Community Corner

Paula Deen Favored Over MLK?

A recent poll shows 73 percent of Georgia Republicans have a favorable opinion of Paula Deen while only 59 percent of GOP respondents felt the same about Martin Luther King Jr.

Public Policy Polling recently released Georgia survey results showing, among other things, that Paula Deen still has a significant fan base among Georgia Republicans:

"We asked Georgians their opinions about a number of current and historical figures in the state. Martin Luther King Jr. has a 73/15 favorability rating- it's 83/6 with Democrats but just 59/28 with Republicans. Paula Deen remains quite popular in her home state at a 54/21 spread- she's very popular with Republicans at 73/11 but seen positively by a plurality of Democrats at 40/33 as well."

Slate Magazine's take on the results? 

"Sure, there are still a lot of bigots in the south (and everywhere) but there are also people who have a sense of irony and silliness. Posing Paula Deen as a foil for Rev. King is pretty #skewed in its own right, because using human punchlines like Deen and Honey Boo Boo in a poll like this begs smart alecks to express their 'favor' for giggles."

Do you think having a favorable opinion of Paula Deen is indicative of bigotry? How do you explain the ideology differences regarding Deen and MLK? Let us know in the comments.



Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here