CBS Poll: Pastor's Remarks Hurt Obama

While Most Are Unaffected By Controversy, A Third Of Those Who Have Heard About It View Obama Less Favorably

(CBS)  A new CBS News poll finds that while most voters who have heard at least something about controversial statements made by Barack Obama's longtime pastor say their view of the Democratic presidential candidate is unchanged, a third say it has made them feel more negative about Obama.

The poll found that among registered voters, 25 percent said they had heard "a lot" about Rev. Jeremiah Wright's comments, while 33 percent said they had heard some. Forty-two percent said they hadn't heard about the comments.

Of those voters, sixty-five percent said it didn’t make a difference in their view of Obama. However, of those whose opinion is changed, the net impact is very negative. Thirty percent said it made them have a less favorable view, whereas 2 percent said it made their view more favorable.

Interviewing for these questions was completed Sunday and Monday, before Obama's speech on the subject today.

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See The Complete Poll Results
Obama Urges End To "Racial Stalemate"
Full Transcript Of Obama's Remarks
Video: Obama On Anger Between Races

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Democrats are especially apt to say their views are unchanged, with 76 percent saying it has made no difference of their view of Obama, 15 percent saying it made their view less favorable and 2 percent saying it made their view more favorable.

Republicans are the most likely to say their view has been affected: 47 percent say they've become less favorable, and 53 percent said it did not make a different.

Sixty-one percent of independent voters say they are unaffected, but 36 percent said it made their view less favorable. Two percent of independents said it made them more favorable view.

Overall, unfavorable views of Obama are up somewhat from February. His favorable ratings remain largely unchanged at 44 percent, but there has been some movement from undecided views to unfavorable views, from 23 percent in February to 30 percent now.

Among Democratic primary voters, unfavorable views have doubled, but favorable views remain dominant: more than six in ten Democratic primary voters are positive.

Independent voters - a group Obama has successfully courted in many primaries and would try to draw in the general election - still view him favorably, about the same as last month. Unfavorable views have risen among Republicans.

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This poll was conducted among a random sample of 844 adults nationwide, including 749 registered voters, interviewed by telephone March 15 - 17, 2008. Interviewing for the questions on Wright and Obama was conducted March 16-17, 2008 among a sample of 355 registered voters. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points and five points for those questions. The error for subgroups is higher.

[pepperp1]

Thirty percent said it made them have a less favorable view, whereas 2 percent said it made their view more favorable.


Thats because its the Ahah yes this is a marketed plagiarized persona and yeah we were conned...boy are we DUMB,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and I wish you would have asked if it affects their view of which Party because will all these Wack a do Lefties out and the anti American Press attacking people for Obama as his attack dogs so his lack of qualifications and judgments were not vetted,


they have with their fringe Leftist movement been tearing down a Dem Party that attempt to eject them

Dem leadership better get out in the public and make their views of Anti American hate and the danger of their social justice agenda known before there are any additional incidents inflame and acted upon

[walt1944-2009]

The pastor of my church screams and cries about money all the time!

I guess that must mean I am a bank robber and part of his "gang"!

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!!
sig heil, McCain????

[rowdytexan2]

"Sixty-one percent of independent voters say they are unaffected, but 36 percent said it made their view less favorable. Two percent of independents said it made them more favorable view."

This is really strange quoting, because in your own poll on this website, 61% of people were saying this issue would stay with Mr. Obama, and only 30-something percent said they were unaffected.

Swiftboating your own poll?

[alicia64]

After reading the text of this speech on www.drudgereport.com - I am impressed. He made an impassioned, poignant speech that will set America back on their heels and realize that we should not expect perfection from our political leaders when we cannot deliver perfection ourselves. We finally have a candidate who speaks from his heart, admits his failings and learns from them - refreshing!

[generey]

CBS Poll: Pastor''s Remarks Hurt Obama.

Poll this; He has my vote.

[samthetvcat]

Wow, it sucks to be CBS having spent all that money on a poll that''s already been rendered obsolete because of Barack''s speech . . .

