Six percent of voters say they are less likely to vote for Barack Obama on account of his race. This stat feeds the concerns that America is not "ready" to elect a black president. But, hold off a second — that's not the end of the story. A recent Gallup poll also found that nine percent of voters are more likely to vote for Obama because of his race. Broken down between races of voters, seven percent of whites say they are more likely to vote Obama because of his race, compared to 15 percent of non-whites who say the same thing. Thus the color of Obama's skin could be a neutral if not positive factor.
Even more counter intuitive, McCain's numbers are similar — six percent of voters report that McCain's race make them less likely to vote for the Republican. Only seven percent say it makes them more likely to vote for him.
Of course voter attitudes on race, might be different than they're willing to admit to pollsters, or even something they can identify themselves. Maybe this November we'll see the "Obama effect" rather than the Bradley effect.
Alexander McQueen
Diane von Furstenberg
Donna Karan
It certainly will be interesting to see the outcome and if race played a role in the election come November 4.
1BAM... which is EXACTLY what I predicted about a week or two on CitizenSugar. Take that, nay sayers.
2Where is the outrage?
3I know that in my office, there are people who wont vote for him because of race alone. I would say in an office of 96 about 12 feel that way.
4Looks like the outrage is being played at a McCain rally near you.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14445.html
5Wow...the DOW is down 600 points already. Maybe race won't be an issue if this decline continues...
6Part of me thinks his success in the primary season proves to me that he can over come the "race issue." I have heard Obama called the "Halle Berry of Politics," loved by both white and black.
The other part of me thinks his race is what is going to make this close. I actually heard some one on the news the other day say (and they do find the silliest people to interview) "I never thought I would vote for a little black boy but with this economy I just don't know."
7"I actually heard some one on the news the other day say (and they do find the silliest people to interview) "I never thought I would vote for a little black boy but with this economy I just don't know.""
kas. I think they were scraping the bottom of the gene pool with THAT interviewee. 
8I heard a guy on NPR one morning last week saying he is voting Obama and never that he use to not like "them" but he now thinks "they" are ok. He went on to say that he works with a couple of "them" and that they aren't all lazy and as long as "they" do their job he has no problem with "them". He honestly wasn't trying to be insulting. I had to chuckle.
9kas where the heck did they find that person?? oh my god i cannot believe that
10I'm over this. If some people want to be ignorant and superficial when it comes to the future of their country, then fine. It's not going to keep me up at night. I loathe when it is said that America isn't ready for a black President. How does one or a few people's views set the standard for everyone else's?
Come on.
11I don't remember what channel I saw that one, but the man was from Indiana.
12"Where is the outrage?"
I think it is terrible that ANYONE would vote based on race. I think it is kind of interesting that it now works both ways, but that doesn't make it right.
13Jill took the words out of my mouth. I think it sucks that anyone would base their vote on race.
14I agree. Sad that this is still such an issue.
15It is outrageous that anyone would vote for or against Obama due solely on race.. just as it is outrageous that someone would vote for McCain Palin solely because she is or is not a woman..
(wait..that sounded wrong
I am in no way claiming Palin is not a woman).
16
ima!
17Ima
you totally meant to do that. 
18
19I think the Bradley effect has had too much time in the headlines for this election....that was back in 1982, and race relations have changed significantly since then.
I have always felt that the small percentage of people that would vote for/against a candidate because of a race would all just balance each other out. I think that for the most part, people are going to vote based on the issues.
20so here's a question, is voting for or against someone based just on race as bad or worse or not as bad as voting for or against someone just based on the little letter next to their name ( D or R or I)?
21I sometimes feel voting along party lines is lazy. (ducks and runs for cover)..
There are some democrats who I don't agree with and some republicans I do.. some independents I like.. I am currently studying my voter booklet.. I think I will need to take a cheat sheet into the voting booth with me to remember what and who I am for or against.
22"I think I will need to take a cheat sheet into the voting booth with me to remember what and who I am for or against."
I do that every election! I would be so lost on the props otherwise!
23Racism will never end. It is not plausible so yes, in my opinion, it is worse. Slavery and racist ideas associated with America have left a stain even though some won't admit that and try to act like it didn't/doesn't exist. That stain will never be removed, not entirely.
24My personal feelings are that while racism will unfortunately probably always be around, we have made such amazing strides as a society in a short amount of time. It boggles my mind that Jim Crow laws were in effect as late as 1965! For all of our faults, I think that most American people have learned, slowly but surely, that you can't judge a person by the color of their skin. And to go from segregation to such widespread openmindedness within only a couple decades is a real accomplishment. We certainly have a long way to go, but I also think that it is nice to reflect on how far we have come.
25Yes, we've come a long way but it's still alive and kicking and that's my point. I don't dwell on it in my daily life though. Let those who want to rise above that pettiness do so and those who want to stay in the Dark Ages deal with their own ignorance.
