As debate rages over which matters more — black lives or all lives — a new poll released Thursday shows that twice the number of blacks and three times the number of Democrats endorse the more inclusive phrase over the one preferred by activists.
Rasmussen asked 1,000 likely voters: “Which statement is closest to your own—black lives matter or all lives matter?”
Sixty-four percent of black respondents said that “all lives matter” more closely matches their views. Only 31 percent opted for “black lives matter,” a phrase made popular after the Aug 9, 2014, shooting of Michael Brown by a Ferguson, Mo. police officer.
The Black Lives Matter group has rose to prominence following that shooting and several other cases in which blacks died after encounters with the police.
With criminal justice and policing reform as their focal point, members of the activist group have disrupted campaign events for Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley. Sanders has agreed to meet with Deray McKesson, one of the most prominent members of the group. Hillary Clinton has also courted McKesson, inviting him to a New York City campaign event in June.
Video surfaced this week of members of the Black Lives Matter Boston chapter meeting behind closed doors with Hillary Clinton. The exchange was heated at times, with the activists accusing Clinton of “victim-blaming” for asserting that the group needs to work more within the political system.
According to Rasmussen, 9 percent of whites and 10 percent of non-black minority voters said “black lives matter.” Eighty-one percent of whites and 76 percent of non-black minorities preferred “all lives matter.”
Among Democrats, 67 percent said “all lives matter” matches their outlook. Only 23 percent said black lives matter more.
A vast majority of Republicans and independent voters — 88 percent and 80 percent respectively — chose “all lives matter” over “black lives matter.”
[h/t The Washington Examiner]