White Clemson University Professor Conducts Racist Poll Behind South Carolina Election of Black Man to US Senate

WSPA.com

From [HERE] South Carolina’s Tim Scott defeated Democratic challenger Joyce Dickerson Tuesday night to become the first African American senator to win election in the South since Reconstruction. After Sen Jim DeMint resigned in November 2012, Gov. Nikki Haley appointed Scott to the office. This election was only to decide who would continue DeMint’s term. Scott will have to run again in 2016 to earn a full six-year term. [MORE]

Scott, a Tea Party darling, has openly discussed the necessity of impeaching President Barack Obama, tightening food stamp restrictions and slicing the HIV/AIDS budget for the state. [MORE]

Some non-white South Carolina voters are upset over an exit poll they received which referenced race and slavery.

The poll, which was handed out to voters in Charleston, Columbia, Greenville and Spartanburg asked them to agree or disagree on statements on whether blacks don't work hard enough to advance economically, are too demanding in their pursuit of equal rights and are hindered by the effects of slavery and discrimination.

The poll was conducted by David Woodard, a white political science professor at Clemson University. Woodard said he was trying to prove that race has no bearing on whether whites vote for political candidates.

“It was designed to take advantage of a political moment of Senator Tim Scott's election as the first African-American from a southern state since reconstruction,” said Woodard. “It was not designed to be provocative.”

Woodard said the controversial statements mentioned in his polls were used by pollsters for decades and that's why he chose to include it. He was surprised by the reaction.

“We do this every day. We didn't think too much about it until we got it out in the field and saw that there was some reaction,” he said.

Woodard partnered with Paul White Jr., a doctoral candidate in political science from University of South Carolina on this project. White handed out polls in Columbia.

About 1,000 exit polls were handed out. Woodard and White plan to publish the finding in a research paper slated for release in January.