Racial gap between Clinton, Obama widens

The racial gap between the top Democratic presidential candidates appears to be widening, according to a new Rasmussen poll.

The results of the survey, released Monday, show that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) has the support of only 16 percent of black voters, while 66 percent back Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.).

{mosads}The news of the survey follows a weekend during which the campaigns traded accusations that the other is making race an issue in the Democratic primary.

On Sunday, Clinton said there “is not one shred of truth” to assertions that her campaign is making race an issue. On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” the former first lady argued that an oft-quoted remark — that it takes more than words to bring about change — was unfairly mischaracterized.

In response, Obama said it was Clinton who made an “ill-advised” remark about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and added it was “ludicrous” to suggest that the controversy is his campaign’s doing.

The new Rasmussen data show, however, that race appears to be an important factor in voters’ preference.

The poll puts Clinton ahead among white voters, 41 percent to 27 percent.

“There has been a racial divide in the Democratic race for several months,” said Scott Rasmussen, the president of Rasmussen Reports. “But it appears to have widened recently. Data from November and December typically showed Obama’s support from African-Americans in the high 40s or low 50s. Clinton was in the mid-to-high 20s.”