Polls and that darn race thing

Well, Chris Rock (yes, the comedian) a few years back said, with respect to the prospect of Colin Powell running, that people say they will vote for a visible minority because it's the right thing to say in today's political and social climate.
I dunnno.

Interesting - the "saying what is politically correct" motive.

I own all of Chris rock's standup performance CDs. On one of them he deals with the Colin Powell thing. But he doesn't say anything about "saying it because its the right thing to say". He just sarcastically mimics white people saying they'd vote for him.

Seems awfully chickenshit to me - why not just tell the truth? If they are convinced the black candidate wouldn't be the best person for the job, why not just say so?

You dunno? I was sort of hoping someone had an idea.

The "I dunno" qualifier was attached because I'm not sure how much credibility someone like Chris Rock has on this board.
It was a perspective, and not my own. I think it came from "Bigger and Blacker".

I don't know what the inclinations of voters are when they actually go to the polling booths and how those inclinations compare to what previous polls have indicated.
One could quite compellingly debate the accuracy, credibility and legitimacy of pre-election polls. I mean, look at the exit polls in the 2000 election vs teh result.

I would also not underestimate the power political correctness. While many people have no qualms about voting accross racial borders, there are some who do....and they are not all like gunga, rexred or BernardR. They wish to conceal their prejudices in public (watercooler discussions), while maintaining them in private (voting booths).

Why? Why not be who they are - wherever they are. What do they think it profits them to hide how they really feel?

That's certainly not a question I can answer.
But I don't want to assume the premise--that black candidates do not emerge victorious over their non-black counterparts because of racial prejudices by whites and other non-blacks.
I would hate to think that they are either reluctant or flat out refuse to vote for a black simply because they are black and not due to some political deficiency.
I would also hate to assume another premise--that blacks vote exclusively along racial lines.

I'd be curious to see what the political representation was like in predominantly black areas. Are there an abundance of blacks in office, or are there whites holding office in predominantly black areas.

The premise is not "that black candidates do not emerge victorious over their non-black counterparts because of racial prejudices by whites and other non-blacks" "Emerging victorious" - winning or not winning - isn't the issue. They win some and they lose some.

And I'm sure its interesting whether or not blacks vote along racial lines, but that's something else I wasn't addressing here.

The premise of this thread is that white people lie to pollsters about their intentions to vote for black candidates, and I wanted to hear why people think that is.

You said you don't know, Candidone, and I accept that as your answer.

snood, have you ever read "Who Speaks for the Negro", by Robert Penn Warren?

Fascinating book. I would suggest you read this and find the answers to many of the questions you have been tossing out.

I have the book in front of me and plan on re-reading it shortly.

Does the polling specify that it is exclusively whites who are saying they would vote for a black candidate, and then do not?

Were blacks and other minorities not polled?

I'm sure some people who are polled just don't vote period.

Why would anyone feel pressured to say anything anonymously in the privacy of their own home during a call they don't have to take?

I dunno, I voted for Bradley.

Add: The way the question is worded would also be important if one is interested in knowing the actual reason this happens.

Are they asked WILL they vote for Mr. Specific Black Candidate, or are they asked if Mr. Black's blackness will prevent them voting for him? I can imagine there are plenty of voters who don't see blackitude as a barrier to their vote--but may not select the particular black guy offered up.

I think the answer is not obvious at all.

Didn't say it was obvious at all.

In fact, the whole phenomenon of someone saying they'd vote one way and then actually voting another puzzles me.

The reason I'm using Bradley and Mfume is because this phenomenon happened in their elections, and this is something that happens with black candidates.

Do we need to go around and around about whether its even true that this happens?

Lots of good questions in Lash's post, but this is the one that struck me as I read about this ...



Thats's ^^^ where the big mystery for me always leads with polling questions.

We may have to go around about what truth is, it seems.

Well. When you decide whether you'll try to back up your opinion that it is obvious, once again, of course, because of an overarching, yet inadequate white shame due to universal white racism--of if you're going to try to pass off your "puzzled" persona, let everyone know.

It's about the other, my brother, and I am not being flip.

There is something in all of us which scans the world and says "This is like me/This is not like me." The stuff that is like me is okay, the stuff that is not like me is the other, and is always suspect until proven okay. We start scanning about as soon as our eyes focus and the information is stored deep down in our brains. It's the basis of our sense of security, a defense mechanism which, as we mature, we rethink and challenge and either keep or discard.

White racists, racists of every stripe for that matter, are easy to spot. They usually spout their stupidity. (And get their funding pulled by RNC in Arizona recently), it's the hidden, the secreted, the (I hesitate to use this word but it's right) unconscious racist who is hard to get a handle on. Over time with our sensor/scanner we get a sense of who we are and who is the other, but mature people are able to live, work, play with, cheer for, and be bossed by any number of people who are not like them at all. That's how we make a society work.

But deep down, even those mature people are living with the sense that these others are not like them, but it isn't always something they are aware of, it's just there, waiting to come out.

I have a friend who is the most liberal, open minded, socially adept person I know or have ever known. We were talking about "24" and she said something odd or what I thought was odd. She said that no matter how she tried she couldn't believe a certain character was President. Now, the character was decisive and bold, a leader who knew who he was, but able to see his own faults and make compromises. What was not to like?


She just couldn't put her finger on it.

And if you asked her, and millions of other white people, if she would vote for a black candidate for President, she'd say Yes. Why?

Because the question has no real weight and the answer no real cost.

There has been a lot of discussion about what's a lie and what's just bullshit and I hope you won't think I'm trying to bullshit you here when I say they are not lying to the pollster, they are not even thinking about their answer. They are mouthing the proper -everybody gets along - catchphrase, they are being social. But in the dim light of the voting booth all the factors come floating up and if the single voter cannot see past the things that make the candidate unlike him or her, that voter will vote for the thing most like him or her.

It's not racism, it's the other, it's an unchallenged unconscious defense mechanism.


Joe(or maybe we are all bigots)Nation

Me and all the white boys i know, we get a big laugh out of this when there are no blacks around, and we're having the White Boys' Superiority Lodge meetings. We always answer polls by saying we would support the black candidate, and then vote for the white guy. We want to encourage black candidates to spend their campaign funds futilely.

Whenever I get one of the people calling regarding some sort of poll and they say "Good evening, Mr. Ratzenhofer, would you like to take the time to participate in our poll?", I always answer with the phrase, "Call me Snake."

I actually whisper the words and cause confusion and consternation on the other end of the line.

They either continue on with, "Mr. Snake, if you were voting tomorrow...?" or they simply hang up.

I love the polling season.

I did qualify that "obvious" thing with this:



My "puzzled persona"? Lash, don't try to make this thread about me. This phenomena happens, and I was trying to get people's ideas about why it happens. I sure hope you're not going to try to take this somewhere ugly.