their homes, their families, their lives. People see the New Black Panthers strutting around with their nightsticks and their berets and fear. People see racemongering by the MSM and start wondering just exactly when and where its going to blow up next.


3 posted on 04/07/2012 2:06:05 AM PDT by Ronin (Sarah.... We really need you now!)
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To: All

There are a lot of loaded, misdirected and poorly worded questions in this “poll”. Typical. For example:

“But blacks and whites have fundamentally different perspectives when it comes to frequency, severity, and longevity of racial discrimination blacks face.”

What about the numerous examples of individual and ESPECIALLY government created and enforced racial discrimination that WHITES face? Starting with “Affirmative Action”.


4 posted on 04/07/2012 2:17:00 AM PDT by EyeGuy (2012: When the Levee Breaks)
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To: Ronin
People see racemongering by the MSM and start wondering just exactly when and where its going to blow up next.

There is a credible report that neo-Nazis are now patrolling Sanford Florida saying that they are there to resist a potential black race riot. Nothing could be more pleasing to both Obama, Holder and the mainstream media or more destructive to the rule of law.

Almost certainly Zimmerman will now be arrested and probably indicted to pander to the mob. The rule of law is dissolving before our eyes. Obama whups up his base, the mainstream media makes money and feels righteous at the same time.

There is almost no question that most of this has been generated top-down, much like the Occupy Movement with a view toward the reelection of Barack Obama.

I cannot resist, it is time once again to recite Nathan Bedford's first Maxum of American politics:

All politics in America is not local but ultimately racial.


5 posted on 04/07/2012 2:21:15 AM PDT by nathanbedford ("Attack, repeat, attack!" Bull Halsey)
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To: nathanbedford

Which begs the question. To what end? Who wins what in this politic? Seems to me everyone loses. Except whom? What is the war and what do “they” ‘win’?
I have another definition of politics. Insanity.
What happens when the powerful have total control of the powerless? When the population has nothing left to lose? Do we fear death so much that we will serve rather than fight?


6 posted on 04/07/2012 2:32:17 AM PDT by MestaMachine (obama kills)
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To: nathanbedford
Ya' think?

The RACE BAITING, LAME Stream Media's at it again, trying to stir the pot.
But they don't say one word about their Fabian Fascist ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT IN CHIEF's attempts to start a RACE WAR.

Take notice of how Barack Hussein Obama II reminds himself everyday, ... to play the "Race Card".



7 posted on 04/07/2012 2:43:47 AM PDT by Yosemitest (It's simple, fight or die!)
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To: MestaMachine
We have discussed the impact of race on these threads many times. We noted that it shuts down debate and changes the entire landscape.

It is very Alinskyite. It is an emotional bomb the challenges the very legitimacy of government. It says you have no right to rule because you are racist. Saul Alinsky wanted to undermine the legitimacy of the existing government which is predicated on Lockean principles and substitute his own version. Race is one of the best levers to accomplish this because as soon as it is invoked reason shuts down and, above all, the followers of Alinskyite, like Barack Obama, cannot thrive in a rational environment.

In fact, reason itself cannot survive in the emotionally charged racist environment.

What end, you ask?

Rule or ruin. Or, more precisely, ruin to rule.


8 posted on 04/07/2012 2:44:41 AM PDT by nathanbedford ("Attack, repeat, attack!" Bull Halsey)
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To: Yosemitest
To post that picture by Rockwell is to exploit brilliantly a piece of political theater. Everyone who enters the Oval Office having seen that picture is placed at a moral disadvantage to the first African-American president.

50 years later it would be far more relevant to display a rendering of downtown Detroit. Obama is the beneficiary of the former and a contributing cause of the latter.


9 posted on 04/07/2012 2:55:40 AM PDT by nathanbedford ("Attack, repeat, attack!" Bull Halsey)
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To: nathanbedford

Who rules? In the end, what is left to rule? A nation perpetually at war with itself cannot stand. What takes its place? Chaos. Unending chaos until we are back in the stone age.
How does one deal with the death of reason?


10 posted on 04/07/2012 3:00:00 AM PDT by MestaMachine (obama kills)
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To: MestaMachine
The same way we did in World War II, you destroy them!
11 posted on 04/07/2012 3:07:43 AM PDT by Yosemitest (It's simple, fight or die!)
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To: Ronin

MSM just following instructions from Soros and his Chicago cronies..The guys pulling Obama’s strings..


12 posted on 04/07/2012 3:08:47 AM PDT by 56newblog (Registered Islamophobe)
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To: nathanbedford
The Fabian Fascist doesn't use the Oval Office.
From another thread: And Barack Hussein Obama II, the ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT IN CHIEF is throwing lit matches at it!