I''m guessing whoever thought up the poll is a Hillary supporter who still doesn''t understand how Hillary hasn''t already sewn up the nomination and was eager for ''good news'' . . .

[samthetvcat]

Don''t these polls cost millions to conduct? Long-distance costs, surveyers, computers, analysts . . . ouch!

[gretagreen]

But the vast majority of persons saying they had a more negative impression of Obama were REPUBLICANS! They might say that regardless of whether it made any difference and they probably would not have voted for him anyway. The poll ought to highlight that because it seems to really skew the results.

Obama is the best choice for president. Great speech. He''s the best candidate we''ve ever had to deal with racial unity if that''s what people are worried about. That wasn''t at the top of my list frankly but it is VERY important. Right now, however, I''m concerned about the person who will appoint the next one, two or three Supreme Court Justices, end the war in Iraq, put our economy and military back together again, and help us become an even greater country than we already are. Go Obama!!

[neonink]

OBAMA IS A SICK AND TWISTED LITTLE MAN.

[rohink-2009]

The pastor of my church screams and cries about money all the time!

I guess that must mean I am a bank robber and part of his "gang"!

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!!
sig heil, McCain????

Posted by walt1944

If all your pastor does is scream and cry about money maybe you ought to find a different church. How does your being ignorant enough to sit in a church just to be screamed and cried at for money make you a bank robber and a member of a gang? Are you stealing money for your pastor?

[bretster7]

alicia64 said,
realize that we should not expect perfection from our political leaders when we cannot deliver perfection ourselves.

Of course you don''t apply this to current leadership, do you? More leftist hypocricy

[briannorwood]

Thanks Barak for a great speech. This controversy seems to have exposed the underlying racism -- on all sides still simmering just below the surface in this country.

Your forthright leadership is like a breath of fresh air!

You definitely have my vote!

[davek455]

Fascinating article in today''s wall street journal at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120579535818243439.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries some excerpts:
as the Clintons have discovered, it is hard in the real world to run against a candidate of destiny. For many Americans -- black and white -- Barack Obama is simply too good (and too rare) an opportunity to pass up.
Barack Obama has fellow-traveled with a hate-filled, anti-American black nationalism all his adult life, failing to stand and challenge an ideology that would have no place for his own mother. And what portent of presidential judgment is it to have exposed his two daughters for their entire lives to what is, at the very least, a subtext of anti-white vitriol?

[gemstone1955]

What I heard was a good speech that was frank but filled with the right words for his voting base he is losing ground in. Not much in there for people who are not already supporters. The speech didn''t address my issues with Barack Obama on any of these stories that are finally coming to light and getting over due coverage now is not his growing list of associates that cause one to raise and eyebrow but rather for me it is his avoidance to address these hard questions and his usual first response which is always a charming ambiguous answers. I do not like the fact that we as people have to count on the media to ask or press the same set of question 2 or 3 times before we get a answer that is clear and straight forward and not some charming but ambiguous response. His speech was NOT as good as the I have a dream speech? The people on MSNBC & CNN think so. Here is why, it was a political repair speech. The first part was good but not great but then he got to pandering for his support base. By the middle of the speech he was to busy hitting us with the right words to reaffrim his voting base thue makeing it nothing more then a self serving politcal statement. The ending was incredible selfish and horrible. For him to have the guall to basiclly say Vote for me or go down the wrong path was a total self pandering statement. The convention speech was a victory for all people with no agenda needed or added.

[davek455]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120579535818243439.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries

[skyhawk761]

If all your pastor does is scream and cry about money maybe you ought to find a different church. How does your being ignorant enough to sit in a church just to be screamed and cried at for money make you a bank robber and a member of a gang? Are you stealing money for your pastor?


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Posted by rohink at 01:57 PM : Mar 18, 2008

Please tell me you are joking. If not you are a lost ball in high weeds. He was making fun of the comparison.

