I'm saddened today because of the 2008 Arkansas Poll. I have lived here since

1992 and the results of the University's poll make me ask myself why I stay.

http://media.www.thetraveleronline.com/media/storage/paper688/news/2008/10/24/News/Obama.Down.In.State.Says.Arkansas.Poll-3504128.shtml

The poll found that while more than a third of respondents identified themselves as Democrats compared to less than a fourth that identified themselves as Republicans, Sen. John McCain is leading Obama 51 percent to 36 percent. This is despite the 2007 Arkansas Poll predictions that indicated Arkansas residents would be leaning toward the Democratic Party in the 2008 elections.

When asked if they knew someone who would not vote for a black candidate, 34.2 percent of respondents said they did. The same question was asked nationally by the Pew Center, and 21 percent of respondents in that poll responded in the affirmative, Ford said.

Arkansas residents also tended to have more conservative attitudes on race. The poll showed that 58 percent of respondents disagreed that generations of slavery and discrimination have created conditions that make it difficult for blacks to work their way out of the lower class. Forty-seven percent of respondents agreed that blacks could do as well as whites if they tried harder.

Poll results also indicated that a fifth of respondents think Obama is a Muslim, compared to 12.6 percent of people nationally who share the same belief. This is despite the fact that the poll found that most Arkansas voters were well-informed about politics, Ford said.

"Political science research has demonstrated that those with suppressed racism may make up
their mind about a candidate and not listen to correct information," Ford said.

Full poll located here: http://new-www3.uark.edu/ARKPoll/

In a nutshell :( Also:

Poll results also indicated that a fifth of respondents think Obama is a Muslim, compared to 12.6 percent of people nationally who share the same belief. This is despite the fact that the poll found that most Arkansas voters were well-informed about politics, Ford said.

Same here in SC. Your problem there is that you're so close to Oklahoma. (Just kidding...sorta.)

number of Southern Baptists.

Bigotry is alive and well in Arkansas.

Wish it wasn't so, but it is. At least it sure is in the part of Arkansas that I'm very familiar with.

but have to remember... my cousin emailed me yesterday that she took hell from everyone for wearing a Halloween sweatshirt... told she's going to hell by my 3 aunts

WHAT A GREAT GANG

I have a friend who's from there. She went back home for a wedding and she said in all the casual conversations with the people, they used the 'N' word frequently and with no shame. It's shocking to me since I've always lived in California. It's sad that there are so many people who don't mind being on the wrong side of history.

it's a generational thing? She called black eyed susans "nigger navels" and Filipinos "little niggers"

That is my belief. It is easy to steal the election in areas that they can get away with labeling like this, and it's hard to prove the labels wrong, too. All these handy reasons why Arkansas would vote red...reminds me of the Florida Dixicrat theory, which I also think has become less and less true since the early 60s. They stole the Florida panhandle and other counties with the Dixicrat lie, and I hope it doesn't happen to your state.

I HAVE NOT YET BEGUN!!!!!!!! I am here in Arkansas and I haven't voted yet. Today gave me a hope when I saw a huge "OBAMA" written on back of fancy van in Hot Springs Village!

If Arkansas went blue when Clinton won so CAN IT AGAIN! :hi:

I saw poll by U of Arkansas but I am ignoring it! I don't trust this poll. Last summer in parking lot at Wal Mart in Hot Springs, AR, there were several cars with bumper stickers that were against Bush. So there is hope.

maps show Arkansas decidedly red state. Sorry for you living there however!

McCain 52 Obama 41.7.

was in Jackson MS when Martin Luther King marched down main street. I'll never forget it....my grandma bought me a soda at Walgreens and we were tossed out as "going to be trouble" walked out the door and here came MLK with a few blacks and lots of white people walking down the middle of street and streets were empty...white people running for their lives. Surreal...total silence I wonder to this day if she knew (was German and not southern) and took me downtown on the bus on purpose