A Major Difference in Black and White Opinions About Katrina Relief

Michael Barone raises an important question about the differences in perceptions of Hurricane Katrina relief that exist between African Americans on the one hand and non-Hispanic White Americans on the other hand. It's apparent in a CNN-USA Today Poll he cites:

Just your best guess, do you think one reason the federal government was slow in rescuing these people was because many of them were black, or was that not a reason?

	Yes, was a reason	No, was not	No opinion
Blacks	-	-	-
2005 Sep 8-11	60%	37%	3%
Non-Hispanic Whites	-	-	-
2005 Sep 8-11	12%	86%	2%

As we look to address the racial and class divides that have been brought into sharp view as a result of Hurricane Katrina, this poll shows how difficult it will be to do that. The differences in perception on the parts of the Black and White communities are dramatic. Most whites seem to acknowledge major difficulties, which they attribute to incompetence, poor planning, and poor follow-through.

But how one perceives a problem obviously will have an effect on how one addresses it. That has implications for the ambitious program the President outlined last night.