A new Rasmussen survey finds that 70% of voters say politicians discuss racial issues just to be elected, and only 18% say most politicians raise racial issues to address real problems.
Twice as many voters (42%) say political candidates voice racial issues too much in their campaigns compared to 21% who say such issues are discussed too little. Twenty-nine percent say the level of discussion of racial issues in politics is about right.
More Republicans (82%) than Democrats (55%) or unaffiliated voters (74%) say most politicians raise racial concerns just to be elected. Fewer Democrats (22%) than Republicans (60%) or unaffiliated voters (46%) say political candidates discuss racial issues too much in their campaigns.
In the Rasmussen survey, 43% say, historically, Democrats have done more for Black Americans, while 38% say Republicans have been better for Blacks, while 16% say both major parties have been about the same for Black Americans. In 2020, only 28% said the GOP had done more for this demographic group.
Seventy-four percent of Democrats say their own party has done more for Black Americans, while 71% of Republicans say the GOP has done more for that group. Among unaffiliated voters, 37% say Democrats have strived more, 33% say Republicans have been better, and 23% say both major parties have been about the same.
Black voters (45%) are more likely than whites (15%), Hispanics (20%), or other minorities (25%) to say political candidates discuss racial issues too little in their campaigns. But majorities of every racial category – 73% of whites, 61% of Black voters, and 66% of Hispanics and other minorities – say most politicians raise racial issues just to be elected. A majority (52%) of Black voters say that, historically, the Democratic Party has done more for their group.
Older voters are significantly more likely than those under 40 to say political candidates discuss racial issues too much in their campaigns.
In terms of income categories, voters in the highest bracket — earning more than $200,000 a year — are most likely to say Democrats have done more for Black Americans.
In a commencement speech at historically Black Morehouse College this month, President Joe Biden asked, "What is democracy if Black men are being killed in the street? What is democracy with a trail of broken promises leaving Black communities behind?"
President Joe Biden's strongest supporters are most likely to trust the sincerity of politicians talking about race. Among voters who strongly approve of Biden's job performance as president, 42% say most politicians raise racial issues to address real problems. By contrast, among those who strongly disapprove of Biden's performance, just 4% say politicians raise racial issues to address real problems.
Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that "a defining feature of American politics has been the rightward shift of voters of color. Asian, Black, and Hispanic voters have all become less likely to support Democratic candidates and more likely to support Republicans, including Trump."
The survey of 1,113 U.S. likely voters was conducted May 20-22, 2024 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC.