2008-06-10-皮尤-Most_Americans_See_a_Black_Nominee_as_Important_for_Country_12页_59kb

Summary of Obama's Presidential Nomination Poll: March 2008

Key Findings on Nomination Significance

• Overall Importance: About one-third (36%) of Americans view the nomination of an African American as very important to the country, with nearly half (38%) considering it somewhat significant, while 33% see it as less or not important.
• Partisan Divides: Democrats (51%) are most supportive, rating it very important, followed by independents (32%), with Republicans (20%) showing the least enthusiasm. Republicans are split, with roughly half deeming it moderately significant but most (48%) viewing it as unimportant.
• Racial Divisions: Blacks (59%) overwhelmingly see it as very important, contrasting with whites (32%), who express less importance, with the percentage of whites viewing it as unimportant or somewhat important exceeding three times that of blacks.

General Public Interest in Campaign News

• Increased Engagement: Interest in the campaign rose, with 38% following news very closely, up from prior weeks.
• High Focus on Specific Events: Obama winning delegates drew the most attention (73% heard extensively), followed by Clinton's campaign suspension endorsements (55%).
• Candidate Viability: Obama was the top newsmaker, featured in 77% of campaign coverage, compared to Clinton (60%) and McCain (21%).

Other Prominent News Topics

• Gas Prices: Second-highest interest, with 37% closely following the rising gas costs.
• Unemployment: Significant but secondary, with 3% considering it their most closely followed story.
• Global Warming: Low interest, with only 13% following it closely.

Context

This poll, conducted by the Pew Research Center, highlights the historic impact and public engagement around Obama's nomination during a critical campaign phase in 2008.