President Obama has pointedly refused to weigh in on what happened in Ferguson, Mo., aiming not to inflame an already delicate situation. That approach, though, is not earning him his usual strong marks from his most loyal base of support: fellow African Americans. CONT. Aaron Blake, Washington Post Read more »
Racial, Generational & Political Divisions Mark Americans’ Attitudes on Ferguson
Americans divide evenly on last week’s grand jury decision in Ferguson, Missouri – with vast racial, political and generational gaps defining public attitudes on the volatile issue. Overall, 48 percent in this ABC News/Washington Post poll approve and 45 percent disapprove of the grand jury’s decision not to bring criminal […] Read more »
For GOP, demographic opportunities, challenges await
The influence of ongoing demographic changes on politics is a familiar story. Given current voting patterns, the increasing diversity in the population is likely to work to the advantage of Democrats in future presidential elections. For Republicans, the question is not just how, but whether they can bend the curve. […] Read more »
Ferguson exit poll shows racial polarization in views of police
… Two doctoral students at the University of Missouri at St. Louis, Tyler Chance and Dawna Williams, conducted an exit poll in Ferguson on Nov. 4. The results show that race continues to structure the perceived legitimacy of fatal police actions. CONT. Adriano Udani (U. of Missouri at St. Louis), […] Read more »
Ferguson highlights deep divisions between blacks and whites in America
After a grand jury decision not to indict a police officer in the shooting of an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Mo., President Obama condemned the riots that followed but said, “We need to recognize that the situation in Ferguson speaks to broader challenges that we still face as a […] Read more »
Obama Approval Drops Among Working-Class Whites
President Barack Obama’s job approval rating among white non-college graduates is at 27% so far in 2014, 14 percentage points lower than among white college graduates. This is the largest yearly gap between these two groups since Obama took office. These data underscore the magnitude of the Democratic Party’s problem […] Read more »