Poll: President Obama has had only a minimal impact on race relations

By Eric Zimmermann - 10/29/09 02:29 PM ET

Barack Obama's presidency hasn't notably changed views on race relations in America, according to the results of a new Gallup poll.

Fifty-six percent of Americans believe that a solution to America's race problems will eventually be worked out. That's roughly the same result that Gallup found in the years leading up to 2008.
In short, despite a brief and notable bump after Obama won the election, optimism (or lack thereof) about U.S. race relations is back to its previous level.
(Gallup interpets the drastic fluctuation in 1995 as a response to the O.J. Simpson trial.)