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?I Like Obama. So I Am A Good, Racism-Free Person?

According to Andrew Kohut, a recent poll by the Pew Research Center found that people who supported Obama did so in part because he made them feel good about themselves. [HatTip to Jim Geraghty]

His article was titled ?That?s What I Like About Me,? and the findings he reports remind me of those bumper stickers proclaiming that ?My Child Is An Honor Student At [Whatever] Middle School.? Those bumper stickers are implicitly, or perhaps explicitly, parents patting themselves on the back for a job well done.

At the start of his run for the presidency, Barack Obama would explain the positive reaction he was getting from admirers by saying ?this is more about you than about me.? Now that Mr. Obama is the front-running Democratic candidate, an in-depth look at how voters are reacting to him ? and the reasons for those reactions ? lends considerable credence to his characterization of public opinion....

While Mr. Obama?s positive personal image plays an important role in his high favorable ratings, the polling found that his ratings are more influenced by how he makes voters feel than by specific characteristics they attributed to him. In particular, views that Mr. Obama inspires hope and pride are the strongest determinants of a person?s opinion of him. In other words, he is a charismatic candidate who has made large numbers of Democratic voters feel good, and this is even more important to them than specific perceptions of him.

As Jim Geraghty concludes (see HatTip above),

I can't help but suspect that some people believe that their support of Obama is proof that they're a good person. (How many people believe their Obama bumper sticker irrefutably disproves any accusation of racism?)

Full post as published by Discriminations on April 10, 2008 (boomark / email).