In a poll released Saturday by the Associated Press, it found that racial prejudice towards blacks since 2008 has increased.
In all, 51 percent of Americans now express explicit anti-black attitudes, compared with 48 percent in a similar 2008 survey. When measured by an implicit racial attitudes test, the number of Americans with anti-black sentiments jumped to 56 percent, up from 49 percent during the last presidential election. In both tests, the share of Americans expressing pro-black attitudes fell.
This is clearly concerning. If Obama loses this election, it will likely be because he doesn't turn out enough white voters compared to 2008. If this poll is a sign of prevailing sentiment among many white voters, he's in trouble in states like Ohio and Virginia. I also don't think it's too far of a stretch to say that the media, particularly the right wing media, has done a lot to foster this prejudice. From very explicitly linking blacks and other minorities to welfare, to creating this sense of otherness -- that the president is somehow just not like we are.
If this ploy succeeds, and we just won't know until November 6th, this sets a dangerous precedent for American politics.