The word "ready" in this context is so strange. What does it mean? Yet we hear it and know what it means (or at least think we do). It's almost like the media invented the idea of "the country being ready" and turned it into a reality. Now the country actually is and is not ready.

Ready? Yeah, but that doesn't mean we'll vote that way.

Don't believe me?

Condi Rice.

Ain't gonna happen.

These sorts of poll questions are beyond useless. They ignore the well known phenomenon that people consistently overrate themselves and underrate others on a whole host of measures. Asking if the country is ready for one or the other is asking respondents to decide whether electing a white woman or electing a black man is the more open-minded position, then ranking their peers in terms of their open-mindedness. I wish that people designing poll questions would just stick to asking respondents to guess at their own hypothetical behaviors. Those sorts of questions are fraught with enough problems as it is.

Let me fix that for you.

Slog readers willing to dignify such an assinine and counter-productive poll with a response believe, by a 12-point margin, that America is more ready to have a woman president than a black president.

A bit of a selection bias, there...

would a legitimate question be: at present, which is likely to affect a candidate negatively more, being a woman, or being black?

because if america was not ready for type_X president, what does that mean? that they will not get votes, or that, once elected, america being unready will respond in a way that removes them from power? the question sounds like it is proposing the latter, but most likely means the former.

Why is anyone surprised by this? Why does this shock anyone? It's not like Obama is Morgan Freeman or something. Now that Morgan Freeman, I would totally vote for him. HE is presidential. Obama, not so much.

I'm with lostboy @4. I can't believe that Eli didn't do more to respond to the criticism of the poll. This update continues to reify the "all the women are white and all the blacks are men" stance.

The criticism of this poll is ridiculous, and Eli doesn't have to acknowledge it at all. The question is "Do you think America is more sexist or racist?" The problem people have with the poll is that they feel --not erroneously-- that people should vote on candidates' strengths, and that both of the qualities in question are irrelevant to that. These wonderfully enlightened, educated, and all-together wonderful people DO NOT REPRESENT THE MAJORITY OF VOTERS.

So, when one asks if America is "more ready" for a black president or a female president, they're actually saying: A lot of people in this country will let something as stupid as appearance dictate their vote. Do you think that these dumb pricks would be more willing to accept a black president or a woman president?

What's so hard to understand about this? Why are you twisting your panties over such a non-issue, and claiming to be superior to the whole exercise?

bingo, Chris.

Chris @8, the problem is that we feel--not erroneously--that people do vote on candidates' strengths.

That doesn't make the candidates' race or gender irrelevant, and sure, the majority may judge them in ways totally shallow and banal.  Still, they're judging individuals, and race and gender are just two factors among many.  Even in the heartland, people whose vote will be dictated by racism or sexism are few and far between.

This poll, by posing an artificially and unrealistically reductive and binary choice, is just an invitation for D's to waste energy second guessing these superficialities that--not "should" but do--matter far less than whether the country is ready to elect Hillary, or ready for Obama.

Case in point: Anyone remember how badly Republicans wanted Colin Powell to run for president in '96?  And they weren't alone!  Back before he fell on his sword for Bush with the WMD speech at the UN, a lot of people across the spectrum saw Powell much the way they see Obama today, as someone who could maybe get to Washington with his integrity and candor intact.

You could even speculate that Powell agreeing to be Secretary of State reassured a lot of people in '96 who were nervous about Bush's competence.

Alan Keyes, on the other hand, ran for the Republican nomination twice and was laughed off the metaphorical stage both times.

I don't know a particularly good example for women, but it makes me think of when Margaret Thatcher was PM.  Did anyone in America even talk about her gender?  All I remember is people talking about how tough she was.  I wasn't too politically or socially aware back then, so people can correct me if wrong.

As for race, though, I'm sure we couldn't elect an Arab American right now, but we've been ready for a black president.

I wouldn't vote for either of them. And it has nothing to do with their gender or color. Every time Hillary opens her mouth to say something retarded I cringe in agony thinking this woman has a good chance of winning. Every time Obama opens his mouth to dissemble I think the same thing.

GORE GORE WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!?!?!?!

Eli - that poll is embarrassing and is the kind of thing I'd expect from CNN.com. And since it was your idea, I have to wonder if you're a moron.

Though maybe this is merely a reflection that HRC is, like, embarrassingly more qualified for the job than that vague-rhetoric-spouting Obama.

#8 - thank you. eli is not an idiot. he's not asking "are YOU ready"; the question is, "do you *think* AMERICA is ready?" unfortunately it's a relevant question, as depressing as that may be.

@15, 8 - Right, but what's the point in asking whether we think America is ready? How the hell should we know? Why not ask America? As a liberal atheist who's never having kids, I don't exactly have my fingers on the pulse of the nation, and I think most Slog readers are in a similar boat - which is why I didn't vote.

funny, to me being a liberal athiest who's never having kids makes voting imperative, not the other way around. you're actualizing your own prophecy by conceding before the race has even started.

I meant that's why I didn't vote in the poll. I make it a point to vote in things that matter. Thanks!

I'm ready for a Black President, and/or a Woman President, over a Republican President.

A better poll would be:

Are you more willing to elect as President a:

1) An African-American;

2) A woman;

3) A Republican;

4) A Libertarian gun-toting tax-avoiding draft-resisting crazy.

Oprah! Two birds, one stone.

Exactly what D @ 7 said.

Is America ready for a black president? I think no. Ask yourself, if whites find, and black loot, then what if G.W. Bush was black. Consider all of the racism that’s in the hearts and minds of Americans. Not the wonderful people posting here of course, but in a sizable percentage of America. Realistically and honestly. Now, think about all the foul-ups mistakes and blunders committed by this man and his administration and think how the American media and public would act and react to these actions if Bush was black. Realistically and honestly, America is not ready for a black president.

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