[excoachken]

As a 62 year old white male, Vietnam era Veteran, who thinks John Edwards was the best candidate, I have been slow to warm up to Obama, but today''s speech has convinced me that America needs this guy as President. I do not know if their is enough intellect among the voters to appreciate his courage to face this issue directly and brilliantly! I can only say that, for me, it was like a sequel to the "I have a dream" speech by Martin Luther King. Barry eloquently displayed the racism that we all know exists in today''s America and offered to heal it, in spite of the vulgar "talkers" like Limbaugh, Crystal, Hume, O''Reilly and Hannity who have made their careers out of perpetuating such hate. How exciting to hear anyone take on this issue when all the other "professional politicians" in Washington are either in denial about it or profiting off of it. Today, Barry Obama earned my respect and my vote. The true test will be if the majority of Americans are ready to really do something about this division or are willing to go backward into the prehistoric, hate filled past and stay prisoners of the elitists, who order them around through the media. If they are open minded enough to make their own decision, what a difference it will be to have a President with empathy, intellect, and an ability to communicate this way.

[unlocking-2009]

It will be interesting to see if THIS speech is given as much air time as the hateful words by Minister Wright. The press is so full of hog wash - they are playing the American public like a banjo and we are allowing them to do so.

God forbid if some of us had 1 minute out of our whole lives played on television over and over. What would people think?

At least Obama dealt with the problem head on and admitted his wrongs and shortcomings. Too bad others running for president can''t and won''t do that - always passing the buck, blaming others, and moving the goal posts.

Race has always been the big elephant in the room. Glad someone finally had the balls to deal with it.

[whoever1234]

I''ll bet the Democratic superdelagates are *really* being thrown into a tizzy over which way to turn: toward Monica Lewinsky''s ex-boyfriend''s wife, or toward the ''party darling'' candidate who is self-destructing because the truth about him is becoming more and more appararent.

[davek455]

also in today''s WSJ article: "Mr. Obama''s run at the presidency is based more on the manipulation of white guilt than on substance."

[ljb6599]

Anger and hatred are the roots of all evil.To let go of these feelings is one of ways to achieve enlightment and peace.

[samthetvcat]

--"but rather for me it is his avoidance to address these hard questions and his usual first response which is always a charming ambiguous answers"--
Posted by gemstone1955

What are the hard questions you don''t feel Barack answered? And what would you have liked him to say?

[david1737]

Once again the media tells we the people what we believe.

[samthetvcat]

davek455, much has been made about how one of Hillary''s voting blocs are g@ys - is there a story behind that?

[mbcsmith]

This guy has no experience, has accomplished nothing and is just now being vetted by the press, albeit very late in the game.
He has refused to distance himself from his pastor of 20 years whom we now find out is a racist and hates America. NOT MY PRESIDENT!

[crusherking]

What are the hard questions you don''''t feel Barack answered? And what would you have liked him to say?

Posted by SamTheTVCat

Well, he gave a speech so that he would not have to answer questions. Seems like a calculated move to have the press hear only what he wanted them to hear and not one that would actually resolve the situation and further proof this was just a political tactic and not something he really wanted to do. Also, it was done in Philly where the next primary will be held. Coincidence? Not really.

[old300d]

hi exCoachKen ,

do you think it is O.K. to shout out G.D. in church ?

Obama is suggesting it is common in black churches ?

IT IS NOT ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

[phillysage]

"... I do not know if their is enough intellect among the voters to appreciate . . ."
Posted by exCoachKen

I too am a former Edwards supporter and in case the Democrats revive either Edwards or Gore, they''re going to lose an election they should have won in a landslide.
Obama supporters, like "excoachKen" have a tendency as does Ken to look down their nose on other voters, supposedly "less intellectual" than they are. This is one big problem Obama has, and his problems are multiplying. Yeah, sure, he''s a great and eloquent speechmaker, but that doesn''t cut it at this point in history. He is no Abe Lincoln, just as his supporter, fat Teddy, is no John Kennedy.
Obama talks the talk, but he has no record of accomplishment--where has he actually walked the walk? There are at least twenty Black Democrats I could name that would make better candidates than Obama, and I really hope that the Democrats put one of them on the ticket.
Both Obama and Hillary should resign for the good of the party and the nation.
Neither of them can win, although Hillary at least would have a shot.

