October 19, 2020 - Women See Biden’s Selection of Black Woman Running Mate as a Good Decision

According to a Public Religion Research Institute survey, Black women are most likely, followed by college-educated white women, to say that selecting a Black woman running mate was a good decision for Biden. The survey asked half of the sample whether it was a good or bad decision to nominate a woman, and the other half of the sample whether it was a good or bad decision to nominate a Black woman. 46% of respondents say it was a good decision to choose a woman and 42% say it does not matter. Among those asked specifically about choosing a Black woman, 41% say it was a good decision, and 50% say it does not matter. White respondents are, overall, less likely than Black respondents to say that nominating a woman or a Black woman was a good decision by Biden, though gender divides are evident across racial groups with women more likely to view Biden’s selection positively. As PRRI reports: “Among Black Americans, notably, 64% say nominating a woman was a good decision, compared to 52% who think nominating a Black woman was a good idea. These differences are driven by the attitudes of Black men, among whom 62% say nominating a woman was a good idea, but only 36% say nominating a Black woman was a good idea. Black women show no significant difference in whether it was a good idea to nominate a woman (66%) or a Black woman (64%).”