Reprinted from The Wall Street Journal Online.
No voter wants to appear bigoted, so when asked directly if someone’s race would affect their vote, almost everyone says no. Pollsters have therefore searched for more indirect measures. I noticed two particularly interesting attempts.
The March Pew Research Center poll asked voters whether it is “all right for whites and blacks to date each other.” Nearly three-quarters of college-educated Democrats said they “completely agreed.” But among those without college – Sen. Clinton’s base – 44% completely agreed.

A new Newsweek poll found that “downscale” whites don’t view Sen. Obama as elitist, yet 45% said he would “fit in well with people in your local community” compared with 53% for Clinton.