An economics researcher went looking for a tool to get an accurate measure of racism in America.
So I used a new tool, Google Insights, which tells researchers how often words are searched in different parts of the United States. ...
... The conditions under which people use Google — online, most likely alone, not participating in an official survey — are ideal for capturing what they are really thinking and feeling. You may have typed things into Google that you would hesitate to admit in polite company. I certainly have. The majority of Americans have as well: we Google the word “porn” more often than the word “weather.” ...Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, NYT
So which states? Which areas?
The state with the highest racially charged search rate in the country was West Virginia. Other areas with high percentages included western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, upstate New York and southern Mississippi. ...Stephens-Davidowitz, NYT
So looking at the 2008 race, the researcher found that John McCain had what he politely calls "a home-court advantage." Pure white (if there is such a thing) being the equivalent of "home court." That "home-court advantage" cost Obama up to 5% of the popular vote, minus the 1% advantage of the black vote.
If my findings are correct, race could very well prove decisive against Mr. Obama in 2012. Most modern presidential elections are close. Losing even two percentage points lowers the probability of a candidate’s winning the popular vote by a third. And prejudice could cost Mr. Obama crucial states like Ohio, Florida and even Pennsylvania. ...
...In 2008, Mr. Obama rode an unusually strong tail wind. The economy was collapsing. The Iraq war was unpopular. Republicans took most of the blame. He was able to overcome the major obstacle of continuing racial prejudice in the United States. In 2012, the tail wind is gone; the obstacle likely remains. ...Stephens-Davidowitz, NYT
The full research paper is available here (pdf).