[david1737]

WSJ article: "Mr. Obama''''s run at the presidency is based more on the manipulation of white guilt than on substance."

Posted by davek455


The WSJ is pretending that they''re to dumb to goto Obama''s website and read the his positions on the issues. I have yet to hear any more or less "substance" articulated by either MCCain or Hillary. The only true difference in the Dem party is that Obama projects leadership quality which has not been seen in a generation.

[ghwab1949]

If Obama has lost some in the polls, good. It is not a good thing for too much of the public to be taken in by the meaningless claptrap which fills Obama''s speeches, far better to ask questions about him and those around him and find out what he really stands for. He is not eloquent at all. His speech writers sometimes write good speeches, like his Democratic National Convention address that contained not one word anyone could disagree with, but listen to him off the cuff, hardly a great speaker. Many wish he were something he is not, but we are slowly but surely finding out about the true Mr. Obama, will check his voting record and will relegate him to the dustbin of history, where it sounds like he belongs.

[craigh9]

33% said it made them feel more negative about Obama, these 33% are undoubtedly already Hillary supporters so the effect is nill.

[samthetvcat]

--"That he disavows the positions taken by his church and he is leaving."--
Posted by trapbreak

That''s disingenuous because no matter what he would have said or done you''d have still said he was just acting for political gain.

The best course is to always be yourself which is how he came across, and quite frankly a lot of Republicans don''t like the idea of unity so you''re never going to have been happy . . .

[mortok99]

George Bush''s mom is a guy.

[ljb6599]

Trapbreak...Abraham Lincoln could have said it no better.

[sierra20071]

The poll that CBS conducted is par for the course, they do polls on every subject, why should they stop for Barrack Obama. Barrack is human and is subject to the same scrutiny as every other politician, it is only fair. We treat Obama as if he was a child and we are afraid of affecting his little psyche if we disagree with him or bring his bad behavior to light. And, to be fair, Obama welcomes this treatment, he seems to feel he is entitled to it and he is not. Obama needs to man up or get out of this game. He is a mess with his bone-headed missteps that are almost always trivialized and are made to be much to do about nothing via the media. Well I%u2019m tired of babysitting O; there is always something there with this guy %u2013 first he say%u2019s no, no, no and a coupla day%u2019s later he say%u2019s %u2013 %u201Clit did happen, let me explain%u201D. He only now admits his shortcomings; he wasn%u2019t honorable to begin with. He had to be hand-held kicking and screaming to come to this point in his campaign %u2013 begrudgingly admitting errors after denying them. %u201CI wasn%u2019t at church when this or that sermon was preached%u201D now %u201CI was at church when controversial sermons were given%u201D. Then; I only accepted %u201C60gees%u201D rather than what he say%u2019s now %u2013 I accepted over %u201C200gees%u201D. This guy is a liar and nobody wants to call him on it, well I will.

[mortok99]

Americans remind me of those turddds ya git wit de corn in it.

[excoachken]

old300d: What I think is that I saw a man that refused to hide from the public the way that Bush does whenever he makes another stupid decision. I saw a person who understands racism and wants to overcome it instead of exploiting it. I saw brilliance----------- but then I wasn''t tuning in with a "hate filled heart" like Limbaugh''s zombies.

[samthetvcat]

--"and not one that would actually resolve the situation and further proof this was just a political tactic and not something he really wanted to do"--
Posted by crusherking

Well obviously politics were a good part of it, but are you saying that what he said wasn''t therefore reflective of his personal beliefs? Also, what do you mean by ''resolving the situation'' . . . please be more specific . . .

[gretagreen]

But the vast majority of persons saying they had a more negative impression of Obama were REPUBLICANS! They might say that regardless of whether it made any difference and they probably would not have voted for him anyway. The poll ought to highlight that because it seems to really skew the results.

