Politics | Barack Obama Poll Highlights Obama's Race Dilemma Many white Democrats would rather vote for McCain By Rob Quinn Posted May 24, 2008 9:24 AM CDT Copied Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., arrives for a rally in Des Moines, Iowa, Tuesday, May 20, 2008. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) Barack Obama will need to defeat not only John McCain but prejudice within his own party if he is to win the presidency, a Newsweek poll finds. Pollsters divided respondents into two categories, based on answers to questions on race-related topics. Among white Democrats who scored low on the poll's "Racial Resentment Index," Obama beat McCain by 78% to 17%, but those with a high level of racial resentment preferred him to McCain by just 51% to 33%. The poll also found some confusion over Obama's religion, with 11% thinking the candidate is a Muslim. Nearly a fifth of white Democrats said Obama's name made them judge him less favorably. Still, the percentage of voters who think the country is ready for a black president has doubled since 2000, to 70%. Read These Next Kid Rock has added the R-word to the list of slurs he still uses. Man wakes from coma, says girlfriend crashed car on purpose. Jodi Picoult says she's first author to be banned in two mediums. Andrew Windsor has an uncertain future as a commoner. Report an error