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Is race an issue in today's politics?

A recent AP / Yahoo / Stanford University poll says it may. USA Today reports:
WASHINGTON (AP) — Deep-seated racial misgivings could cost Barack Obama the White House if the election is close, according to an AP-Yahoo News poll that found one-third of white Democrats harbor negative views toward blacks.
The poll, conducted with Stanford University, suggests that the percentage of voters who may turn away from Obama because of his race could easily be larger than the final difference between the candidates in 2004 — about 2.5 percentage points.

Statistical models derived from the poll suggest that Obama's support would be as much as 6 percentage points higher if there were no white racial prejudice.

But in an election without precedent, it's hard to know if such models take into account all the possible factors at play.
What do you think? Is race an issue in this election? Is the US ready for an African American president?
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  1. Anonymous11:32 AM

    It is a sad commentary for anyone that would judge any person on "the color of their skin and not the conduct of their character"...

    I would love to think that we have grown beyond the superficial and would look at the issues and his qualifications. This is a man who is smarter than most including the incumbent, Bush. And, he is for the little people which makes up most of America. It would be a shame on this country if he is not elected.

    Rebecca Matthews

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