Local Democrats are angry that WJTV focused on Barack Obama's race in a Web poll, but not John McCain's. Photo by Kenya Hudson
Two polls on the Web site of Jackson CBS affiliate WJTV reveal an inordinate focus on Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's race. The first poll deals with Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. It asks respondents to describe themselves as voting for or against "the McCain-Palin ticket" because of one of three issues: "their positions on issues," their Republican affiliation or Palin herself.
While dealing with Sen. Obama, the Democratic nominee, the second poll does not completely mirror the first. Respondents can describe themselves as voting for or against Obama for his stance on issues or his party affiliation. The response choices do not mention Obama's running mate, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, however. Alarming to some Jacksonians, however, the second poll allows respondents to describe themselves as voting for or against Obama "because he is black." The McCain-Palin poll makes no mention of the candidates' race.
Richard Russell, news director for WJTV, defended the poll, explaining that the two polls were meant to highlight the historic nature of Gov. Palin's and Sen. Obama's candidacies. "We were asking whether race plays an issue in your vote on the one question. And we were asking whether gender played a reason in the other," Russell said.
Russell developed the poll, with guidance from the station's executives, for use in two upcoming specials on Mississippi politics and the Sept. 26 presidential debate in Oxford. One story airing will focus on a group of Jackson State University students who plan to vote for Obama "strictly because of his race," Russell said.
"We turned around and asked them the same question: 'What would you say to people who would vote for John McCain just because he's white or for Sarah Palin just because she's female?' and they were offended. They will vote for Barack Obama because he is black, but they are offended if somebody else would vote for John McCain because he's white or for Sarah Palin because she's a female."
Lavaree Jones, of the Hinds County Democratic Executive Committee, took offense to the poll, though, going as far as writing to Professor Walter E. Williams of George Mason University, who is on the board of WJTV and is African American: "I am writing to protest a poll currently posted on the web page for WJTV in Jackson MS. As a member of the Democratic Party and an African American, I find the poll offensive and not worthy of fine people whom I know personally who work for WJTV. We have requested that this poll be taken down and it still remains on the site. The general manager is not taking phone calls."
In a return e-mail, distributed widely by Jones to a Democratic listserv, Williams responded: "Lighten up a bit. It's a nonsense poll. Spouting nonsense is one of our rights. Cheers."
Jones, in another e-mail to the listserv, said of Williams' response: "I think he was disrespectful to himself; particularly given the fact that he is African American himself."
She then sent a return e-mail to him, stating in part: "It wasn't nonsense, Mr. Williams. It is a racist attack against Barack Obama. Why do you think Biden (sic) name was omitted? If your station were doing fair and balanced reporting they would also report on whites who support Obama. There are many and the story in conjunction with the debate at Ole Miss this weekend would be more newsworthy. Shame on all of you. I am disappointed in you as a member of the board of governance for your glib response to our concern."
Russell, too, downplayed the poll's significance in an interview with the Jackson Free Press.
"There's not an agenda here. There's just something to spur conversation," he said. "And when the first African American candidate is going to be in a debate almost 46 years to the date that the University was forced to integrate, I don't think you can say that race is not an issue in this election."
Russell said that together, the two polls have received more than 2,000 responses so far. As of this writing, 4 percent of respondents said that they were voting for Obama because he is black. Another 5 percent were voting against Obama for his race, while 50 percent were voting for him because of his positions on issues.
In her e-mail to Williams, Jones referred to WJTV's planned story about JSU students voting for Obama because he's black. "Apparently," she added, "it was skewed in order to get information to support a story that WJTV wanted to do anyway. ... We should want to know IF they went to Ole Miss would they not find many white students who they could do a story on who would say they are voting for John McCain because he is NOT black."
Verbatim from WJTV site:
Web Poll 1
Which statement best describes your vote for President?
I'm voting for the John McCain-Sarah Palin ticket because of Palin
I'm voting against the John McCain-Sarah Palin ticket because of Palin
I'm voting for the John McCain-Sarah Palin ticket because of their positions on issues
I'm voting against the John McCain-Sarah Palin ticket because of their positions on issues
I'm voting for the John McCain-Sarah Palin ticket because they are Republicans
I'm voting against the John McCain-Sarah Palin ticket because they are Republicans
Web Poll 2
Which statement best describes your vote for President?
I'm voting for Barack Obama because he is black
I'm voting against Barack Obama because he is black
I'm voting for Barack Obama because of his position on issues
I'm voting against Barack Obama because of his position on issues
I'm voting for Barack Obama because he is a Democrat
I'm voting against Barack Obama because he is a Democrat
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