FOX News Poll: More Than Half of Americans Believe Obama Doesn’t Share Views of Pastor Wright
Barack Obama, who is trying to move on from discussion about his former pastor, speaks about Iraq and the economy Thursday at the University of Charleston in West Virginia. (AP Photo)
By Dana Blanton
Fifty-seven percent of Americans do not believe Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama shares the controversial views of his former spiritual mentor Jeremiah Wright, while about one in four (24 percent) believes he does share the Rev. Wright’s views. And a sizable minority has doubts about Obama because of his pastor’s comments, according to a new FOX News poll.
Republicans (36 percent) are more likely than independents (20 percent) and Democrats (17 percent) to think Obama shares Wright’s controversial and unpatriotic views. Whites (25 percent) are more likely than blacks (15 percent) to think so.
Over a third of voters (35 percent) and a quarter of Democrats (26 percent) and independents (27 percent) say Obama’s relationship with Rev. Wright has caused them to have doubts about him. Here the racial breakdown is stark: 40 percent of whites and 2 percent of blacks have doubts.
“One of the hallmarks of Obama’s campaign has been his ability to attract independent voters. This doubt brought on by the Wright controversy has to be troubling for Obama,” said Ernest Paicopolos, principal of Opinion Dynamics Corp.
Click here to see the poll results and read the full story.
It’s unclear how much damage, if any, the situation will do to Obama’s standing in his head-to-head race with Hillary Clinton, as Democrats so far are still almost evenly divided in their preference: 40 percent say they want Clinton to be the nominee and 38 percent want Obama. In February, the vote preference was tied at 44 percent each.
All in all, Americans think your choice in friends says a lot about you: Almost 7 of 10 say they think the people you choose to be your friends reflect on you and your values. And 39 percent say your friends reflect on you “a lot.”
Rev. Wright was Obama’s pastor and spiritual adviser for many years, and performed Obama’s wedding ceremony in 1992.
Most Americans — 72 percent — are familiar with the comments made by Obama’s former pastor.
Obama gave a speech on race in America in which he addressed Rev. Wright’s comments on March 18. Opinion Dynamics Corp. conducted the national telephone poll of 900 registered voters for FOX News from March 18 to March 19 in the evenings. The poll has a 3-point error margin.
I don’t care if Obama believes what is said at that hate-filled church, I question his crappy judgement for staying there for 20 years and exposing his family to that vitriol. Great role model.
Has anyone listened to a whole entire sermon by pastor wright. If pastor wright converted obama over to jesus and helped to build his faith. that is the only thing that really matters…..
I am not a black person, I do not attend a black church , I am a middle aged mom and you will not scare me. Everytime you play the tapes of Rev. Wright it is even more clear to me how I must vote for Barack Obama . If there is anger and mistrust of the government in the black community no one should be surprised or afraid, fear will prevent us from facing this wound and healing it instead of letting it fester and spread. I am glad I became aware of this because I love these united states and I want them united. It really saddens me to know there are some people who feel so separate that they could believe such conspiracies against them and we need to embrace them, not fear them. I am very confident that Barack Obama does not share their views but he shares their history and I pray he will lead us all to a more united future. I really am much more shocked by affluent, white americans who accuse our government of bringing down the towers on 9/11…at least the Rev. acknowledges this was actually something done to us not by us!!!! Please people do not let them scare you!!!
Do you remember the news story that showed Obama with his arms at his side when the other people had their right hand over their heart during the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag? Another other curious thought is how a human being can voluntarily sit under preaching for over a thousand Sundays and not be affected by it. Maybe he’s super human.
I am not surprised that 57% of Americans are stupid and buy into OBama’s lies. I expected that. It’s sad, but most Americans have only average intelligence and cannot make a decision that the drive-by media didn’t make for them. I guess it is just another example of the failure of public education (or success in turning out robots, if you want to look at it from a different angle).
The media gives OBama a free pass, even the headlines are positive in the midst of this controversy. “OBama Tries To Unite Country on Race”. What???? These kind of headlines all day after his speech on race.
We are finally seeing on Fox the second racist affiliation of OBama’s.
No wonder OBama is the candidate of choice by the Black Panther Party. Does that endorsement ever help a candidate? I would hope not.
Meanwhile the only person looking presidential is McCain. I hope Hillary takes the opportunity to move ahead of this scary candidate. I don’t like her policies either, but she’s at least not a racist and dispite how much I dislike her I think she at least believes the garbage she espouses.
OBama is misleading America. He should admit who and what he is about and move on. He could be the leader of some racist organization like the NAACP.
I’m still waiting for common sense to make a comeback. If you go to a church where you don’t believe in what is being preached then you are either a hypocrite or a moron. I think he is just lying to save his political career. His wife said it already “For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of America”. What??? Now we know why she holds these sentiments.
There is no excuse for this. There is no excuse for racism. Being black in America is not an excuse for racism.
well half of america believed he could unite us all .. i dont see any unity i see alot of anger right now.and i am just waiting to see what else he is hiding
I don’t believe this poll is correct, people I know don’t believe Obama knows how to tell the truth and we are all angry at the media as well as the DNC. Obama is the new teflon don.
America needs to wake up. How can America not clearly see that Wright is not related to Obama but a GREAT FRIEND, mentor and advisor. If your child was educated with a collage degree that surrounded there self with the same educated circle of friends but there best friend used drugs wouldent there be concern as to why they associated thier self with him for over 20 years? Obama is keeping him around for a reason AND I DO NOT WANT TO WAIT AND SEE WHY! I have voted for Clinton and will vot for McCane if Obama wins the D election.
You know it’s the Media that keeps this country so divided with their racist views. People are sick and tired of hearing this mess about Rev. Wright. That’s why this country is so confused and torn up, because the media keep on talking about divison. Why don’t you all talk about the candidat’s veiws on the economy, high gas prices, fallen stocks, building relations with foreign countries? This makes me sick to my stomach, Americans should be trying to build relationships between races, not destory them. I’m so happy to serve a forgiving God, because if I depended on all of these self righteous people on this blog that are comdeming Obama, I would be doomed. I know they all must be very honest peole that has never done ANYTHING or said anything wrong in their lives. This is truly an honest country with so many self righteous critics. I want to forgive, because I need God to forgive me when I don’t alway live up to his standards. But I know you good Christians are beyond needing forgiveness.
I love and respect my grandfather but he is a racist. Even though I grew up listening to his very shaded views of other races and how he was mis-treated, he views are NOT mine. A 65+ year old can have a very different view of the world we live in today. It is not perfect because we are not. We should all be able to seperate the to. I have friends that I am very close and sometimes they tell very racist jokes but I would never cut them out of my life and they are still my friends.