When you go looking for something...

You may find it even if it is not there. [Link]

Text (emphasis added by Jay at MontClair Socioblog):

On his 100th day in office, Barack Obama enjoys high job approval ratings, no matter what poll you consult. But if a new survey by the New York Times is accurate, the president and some of his policies are significantly less popular with white Americans than with black Americans, and his sky-high ratings among African-Americans make some of his positions appear a bit more popular than they actually are.

The implication here is, of course, that Black Americans aren’t “real” Americans and that including them in opinion poll data is literally skewing the results.

No, that isn't the implication. The implication is African-Americans really like Barack Obama. They really, really like him. And because of that, they have more influence on his popularity than would be expected based on their population. Pointing that out is not racism, it's statistics. Just look at the numbers. Emphasis added. [Link]

Asked whether their opinion of the president is favorable or unfavorable, 49 percent of whites in the Times poll say they have a favorable opinion of Obama. Among blacks the number is 80 percent. Twenty-one percent of whites say their view of the president is unfavorable, while the number of blacks with unfavorable opinions of Obama is too small to measure.

Those opinion differences are clear in the traditional "right track-wrong track" question, a key indicator of the public's mood. Thirty-four percent of whites say the country is headed in the right direction, while 56 percent believe it is "seriously off track." For black Americans, 70 percent say the country is headed in the right direction, with just 23 percent saying it is off track. (According to the U.S. Census, blacks make up about 13 percent of the population, while whites make up about 80 percent. The Times poll divided respondents into black and white, with no other groups reported.)

On the economy, 55 percent of whites in the poll say they approve of the way the president is handling the issue. Among blacks, the number is 91 percent. Thirty-six percent of whites disapprove of Obama's economic performance, while just two percent of blacks disapprove.

Blacks also have a more positive view than whites of the Obama economy overall. Twenty-seven percent of black respondents say the economy is "very good" or "fairly good," while 34 percent rate it "fairly bad" and 39 percent rate it "very bad." Among whites, just 10 percent call the economy "fairly good" (none say it is "very good"), while 42 percent say it is "fairly bad" and 47 percent say it is "very bad." In addition, 41 percent of blacks say the economy is getting better, while just 24 percent of whites agree.

On foreign policy, 56 percent of white Americans approve of the job Obama is doing, while 88 percent of blacks approve. Twenty-six percent of whites disapprove, while just three percent of blacks disapprove.

When asked whether they have confidence in Obama's ability to "deal wisely with an international crisis," 55 percent of whites say they have confidence, while 92 percent of blacks say they have confidence. Thirty-nine percent of whites say they are "uneasy" about Obama on that front, while just five percent of blacks share that opinion.

When asked whether Obama "cares about the needs and problems of people like you," 48 percent of whites say he cares "a lot" about them. Among blacks, the number is 89 percent.

Here is why breaking the numbers out can be important. [Link]

It is also entirely reasonable to point out that a poll result can be shaped by an extremely high number in one component of the poll result. It's the old joke: Six people are in a bar. They're all middle class; their average net worth is about $100,000. Bill Gates walks in. Seven people are in a bar; their average net worth is in the billions. A wealthy group, right? Internal numbers are revealing.