On Wednesday, I decided to poll as many players in the 49ers locker room as possible to gauge where the club stood politically. This post has nothing to do with football. So if you don't care and don't want to read anything about the mixing of sports and politics, there is absolutely no need for you to read any further.
OK, there's your fair warning on Election Eve.
Coincidentally, I tabulated the feelings of 37 players. I spoke to 35 players individually. There were two players with whom I did not personally speak, but I counted their support anyway. One was wearing a T-shirt that clearly stated whom he supports. And when I spoke to another player, he told me that his best friend on the team shared his view of the presidency. (I did not see that player in the locker room, so I could not confirm.) If I were a professional pollster, I'd probably get fired for such an offense, but I thought it was fair because in those two cases different candidates were supported.
When I approached these players, I guaranteed confidentiality. I asked: "McCain, Obama, undecided or prefer not to say."
I also did not ask any questions about why they supported that particular candidate. However, it was interesting that in most cases, the players went ahead and told me why they had reached their opinions.
Two players told me they were driven to vote for the first time this year. (They are voting for the same candidate, by the way.) One player answered, "Neither." Another player jokingly (I think) asked if he can vote for Nader. Then, he said he preferred not to answer. Another player answered "undecided," but then told me of his distaste for the process because of the electoral college.
* * *
First, I'll present the raw numbers:
20: Obama
8: McCain
9: Neither, undecided or declined to answer
* * *
Of the players polled, 18 make less than $900,000, and 19 make more than $900,000. This is how they broke down:
Less than $900,000:
13: Obama
1: McCain
4: Neither, undecided or declined to answer
More than $900,000:
7: McCain
7: Obama
5: Neither, undecided or declined to answer
* * *
Now, this is where things get a little delicate. Obviously, this is a historic election. But in gathering the information, one thing became quite apparent in a hurry. (And, frankly, this is the reason it has taken me several days to write about this.)
It's the issue of race.
I tabulated the results of 11 white players (65 percent of the 17 white players on the 49ers' 53-man roster) and 26 non-white players (69 percent of the non-whites on the team.) So, obviously, there is a pretty good representation from both groups.
Here's how the 11 white players answered:
8: McCain.
0: Obama
3: Neither, undecided or declined to answer
Here's how the 26 non-whites answered:
20: Obama
0: McCain
6: Neither, undecided or declined to answer
* * *
And now for some of the unsolicited opinions:
Obama supporters
--"I'll get hit a little harder on taxes, but I'll be all right. I have a big family and they'll all benefit from more tax relief."
--"In the last debate, McCain pushed and Obama had all the answers. He carries himself more like a leader."
McCain supporters
--"He is more qualified to be president."
--"With the money we make, anyone in this locker room who doesn't vote for McCain is crazy. Someone who makes $1 million a year is going to pay $400,000 in taxes. That's just not right."
* * *
Matt, who are you voting for?
I am sorry you fell compelled to write this. Bringing politics into this blog was not needed. I am particularly disappointed you broke down votes by race. We are already too polarized in this country and I am afraid whomever wins it will just continue.
Matt, I was skeptical about this political piece. Thanks for the courage of including race. Without including race, this poll would have been meaningless.
Well, it is obvious who Singletary was talking about when he said the team had "cancers" on it. A vote for Obama is a vote for socialism. Sickening!
Thanks for this piece MM. Very interesting and some fairly predictable results.
Wow, this is what we are reduced to when the news is slow on the 49ers! You hear of a coach taking his pants off like a WWE segment. Now we got politics. Matt, why didn't you go for Prop 8 since Steve young already sold his soul on it and likes the idea of our state going down the crapper? Steve Young officially made me turn his back on him if Prop 8 fails in the ballot.
I think the race part if it is very interesting...it happened so what would not writing about it do to de-polarize our nation? I don't mind the article at all, thanks matt!
Matt had already stated that he was going to do this a while ago and he also said he would put any football related information in this post. More importantly, he stated this so if you didn't want to read it you would have the opportunity TO NOT READ IT!
It's an entertaining news since we had no football. Obama is going to win California anyways. This state is the capital city of the Democrats & Liberals, residing Pelosi, Boxer, Newsome, etc. The 55 electoral votes are reserved for the Democrat President on every election year.
touchy subject matt, perhaps this is one area that should remain in the locker room. my only hope is that people will vote only after a indepth study based on the candidates government and legislature records rather than popularity, political party, or any other reason for that matter. (whew!)good luck with this one matt!
Wow! Very compelling, thanks Matty.
Interesting piece. I know it would have been impossible but breaking down the participants by the geographic regions from which they came to the 9ers would have been interesting as well.
The ummmm, intelligence challenged individuals (I'm attempting to be politcally correct toward the mentally handicapped) who were warned not to read if they didn't want to get into politics but read anyway and felt compelled to show their arses to the world via comment remind me of a 2 year old who's told not to touch the fire because it's hot and then touches it anyway and screams. The election is only the biggest story in the country this week. Why not get the players view of the story since Matt has access.
marco the facts speak for themselves. Race is a factor. The football team is a good sample size of what non bay area residents believe.
A white male from the south will not vote for obama and a black male from inner city will not voe for mccain. Its dishearting but true, and denying the fact that race plays a factor proves your naive.
whinner - he did warn you not to read if you are not interested.....LodiGrapePicker- do you even know the definition of a socialist?....I can understand NFL players making over $900,000 not wanting Obama......but about the race issue - isn't obama both WHITE AND BLACK? I mean he was practically raised as a "white-boy".....
Hey Matt, I really enjoyed this piece seeing that I am a college student getting involved with politics for the first time. Needless to say, JTO has made me less and less enthusiastic about school pride...
Anyway, The racial breakdown was a real shock but thank you for including it. Very interesting.
If you liked Jimmy Carter you're sure to
enjoy President Obamas' 4yr term.
Hi Matt. In the wake of the polls I find it interesting to read how the players on my favourite team think. And you made a clear point in your introduction, that the article is not about the sport itself. In Europe the newspapers have Obama as the clear winner. But the players made a clear statement, that it's all about the money and the race. And I say it without any judgement!
I just don't see how i can agree with someone who argued and thought JTO was going to be a good QB.....Am i to expect you really have an ounce of intelligence to tell who the better president should be?.....You know who you are!!!!
Matt - Thanks for the post. Interesting.
Hey guys, Matt didn't "polarize" the nation we can thank ourselves for that. Lets not kill the blogger.......Lodi - Pick up a textbook, the only "socialists" in the country are those currently in power who are establishing "state" run/owned banks. My guess is you're one of folks who put them into power, how's that workin' out for ya?....... I was stoked to see at least one intelligent person who understands that the Electoral College is archaic and dissenfranchises millions of voters every four years, there is some hope for the niners...... ahh but then you get the Million dollar comment.....I know these guys aren't the brightest, but can he actually keep a straight face when he complains about "making it" on $600,000.......After I make my $100,000 a year and pay $25000, I have to live on $75,000..........I sure wish I made a 100,000 per year.
The pundits show that race will not matter in this election. Your poll results show otherwise. The difference between the two players is significant in todays selfish players. One is wooried about taxes. But one is concerened about people in his family who do not make over $250,000
I am surprised by the race correlation. Two points: It would be interesting to see if there is a correlation between 'Declined to Answer' and a racial crossover vote. And, the salary levels of these guys is so high that, unlike the average voter, they can afford to be racist.
Next up: "O'Sullivan, Hill, undecided, or prefer not to say."
The guy who dislikes the electoral college has got to be O'Sullivan.
Thanks for the article, Matt. Sure, it's a delicate subject. But why should it be, really? Shouldn't we be adult enough to discuss these sorts of things? Anyway, your findings were very interesting, and I appreciate your taking the time to do it.
For those of you giving Lodi a hard time about his socialist comment, you need to study up. Obama has in fact been endorsed by every socialist group in the US. There are many quotes from him talking in favor of "redistributing wealth". If he is elected he will be the president most closely aligned with socialism in the history of the US.
Thanks, Matt. Very interesting stuff. Love the way you presented the results.
I'm shocked that none of the white players polled said they'd vote for Obama, considering that California is a "blue state" and the Bay Area in particular seems to be more diverse and progressive than a lot of places. Seems pretty flukey that not 1 out of 11 would give Obama a show of support. As Houston 9er mentioned, could just be a matter of where these guys came from. Hometown data, while impractical for anonymous results, would have been nice to see.
And ummm, to the guy who said he would turn his back on Steve Young if Prop 8 is voted down, I'm sure Steve will be heartbroken. *rolls eyes* You knnow, Jesus would vote against prop 8. He loves all his flock, including the gay sheep that want to get married to each other. ;)
Interesting survey. I'd also like to share an article I read this morning.
It's no secret that black voters usually vote for the black candidate and white voters usually vote for the white.
But this study by a couple Stanford professors revealed that a candidate's appearance can have a significant impact on independent and undecided voters as well.
In this survey of 600 people, the participant's own photo was morphed with either President Bush or Senator Kerry.
The results showed that voters tended to stick with party lines (i.e. the voter tended to choose his/her party even if their picture was morphed with the opposing party).
But independent and undecided voters preferred the candidate who was morphed with their own image. The swing was roughly 10 points in each direction (the control group showed a 46% to 44% Bush victory).
I'd argue that the black/white issue really has nothing to do with this election. Those biases are predictable, but irrelevant.
In my opinion, the real driver of Obama's success has been his ability to identify with the swing voters (through appearance, campaign message, etc.)
http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2008/october22/morph-102208.html
I can see that you didn't ask Joe Staley. I know Joe Staley is an Obama Supporter from a video segment on 49ers.com.
unfortunately, no black players would publicly state that they don't support Obama because they'd be vilified as Uncle Toms.
Also, those rich Obama supporters are voting against their own economic interest. I thought only rubes from Kansas did that?
I don't think this was right Matt.
I am a total political JUNKIE. I live for the crap. I am fatigued from all of this. I look to my sports page to get away with this crap.
This just was not right. This is the most unknown Candidate in modern day American history. It's alarming what is going on and how the American public is about to get duped.
What is truly disgusting is how people in your "industry" have held back and not reported on BHO. In all of my life and studies of American and European politics I have never ever seen anything like it. Main Stream Media should be ashamed of themselves and personally I have never seen the favoritism displayed by the ABC networks. It is astonishing and America should be mad.
I think some of you might be careful not to show your true colors on matters that are more intelligent than football....It might hurt your credibility on this site ...example. Houston 9er says "Obama has in fact been endorsed by every socialist group in the US" --- Houston 9er CANNOT NAME ONE SOCIALIST GROUP IN THE USA IF HIS LIFE DEPENDS ON IT. I will give you a clue Houston 9er - ALASKA
"Starting in 1982, dividends from (oil royalties, etc) have been paid out each year to eligible Alaskans, ranging from $331.29 in 1984 to $1963.86 in 2000. Every year, the state legislature takes out 8 percent from the earnings, puts 3 percent back into the principal for inflation proofing, and the remaining 5 percent is distributed to all qualifying Alaskans. To qualify for the Alaska State Permanent Fund one must have lived in the state for a minimum of 11 months, and maintain constant residency." - IT DOES NOT SAY YOU HAVE TO WORK OR BE A TAX PAYER TO RECEIVE THIS FUND, JUST MOVE TO ALASKA AND GOVERNMENT GIVES YOU MONEY FOR STAYING THERE....ISN"T THAT SOME KIND OF SOCIALISM
u c Matt, oneniner, has no clue.
The idiot does not know that before any oil prodution happened in the state of Alaska the people got a piece of the pie, not from gov but from the oil company. that was the condition set by the people. Not by the gov. what an idiot!! Oneniner you know less about politics than you do football which mean you have a IQ of MINUS 100
I'm a bit surprised by the race breakdown. I assumed there would have been some sort of crossover. I guess hoping people could consider higher issues than money or race was naive.
