Obama's Ferguson rhetoric: How are blacks, whites reacting?
| Washington
If the US public were to judge with one word President Obama鈥檚 response to the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teen in Ferguson, Mo., and subsequent turmoil, it might be this: 鈥渕eh.鈥�
That appears to be the bottom line from a new CBS News/New York Times on the subject. Voters responded to Mr. Obama鈥檚 handling of the situation with a collective shrug of the shoulders, according to survey results. A plurality of 41 percent said they were satisfied with his response. Thirty-four percent said they were dissatisfied, while 25 percent said they had no opinion.
Crack open this overall finding, however, and you鈥檒l find that different demographic or ideological subgroups have viewed Obama鈥檚 response with more feeling.
Sixty percent of African-Americans 鈥� a solid majority 鈥� said they were satisfied with Obama鈥檚 handling of post-shooting tensions, according to CBS/NYT findings. Only 35 percent of whites said the same thing.
Self-described Democrats were largely supportive as well. Sixty-one percent said they approved of Obama鈥檚 moves on Ferguson. Only 25 percent of Republicans, and 36 percent of independents, agreed.
It isn鈥檛 surprising these groups should feel this way. Blacks and Democrats are far more approving of Obama鈥檚 job performance in general than are whites and Republicans. In Gallup鈥檚 latest findings, Obama鈥檚 job approval rating among African-Americans is 86 percent. Among Democrats, it鈥檚 80 percent.
But are they solidly behind the president here? Or just reflexively approving of a politician whose other goals they support?
Yes, 60 percent of blacks are in favor of Obama鈥檚 Ferguson actions. But that鈥檚 26 points lower than the president鈥檚 overall African-American approval rating. They are less happy with Obama on this subject than on his other policy actions, apparently.
It鈥檚 鈥減retty clear that the president鈥檚 extremely careful approach to what鈥檚 happening in Ferguson isn鈥檛 winning him plaudits among his most loyal constituency 鈥� which also happens to be the constituency most interested in what transpired and will transpire in Ferguson,鈥� Aaron Blake on the Washington Post 鈥淔ix鈥� political blog.
Conversely, Obama鈥檚 approval rating for Ferguson among whites is 35 percent. That鈥檚 higher than his latest general approval rating among whites as measured by Gallup: 30 percent.
That same dynamic is true for the Democrat/Republican split. Sixty-one percent of Democrats are behind Obama on Ferguson, while his overall Democratic approval rating is 80 percent, per Gallup. Twenty-five percent of Republicans back his Ferguson moves 鈥� but his overall approval rating among members of the GOP is a dismal 7 percent.
It鈥檚 early in the cycle of this crisis, and the numbers here are limited. But these poll results suggest that Obama鈥檚 words on Ferguson have not polarized the electorate to the extent of some of his other actions.
