I don't think any of of us are surprised of the anti-black and anti-Latino coalitions that make up the Tea Party movement. But now, we have data to back up what many of us already suspected.
Chris Parker, professor at the University of Washington, has just finished a new study on race and politics, looking at the country following the election of Barack Obama. Here's the main citation, though you should definitely check out the link to the survey press release, which contains important information about the sample.
It'd be nice if these findings get some media attention, but I'm not going to hold my breath.
Is America Now A Post-Racial Society?
Many believed that the election of Barack Obama brought to a close the long, painful, and ugly history of race and racism in the United States. But as the incident with Henry Louis Gates last summer, and the more recent shenanigans with Tea Party activists suggest, racial divisions remain. Which is closer to the truth? A recent survey directed by University of Washington political scientist, Christopher Parker, finds that America is definitely not beyond race. For instance, the Tea Party, the incipient movement that claims to be committed to reigning in what they perceive as big government, appears to be motivated by more than partisanship and ideology. Approximately 45 % whites either strongly or somewhat approve of the movement. Of those, only 35% believe blacks to be hardworking, only 45 % believe blacks are intelligent, and only 41% think that blacks are trustworthy. Perceptions of Latinos aren’t much different. While 50% of white tea party supporters believe Latinos to be hardworking, only 39% think them intelligent, and at 37%, fewer tea party supporters believe Latinos to be trustworthy.
Info on 2010 Multi-state Survey on Race & Politics
Love to read your thoughts on these results. Thanks for your attention; this is my first-time post.