Poll: Party more important than race

EVANSTON, Ill., Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Illinois voters believe Democrat Barack Obama has more concern for blacks living in poverty than for poor Americans in general, a poll indicated.

The poll also asked whether race and ethnicity was more important than party in influencing presidential decisions. More than 47 percent of respondents chose party, 4.1 percent said race or ethnicity was more important and 22.1 percent of respondents said both matter. About 26 percent of respondents said they didn't know.

"Though Obama has run a color-blind campaign, the electorate is not color blind," said Victoria DeFrancesco Soto, an assistant professor of political science at Northwestern who specializes in campaigns, elections and group identities.

She said the poll's finding does not mean voters will hold race against the Illinois senator.

"But the Illinois findings do show that even in a decidedly blue state -- in which Obama is highly favored -- people believe that he will favor his own ingroup," Soto said.

The poll was part of a multistate survey in which between 562 randomly selected registered voters and 586 people identified as likely to register to vote were surveyed, and has a margin of error of 4.2 percentage points.