Senator Barack Obama

Swing Racists

Ben Smith:

New polling and a trickle of stories from the battleground states suggest that Sen. Barack Obama's coalition includes one unlikely group: white voters with negative views of African Americans.

Right. The Reverse Bradley Effect. What if racists whites are telling pollsters they're voting for McCain, but will actually vote for Obama once in the privacy of the voting booth? In other words, racists might not want to say on the phone and in front of their racist friends or nasty bigot families that they're voting for Obama.

Looking at the data, I don't think it's enough to make a significant difference in the popular vote, but in certain swing states like Missouri and North Carolina, it could be enough to tip the scales in favor of Senator Obama.