26I will be voting for McCain this November, but I so agree with imabeliever--it IS outrageous that anyone would vote for a candidate based on the color of their skin, or in Palin's case, because they happened to be a woman. It's reprehensible, and juvenile, and I absolutely believe we should all be studying each candidate's stances on issues!
27I grew up in a mixing pot.. I had friends of all race, religions, backgrounds, and economic standing. I keep thinking one more generation and it will be gone.. but that doesn't seem to be the case.
28I meant melting pot.. not mixing pot..
29interesting thoughts ladies!
30What is with all the Free Mich avy's?
31I would vote for Obama if he were purple, but I certainly don't mind the idea that we will have our first black president. I'm happy to be voting for the first black president, but I don't think that had an impact on my decision.
Between Clinton and Obama, I made my choice because I thought Obama was running a better campaign, and I think Clinton was more of a polarizing figure. I suppose I was one of those primary voters voting on electability, and in that case, his being black may have swayed me against voting for him, but I think if I considered race at all it was subconsciously.
32Audreystar, the "free michelin" avatars are referencing the probation that poster Michelin received from our left-leaning Sugar site.
33McCain camp keeps bringing up his middle name and injecting question about whether or not he's Muslim -- so that less intelligent right will flock to that. His race is totally an issue.
34This really doesn't surprise me. I've always thought (and said for a while) that the racism would more or less even out.
35"Let those who want to rise above that pettiness do so and those who want to stay in the Dark Ages deal with their own ignorance."
Beautifully put!
36Is it just as bad to vote for a candidate based on race as it is to vote for a candidate based on whether they are pro and anti choice?
I think taking one issue or characteristic of a candidate and voting based solely on that isn't the best approach.
37I almost voted for Ross Perot just because i thought he was hilarious.
38Mydiadem, race is a characteristic the candidate has no control over, and therefore should not be considered a detriment or an asset. Their position on abortion is something very much under their control, and therefore it is fair to take it into account.
An 'issue' and a 'characteristic' are very different.
39Anyone not voting OR voting for him simply because of his race is, in my opinion, a racist.
I can't stand the man, I think he's a socialist and very dangerous for this country, but it has nothing to do with his race. It has to do with his fundamental beliefs and his actions.
And like said, if you ARE voting for him because of his race, that's just as bad.
40Thanks, Jude.
41I think blindly voting for your party without regards to what your candidate stands for is just as bad as voting based on race. It pisses me off how many people I know that could give two sh!ts about policies and issues. I know way too many people who have no idea what either candidate stands for but are voting the way they are because of the party they have always voted for. But even worse than these people are the people that are too lazy to vote. I know even more people that don't vote because they genuinely believe their vote doesn't make a difference. I don't even know what to say to them anymore. Some of these people I am very close to and care about but when they say things like that I seethe with rage inside! *sigh*
42Geebers your avy is adorable.
43>I think blindly voting for your party without regards to what your candidate stands for is just as bad as voting based on race.
But don't you pick your party based on the issues? I'm not a democrat because I like donkeys. It's because they're generally more liberal, generally favor more gun control, generally support programs like welfare, generally are more sympathetic to gay rights, etc. So, if someone is a member of that party, doesn't it seem like they will probably share more of my values than someone who is a Republican, whose party typically takes the opposite stance?
44"So, if someone is a member of that party, doesn't it seem like they will probably share more of my values than someone who is a Republican, whose party typically takes the opposite stance?"
Yep.
I think, though, that for some people, particularly very young ones just becoming politically aware, party affiliation is a matter of social identity more so than issues. I remember that when I was in school, there were a lot of kids who declared themselves for their party mostly because they were drawn to a certain image, without really having a depth of understanding about the issues and their ramifications.
45To be honest, I always try to educate myself on all the candidates and all the issues, but if it comes down to it and I don't have time to do my homework, I vote for the democratic candidate or I vote the way the party recommends on a law. When I do my own research, I end up voting the same way, so I don't see what the big deal is, and I certainly think that's very, very different from voting based on race.
46Jude exactly- perhaps I am voicing my rage from when I was younger and even now in my late 20s I will talk to another democrat about issues and while I am happy they are voting the same I get frustrated that they truly don't understand what is going on. True Song I get what you are saying and for the most part I understand. But I feel that even when you have little time to research- I am pretty sure you have an understanding of the general points the candidate stands for.
One example I think of is during the primaries- that would be the time to figure out how candidates differ. Another example is Bloomberg - who ran under the Republican ticket his first term - if someone didnt bother to research him they would have no idea he is actually democratic.
47It is True, and I agree that it's important to educate yourself. I have been a life-long "republican" on paper, but I HAVE voted democrat when I truly believed the candidate would make this country better. I don't like to call myself a "republican" but the fact of the matter is I DO vote that way more often than not, just because like you said, the republican party shares more of my views and beliefs. Are there things on their platform that I DON'T like? Absolutely! But there are more that are down the line with my own beliefs than that aren't.
48i want to believe the results of this poll, and that the race issue will balance itself out in the election, but i don't think 100% of people are forthcoming about their racist views.
49Of course they're not.
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