Monday, May 4, 2015

Differing Opinions

Writing at the Instapundit website, guest columnist Elizabeth Price Foley catalogs major opinion differences between blacks and whites in the U.S.. If you wish to see her polling data sources, the original at Instapundit has links to these.
In almost every major issue, blacks and whites have wildly different positions, with polling gaps exceeding 10 percentage points. Obamacare? 83% of blacks support; 34% of whites support. Obama’s handling of foreign policy? 68% of blacks approve; 29% of whites approve. The Iran deal? 62% of blacks approve; 25% of whites approve.

Global warming Climate change? 17% of blacks believe there is no solid evidence the earth is getting warmer; 31% of whites think that. Gun control? 34% of blacks think it’s more important to protect the right to own guns than to control gun ownership; 61% of whites think that gun ownership is more important than gun control.

Support for RFRA laws that allow business owners to refuse to provide services to same-sex weddings? 36% of blacks support such religious protections for business owners; 52% of whites support them. Same-sex marriage? 42% of blacks support; 53% of whites.
Foley's basic point: whites and blacks vote for different candidates of different parties, because they hold different views on public issues. One need not allege racism as an explanation of their voting patterns.