New Florida Poll

A new poll taken in Florida shows that most people agree with the Zimmerman verdict. It also shows that most people believe that race relations have deteriorated over the last 5 years.

Also intriguing was Question #5, which read, “In your opinion, have race relations in the United States gotten better or worse since Barack Obama took office almost 5 years ago, or have they stayed about the same?” Fifty-three percent answered that race relations have deteriorated since Obama’s inauguration, with only 10 percent saying they’ve improved.

This disappointing perception is not limited to Florida. When Obama first took office, Americans were overwhelmingly optimistic about bridging the country’s racial divide. A Gallup poll taken the day after Obama secured the presidency in 2008 showed that 70 percent of Americans believed race relations would improve. But, two years later, these expectations had a stark meeting with reality when only 48 percent of blacks and 31 percent of whites said relations had positively progressed.

As the author, Cortney O'Brien, points out, Obama can't be entirely blamed for race problems. But his reactions to incidents with racial elements show that he like to focus on those elements. And since he benefits from the existence of crises, he will continue to inflame racial divisions in order to gain more political power. It's sick and sad.