Though it’s still early, the 2008 Democratic presidential campaign has found a noticeable shift in sentiment among potential black voters (people who are black and will potentially vote, not people who will vote and are potentially black). A poll six weeks ago found broad support for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton but they now favor the candidacy of Sen. Barack Obama. Her once-sizable margin over Obama, Gore and Edwards was sliced in half during the past month largely because of Obama’s growing support among black voters.
Even so, African Americans still view Clinton more positively than they see Obama, but in the time since he began his campaign, his favorability rating has risen significantly among blacks. In the latest poll, 70 percent of African Americans said they had a favorable impression of Obama, compared with 54 percent in December and January.
Overall, Clinton’s favorability ratings dipped slightly from January, with 49 percent of Americans having a favorable impression and 48 percent an unfavorable impression. Obama’s ratings among all Americans improved over the past month, with 53 percent saying they have a favorable impression and 30 percent saying they have an unfavorable impression.
