Friday, October 23, 2009

Poll: Hopes buoyed on race - USA Today

Supporters in Chicago's Grant Park cheer as Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is announced the winner over Republican John McCain on election night 2008.

As the anniversary of his election approaches, the mood of the recession-battered nation continues to be generally glum: By 3-1, those surveyed say they are dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country, and Obama's job-approval rating is a middling 50%.


First lady's popularity surpasses Obama's Even so, a solid majority of blacks and whites say race relations will get better as a result of his presidency; just 13% say they will get worse. By 41%-22%, those surveyed say race relations have improved rather than worsened since Election Day.


"A breakthrough like that — it shows to a certain extent that the majority of the population is open to the idea that a biracial person could (be) the most powerful person in the United States," says Chris Weber, 60, a teacher and writer from Portland who is white. He was among those called in the poll.



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