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September 02, 2009

Education, Not Race, Determines Voting Patterns

Education, Not Race, Determines Voting Patterns

Education is about five times more important than race when determining whether voters in Florida favored the ban on same-sex marriage in 2008.

According to a new study by the University of Florida, the results contradict previously held assumptions that newly registered African-Americans who voted for Barack Obama were the ones to blame for voting to constitutionally ban same-sex marriage.

Dan Smith, a political science professor and coauthor of the study, told the Gainesville Sun that education levels are the leading contributor to voting patterns. "There is a lot of evidence showing increased education leads to greater tolerance," he said.

The report shows that "for each additional 1% that a county's population had attained bachelor's degrees, the county showed a 1% decrease in support for the amendment. Comparatively, for each 1% increase in a county's black population, the county showed a 2/10% increase in support.

Twenty percent of Floridians above the age of 16 lacked the basic literacy skills to read a newspaper article, according to data from the National Center for Educational Statistics released in January. Only 58% of Floridian high schoolers earn a diploma in four years, compared to the national average of 69%, according to the Alliance for Excellent Education.

Smith also agreed with a study by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute revealing that the National Exit Poll, which has been cited as proof that African-Americans voted in favor of such marriage bans, consistently overrepresented that population's support for California's Proposition 8. Early exit polls said that 70% of blacks voted for Proposition 8 in California. However, the NGLTF study revealed that the figures were closer to 58%, similar to numbers in polls leading up to the November 2008 vote.

Though they are often seen as a voting bloc, especially given the first viable option to elect an African-American president, black voters have differing education levels and religious observances, leading to more varied results, Smith said, adding, "I think the study shows they shouldn't be written off."

Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

  • Name: bma83
    Date posted: 2009-09-03 12:18 AM
    Hometown: Baltimore

    Comment:

    I see it’s “Disparage the Black People” time here on Advocate for the readers. I don't know why I'm surprised. I should be used to it, even in the gay community.


  • Name: PePa
    Date posted: 2009-09-02 9:16 PM
    Hometown: Santa Ana, CA

    Comment:

    OF COURSE the color of your skin is not an issue by it self. What has plagued many blacks around the globe is and has been economic disparity, crime, sexual promiscuity, violence, and an overwhelming growth of black dunces. This is why many young black males prefer to aspire to be rap artists with all the glamor of having a nice "crib," some cash and of course some good looking white "bitches" to screw around with. Too bad that not that many would like to be doctors, police, lawyers, writers, engineers since all these will require study and hitting the books which many blacks consider that to be kinda "gay." We should leave blacks as they are, since trying to elevate their skills and education is mainly frowned upon the hipsters who pray on young naive blacks and brainwashing them using overt masculinity that their cool cliches are in and anything else is well, you guessed it -- gay! I think this is the main root of the problem and not necessarily the pigmentation of your skin.


  • Name: Nick
    Date posted: 2009-09-02 7:36 PM
    Hometown: Altadena

    Comment:

    Rey don't be a dumb racist, you had one of the dumbest arguments ever, go burn some crosses while you're at it and maybe suck Hitler's schlong (you'd like that wouldn't you?). There's homophobic asian countries too, homophobia is not because of race, it's from culture.


  • Name: Rodney Hoffman
    Date posted: 2009-09-02 7:14 PM
    Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

    Comment:

    But why did they ignore the bigger factor: religion?! In every poll that has looked, religion (specific religions) hugely swamps both race and education as the determining factor in how someone votes on same sex marriage. Those religions are our enemy. It's bogus bible-based bigotry.


  • Name: lcatgoddess
    Date posted: 2009-09-02 6:42 PM
    Hometown: yuma

    Comment:

    So, 2 in 10 Florida residents above the age of 16 can't competently read a newspaper (or much else, presumably). I find that very, very scary.


  • Name: Rey
    Date posted: 2009-09-02 5:21 PM
    Hometown: San Diego

    Comment:

    If educational attainment (and therefore the actions that stem from that like voting decisions) is poorly correlated to race, what explains the intractable educational gap for blacks despite all the money, educational, and community resources expended? If intelligence is not related to race, why are IQ levels highly correlated to race not just nationally, but globally? Asian-Americans have high IQ's just as Asians who live in other countries. Black Americans have low IQ's just as blacks in Sub-saharan Africa. The divergent technological achievements speak for themselves. In fact, Africa is notoriosly homophobic and violent against gays just as they are in the Caribbean. Intelligence is not a disembodied quality. It is as organic and part of morphology as long as the brain is part of the human body.


  • Name: Anne
    Date posted: 2009-09-02 4:20 PM
    Hometown: Weeki Wachee, FL

    Comment:

    Not a surprise. As a resident of Florida, I have realized that outside of the major cities, most Floridians are uneducated, intolerant rednecks. And before you comment to the fact, I will be leaving this god-forsaken state in six years, when I get my pension from my state job. Heading to the Pacific Northwest, where there is some semblance of tolerance and benefits for domestic partnerships.


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