Democrats and Liberals enjoy saying Republicans are racist. Yet it seems the opposite is true. ?

I'm going to answer this question as a person who has been involved in the Republican Party on a local level for several years. The parties have some distinct differences, and a few of them relate directly to your question.

One difference is that Democrats openly deal in identity politics,while Republicans do not. That is, Democrats hail women simply because they are women, African-Americans simply because they are African-American, etc. Republicans welcome everyone into their ranks, but they do not roll out the red carpet for anyone.

Second, the Republican Party focuses on the individual over the group -- which of course, relates closely to not playing identity politics. Republicans value the rights of the individual, while Democrats serve the collective. An example of this is the fact that unions nearly always throw their support to Democrats.

Finally, a third factor is that Democrats tend to promise that if they are elected they will give "your group" whatever it desires. Some may dispute this statement, but I think if you listen over time to the rhetoric of both parties, you'll see that this is true. People who want to have "the government" do something for them or give something to them nearly always side with Democrats.

So while I certainly do not think that Democrats are more racist than Republicans, I think the core philosophy of the Republican Party tends to see individuals as equal human beings with equal rights and equal responsibilities. The Democrats continue to support a 40-year-old Civil Rights era model that insists that blacks need special assistance from government to make it in society. While that may have been true in the 1960's, it is not true today. To behave as though it were, as the Democratic Party does, demeans blacks, and that may be what the writer meant.

Ron Paul believes that the Civil Rights Act violates property rights of individual USA citizens by forcing certain associations with them. That is hardly the same thing as using minority groups for votes. FYI, I live in the South and there are black people here who proudly wear Confederate flags. You have NO effin idea what you are talking about. It most certainly does mean something. It means that this is only your opinion and many don't agree with you. Why do I need to have an explanation for a conversation I had no part in? That's like me asking you to explain why Karon Wright said about the fertilizer plant explosion in Texas, ""It's amazing how the "whites" get angry when Obama speaks. Oh well....it is most of the whites who is getting blown away. So they will soon be wiped from the earth. Lol." You must know why she said it because you all think alike, right?

These polls baffle me. I do want to say I don't want to take full stock in them, and I am on the fence on whether I believe them or not. I don't know anyone who's taken these polls.

Whether Republican or Democrat, the idea that people still harbor these feelings against hard working intelligent African Americans like me in 2008 makes me feel great sadness. Even now, in the new town I've moved to for grad school, some people are taken aback because I "speak" well, and they sometimes literally stare at my children and I. For example, my son and I were talking about the history of our home state and geography that he was excited about at a restaurant. My son is pretty intelligent himself, and he has a big vocabulary for a 10 year old. This older woman across the table stared at us the whole time eavesdropping in our conversation, and she looked at us like she couldn't believe we were having such an "intelligent"conversation. Like she'd never seen black people who could speak English. And it's all to common around this small town area, and I'm not used to it coming from a bigger area. After a while I started staring at her because it made me uncomfortable.

There are some uneducated trifling African Americans here, but that doesn't mean I am one of them. There are some uneducated trifling people in all races, including the white population.

Americans should think higher than this. And many white people do, but I guess some would rather see the small percentage of blacks who don't contribute anything to society over the greater majority who work, study, pray, and live just like anyone else. The only difference is the color of my skin. I don't assume all whites swing a confederate flag and live in a trailer. Why do people still thinking these ignorant black people are the MAJORITY? It baffles me.

Well I grew up in the South - the product of Yellow Dog Democrats - and I lived in integrated neighborhoods and attended integrated public schools - and I'm sure at some point I might have observed or even agreed with some of those stereotypes noted in that poll.

But that doesn't mean I would never vote for a black President of either party. Obama I think might just be too liberal, too inexperienced, and too dangerously naive on foreign policy for me to support this time.

I did think however he would have been an excellent running mate for Hillary Clinton; and I could have voted for a Clinton/Obama ticket.

As it is now - I am leaning toward McCain/Palin - but I will give Obama one last chance to win my vote in the debates, and he better be persuasive.

So yes - there is some subtle racism - from blacks, from whites, from Hispanic - as the song from that great Broadway Musical Avenue Q goes, "Everyone's A Little Bit Racist" - but I don't think that necessarily influences voting patterns.

This is election year and you can hear all sorts of things. Polls never make a true statement, only a generalized one and we the people can read into them anything we want to further our own agenda. There are always prejudice minded people, it's human nature to be imperfect and being prejudice is a very bad imperfection. Whether it's race, color, religion national origin or any thing other than what we consider 'the normal" way to be, there are those of us who think they are better one way or the other. Of course, we know better, we just don't act like we know better! Shame on all of us!

Everybody is racist to some extent. If race determines who you vote for, you are a racist! It's pretty sad, but racism is one of the major issues determining whether Obama wins. So many people are just too shallow to even fathom the thought of a black man as president, yet they have black friends, and even consider themselves not prejudiced.

Awful big generalization there , Bucko. That wasn't the conclusion of the article, but it DID recognize there are some men that may use race as a criteria in voting for a President.

Interestingly, the republicans were not part of the study. So the generalization I might come up with would refer to how republicans, such as you, Nicky boy, will lie and distort the truth to change opinion.

I'm sure in your "Little Republican World" alot seems true to you.... After all you have such good mentors and sources for the truth.. Like Bush, Cheney,McCain,Palin, Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reily and Fox News... I know I believe every word out of these peoples mouths... hahahhaha...

Katherine C I believe you need to take a second look at your therories.... I believe you are seeing this through your tainted eyes..

I agree.

The GOP take sthe attitude that race doesn't matter.

The DIMS have the act of racism to a high art.

They scream Racism at every attack that hits home.

If Obama loses this election watch the crys of racism from the left. Even though what has actually happenned is that America does not like socialism or the Dimocratoc Party's version of it, no matter how they try to disquise it.

Yes Nick you are right again. With 90% or better of the black vote it seems the bias is clearly on the other ticket.