In A Word: Polarization

The National Review OnLine has a break down of some demographics from voting in the two most recent Democratic primary races. And it seems clear that race is a key factor.

Many white voters are not voting for Barack Obama, and over 90% of black voters are supporting him.

I don't find it surprising that the black community would be voting so monolithically for the individual considered to be the first black candidate with a good shot of winning the general election in the Fall.

But, is it fair to ask the question: Are both races acting out of some form of bias?

I'm not sure the answer is clear, as black voters often vote Democratic. It's doubtful the phenomenon would carry over were a conservative black Republican running against a liberal white Democrat, for instance. Still, one can imagine that a certain amount of racial bias is in play all around.

The real question may be, is it the same across both races? Or, is one race more prone to vote for a candidate of the same color?

Perhaps in the final analysis, both races would profile about the same. Unfortunately, I haven't seen any statistics that explore the issue to that level.

Finally, it certainly is a sign of progress in race relations in America, given that most pundits assume the likely Democratic nominee will be Barack Obama.