Read The Notorious Ulsterman: White House Masterminding Race War.
Yes, I believe this "INSIDER".
13 posted on 04/07/2012 3:13:21 AM PDT by Yosemitest (It's simple, fight or die!)
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To: Yosemitest

To think we destroyed them is a myth of Biblical proportions. We destroyed nothing. We allowed it to live to rise another day. In other places we supported it, coddled it, allowed it to enslave whole nations.
We allowed it, helped it, to spread like a cancer within and without. Where do you begin and when does it end?


14 posted on 04/07/2012 3:23:36 AM PDT by MestaMachine (obama kills)
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To: MestaMachine
Epistemology.

Leftists, Barack Obama certainly among, operate pursuant to and epistemology utterly foreign to us. They do not see the world the way we see it. This is not simply a question of a couple of degrees off true North they see the world 180° at variance from the way we see it. With Obama the construction is relatively sophisticated, certainly expressed with a facile vocabulary. But when epistemology goes crazy such as it has in the Arab Street or in much of the African-American "community," the pathology can be extreme.

So what does Barack Obama intend to gain by dividing the country against itself? Reelection! But what will he say? He will tell us that he is fighting for justice. It is important to understand that he will believe it when he says it. The capacity of the human mind to rationalize its perceived self-interest is virtually infinite. If he has to, he will believe that it would be better for America to disintegrate if that's what it takes for him to bring "justice".

This is the way of all tyrants throughout the ages. There is always enough for them to skim and be personally very prosperous. There is an infinite capacity to rationalize evil.

I think it is naïve to expect the other side to see the world the way you and I do. I think the founding fathers had it about right, they saw man as fallen, not as perfectible, and therefore they designed the system to frustrate the Barack Obama's of this world. They did not assume that all men would be George Washington.

As a Christian, I believe that the only answer is redemption rather than logic.

As a conservative, I believe that we operate in the world according to the lights of the founding fathers.


15 posted on 04/07/2012 3:34:31 AM PDT by nathanbedford ("Attack, repeat, attack!" Bull Halsey)
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To: nathanbedford
The Biggest Lie from 2008 was that Obama would improve race relations.

In most people's mind he has set back race relations more than 30 years.

16 posted on 04/07/2012 3:37:02 AM PDT by scooby321 (h tones)
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To: scooby321
"The Biggest Lie from 2008 was that Obama would improve race relations."
17 posted on 04/07/2012 3:44:11 AM PDT by MestaMachine (obama kills)
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To: fieldmarshaldj
Zero has set back race relations in this country by decades.

I see people post this thought quite a bit. It infers that race relations were 'good' before Obmanation and it always leaves me confused.

While Obama is certainly a master at picking sides and the scab and he has brought race to the top the only way race relations were 'good' or improved or whatever is with The Black Caucus, The Hispanic Caucus, NAACP, LaRaza, Affirmative Action, African-American studies, 'Hate Crimes' 'white privilege' , thousands of race based political, lobbying and social organizations except white and a list that is longer than my arm.

18 posted on 04/07/2012 4:27:23 AM PDT by Altura Ct.
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
"Meanwhile, the killing of 17-year old Trayvon Martin has further polarized America along racial lines"

Meanwhile, the media distortion of the killing of 17-year old Trayvon Martin has further polarized America along racial lines.....There, fixed it.

19 posted on 04/07/2012 4:59:35 AM PDT by norwaypinesavage (Galileo: In science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of one individual)
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To: MestaMachine
We killed Communists every where they didn't surrender, during WW II.
But some escaped, and evil breeds evil.
So now we have to fight this battle again, as does every generation. Very good questions! You start with the Bible and the Founding Fathers.
First, we must get Conservatives back in power in the House, the Senate, and in the Presidency.
You must weed out the liberal judges, and replace them with conservatives.
You must weed out corruption, and you can't do that without our Heavenly Father's help, and his Son, Jesus.
Then you do what our Founding Fathers wanted. Read where Congressional resolution, September 12, 1782, endorsing Robert Aitken's Bible requested and approved
Then you go to the Communist Goals, Congressional Record--Appendix, pp. A34-A35, January 10, 1963 and UNDO them or REVERSE them.

Now realize that this will take several generations to do.
But we must return to our roots, and our God.
David Barton and the Wall Builders Foundation needs to be placed in charge of our educational system.
Read his The Separation of Church and State
or better yet, buy his Original Intent: The Courts the Constitution & Religion.
Place Mark R. Levin in the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

This is just a start, but it's a good start.
20 posted on 04/07/2012 5:01:50 AM PDT by Yosemitest (It's simple, fight or die!)
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