In the continuing chronicle of how race and conceptions of identity are malleable and so different in America and the United Kingdom I am continually astonished how such similar societies have constructed utterly different realities in the post modern era. While it is acceptable in both countries to critique multiculturalism along the lines of religion, in the UK it is politically incorrect to critique along lines of color. In the United States that is not the case.
In the American blog Public Policy Polling Tom Jenson posted an article entitled Barbour, Bryant lead in Mississippi. In the article Jenson provides some insight into not only the highly coded language of American political discourse, but also a reality check of how antiquated attitudes on race are a significant vestige of the American body politic.
He writes,
We asked voters on this poll whether they think interracial marriage should be legal or illegal- 46% of Mississippi Republicans said it should be illegal to just 40% who think it should be legal. For the most part there aren't any huge divides in how voters view the candidates or who they support for the nomination based on their attitudes about interracial marriage but there are a few exceptions.
I would even venture to speculate that the reported attitude on race would hold true for both blacks and whites in Mississippi. However far right politics is riddled with coded language on race and supporters seem to cluster around candidates and policy that support socially conservative or racially conservative ideology. Jenson continues to state,
[Sarah]Palin's net favorability with folks who think interracial marriage should be illegal (+55 at 74/19) is 17 points higher than it is with folks who think interracial marriage should be legal (+38 at 64/26.) Meanwhile Romney's favorability numbers see the opposite trend. He's at +23 (53/30) with voters who think interracial marriage should be legal but 19 points worse at +4 (44/40) with those who think it should be illegal. Tells you something about the kinds of folks who like each of those candidates.
I would contend that the Cloward-Piven conspiracy crowd would rally around Palin supporters and the racially conservative. There has been a recycling of far right John Birtch Society style ideology in mainstream political discourse, High profile candidates like Palin who ride the crest of lassie faire media ethics and practice, give new life to the ghosts of conservative racial ideology.
Web 2.0 fueled reader comments may or may not tell a different story of exorcism of evil spirits.
It's a question that shouldn't HAVE to be asked. But clearly, there is a need to expose the truth about these so called "small government" hypocrites.
Zack,
The poll covered the legality of marriage, not dating. I could not immediately find data via Google that was specific to Mississippi or to Democrats, but regional data for the South (Altman & Klinker*) indicates that, even ten years ago, 86% of whites and 98% of non-whites supported legal interracial marriage. If that's representative of MS, too, and only 40% of MS 'Pubicans support it, ISTM the percentage of Dem supporters probably approaches 85-90%. Which makes it uninformative to poll it.
What's your point?
*http://maltman.hmdc.harvard.edu/papers/MeasuringRacialDiffs.pdf
The poll covered the legality of marriage, not dating. I could not immediately find data via Google that was specific to Mississippi or to Democrats, but regional data for the South (Altman & Klinker*) indicates that, even ten years ago, 86% of whites and 98% of non-whites supported legal interracial marriage. If that's representative of MS, too, and only 40% of MS 'Pubicans support it, ISTM the percentage of Dem supporters probably approaches 85-90%. Which makes it uninformative to poll it.
What's your point?
*http://maltman.hmdc.harvard.edu/papers/MeasuringRacialDiffs.pdf
BTW, we did ask this interracial marriage question of everyone, not just Republicans, but we'll be releasing the full results on that at a later date.
UNETHICAL POLLING. This is a cynical poll conducted by a Democratic polling organization to smear the Republican Party. PPP asked this poll with motive and knowing the response they would get. Democratic operatives will use this poll to frame a racial narrative to the upcoming election and scare minority voters and urban educated voters away from the GOP. It's pure cynical politics.
