"Hope" Is More Than A Campaign Slogan

The word "historic" has been a near mantra when describing Barack Obama's candidacy. Yesterday, his nomination as the first black candidate for a major political party caused delegates, political commentators and viewers alike to tear up at the grand significance of that moment.

A new Washington Post poll provides a snapshot of how Obama's candidacy has stirred hopes in the hearts of black voters:

Nearly two-thirds of black voters in the new poll said they could see one of their children becoming president, up 11 percentage points from the fall of 1992. At 47 percent, whites are about where they were back then on the question.

As an aside, the poll also reveals this interesting tidbit:

For white voters, the pride issue helps to predict their preference in the voting booth. Obama is the choice of 59 percent of those whites who said he has made them more proud, while Sen. John McCain, his Republican opponent, is favored by 57 percent of those who said Obama's being the first African American nominee has no effect on their level of pride.