Obama is the best choice for president. Great speech. He''s the best candidate we''ve ever had to deal with racial unity if that''s what people are worried about. That wasn''t at the top of my list frankly but it is VERY important. Right now, however, I''m concerned about the person who will appoint the next one, two or three Supreme Court Justices, end the war in Iraq, put our economy and military back together again, and help us become an even greater country than we already are. Go Obama!!

[roger_inkart]

Oh, this *** liberal media! First they totally ignore Spitzer''s dealings with prostitutes. Then hardly is a word is said about Obama''s pastor!

Conservatives - how can you STAND such an overt bias???

[gretagreen]

Unlike most of us, Obama has dealt with racial problems and prejudices from just about every race, and he has not come out bitter or cynical -- instead, he urges unity. I wish everyone could take a minute to learn about Obama. He''''s been in the public eye for more than 15 years and there''''s a lot of information about him. He''''s a very impressive person. Just please, to be fair, listen to him, check out his web-site and google/yahoo around.
1.
Do not judge Obama by a few radical statements made by his pastor. Please judge him by the content of his character. Vote against him if you disagree with him about Iraq, or healthcare, or taxes - but not because of his pastor. Because what you seem to imply, those that say the pastor''''s words are important, is that Obama is racist or unpatriotic, and that is not true - not one little bit.

[davek455]

davek455, much has been made about how one of Hillary''''s voting blocs are g@ys - is there a story behind that?


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Posted by SamTheTVCat at

Sam - my guess is that g.a.y.s tend to view females as better allies to the g.a.y. community than straight black males....just a guess

[misssuzq]

I have heard the pastor rant on the radio - he is most frightening and dangerous.

He may have been of some positive unfluence in the past, but I have to hope that Obama will make a wise decision and distance himself from this Hitler-type personality.

[old300d]

Hi gretagreen ,
He suggested that Rev Wright was somehow like other black preachers.

That was a huge insult to black preachers across this country.

[rowdytexan2]

Again, CBS is swiftboating it''s own poll on this website where 61% say this issue will stay with Mr. Obama and 39% say not.

To believe this poll, that they took in a matter of a few hours that supposedly represents mainstream America, they would have had to have about 10,000 people working the polls, at least. And have had to poll at least a third of Americans.

This is krap!

[sierra20071]

The reason that this wasn''t fire in the belly for this Obama speech is because his heart wasn''t in it. Like his wife he embraces the Trinity Churches values and, folks it ain''t pretty!

[craigh9]

I''m a middle aged white man - I had forgotten how much vile bigotry and fear of change there is out there.

[briannorwood]

Rush Limabaugh has spent the entire day belittling Obama''s speech today.

Where were the right-wing big mouths condemning these racist remarks. Should they insist that anyone associated with these people share the same outrage?

"You say you''re supposed to be nice to the Episcopalians and the Presbyterians and the Methodists and this, that, and the other thing. Nonsense. I don''t have to be nice to the spirit of the Antichrist."[ -- Pat Robertson

""The ACLU has got to take a lot of blame for this. And I know I''ll hear from them for this, but throwing God...successfully with the help of the federal court system...throwing God out of the public square, out of the schools, the abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked and when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad...I really believe that the pagans and the abortionists and the feminists and the *** and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way, all of them who try to secularize America...I point the thing in their face and say you helped this happen." -- Jerry Fallwell on 9/11

"Most readers will be shocked by the clear record of history linking Adolf Hitler and the Roman Catholic Church in a conspiracy to exterminate the Jews.%u201D -- John Hagee

[samthetvcat]

--"Any experienced politician would cut the ties so fast is would make your head spin"--
Posted by trapbreak

The fact that he''s not like every other ''experienced'' politician is at the crux of his appeal - he laid all those unspoken issues out on the table for all of us to digest, which is the complete opposite of politics as usual which posits that you avoid controversy like the plague.

[rowdytexan2]

They probably polled a thousand people in Chicago''s 13th district to get these results.