I also see now why you waited to post this. Some people might be turned off by the results. Good job as always, Matt.
Delaine and M-Rob were at a voter registration rally at SJSU. It is nice to see that some athletes actually care about political participation. I think it was Delaine who registered for the first time during the rally, but I am not sure. I hope everybody is ready for the Anti-Bradley effect; Obama in a landslide!!!Great article Matt, politics and Sports go hand-in-hand.
Wow, it's really come down to the stupidity that amazes me. I don't like Barry bonds, and I'm a racist because I don't care for him. I don't like Obama, and again, I'm a racist because I don't care for him. I think of it as if you are served bad food, why should you be forced to eat it, and why would it be an insult not to care for it?
I got a lot of mutual respect for the black individuals. I like some of them, but I don't like some of them because it's called I don't care or have a preference, or I'm not interested. It amazes me how it all sounds racist when it's not even a story!
If I was black, I'd probably have the same reservations about Obama. For the so called 9 out of 10 that may support Obama, there is 1 black person with reserves on who Obama is as an individual.
Obama strikes me as a dictator, and I thought dictators were only for Germany. Going to be a sad day for me if we voted Obama in. That's why I hate voting for it never counts. Bad things always happen when I do the right things.
It is going to be a very sad day for this country if Obama is elected. My money has been slowly moving overseas, and I expect that I am not alone. The people who vote for Obama will soon get what they deserve, just don't expect to get much from me. Enough said by me, now back to football.
Darrren and Lodigrapepicker you guys need a nipple.....you making too much out of nothing....be happy for america, if your miserable souls cant for once see something good in america.
John from HB Cali - "that was the condition set by the people. Not by the gov" = Hey moron - the people are the government......ever heard of a government in america not elected by the people?
LodiGrapePicker why don'y you move overseas?...i mean your money is there, why not please spare us the HATE and move with your money?
I would like to congratulate the Obama liberal in oneniner as you just lost every bit of support I had given you on the team and Alex Smith. You my friend have now been BOOTED from my bus and don't you ever expect me to stop at your stop. Go ahead and say HEIL to the chief. And I don't regret saying HEIL either.
I expect the usual unfair treatment from the media.
So far, with around 47% counted, Prop 8 Yes was winning 2.9 million to 2.6 million. And nos. coming out of Southern California kept it constantly at 57% yes, 43% no so...unless the Bay Area has a landslide of like 75% on yes, expect Prop 8 to be passed and Steve Young can forget that he supported a losing prop.
I hope Mayor Newsom thinks twice about running for Governor for Southern calif./Central Calif. and outside San Francisco I guarantee will rip him a new one in the polls!
Oneniner, I am impressed with your Alaska quote. You actually got one thing right. You should change your name to OneThing.
As far as your disparaging comment about me. The DSA, which is a huge socialist group, actively supported Obama. It's been all over CNN and other news sites covering this election. Why would you think I wouldn't know that? Do you know me? Are you my neighbor?
Darren - At first i thought you were of a sane mind supporting A.Smith, now i see you are a confused soul....I will pray for you....Houston 9er - cmon you know the DSA is not going to be pushing their agenda on Obama, just like the people who support segregration won't have been influencing Mccain if he had won.........YEA I DO KNOW YOU, I SEE YOU ALL THE TIME!!!..:)
I'm sure you know there is a socialist party and they have their own candidate for pres and vp. Socialists are/were against the "bailout". Obama was for the "bailout" and McCain against it. The government does not OWN the banks now! It's a loan, we the people gave the banks interest free that we will never get back. People need to stop throwing the word "socialist" around. All your doing is trying to scare people.
Good article. I was REALLY surprised that no white guys supported Obama openly, not one.
Now to an important issue. I got an open spot on my fantasy team and I'm gonna put a Niner WR in. Morgan or Johnson?