Black Is Black, Or Possibly Not

That Barrack Obama: he's not really black, is he?
Watching him on Channel 4 News last night he looked almost as white as Michael Jackson.
If you painted your walls the colour of Obama's complexion, you could pass them off as Magnolia.

This is very distasteful comment, but I'm trying to work out its relevance to those for whom skin colour matters.
From my own British experience there are:
a) people who hate all foreigners
b) people who hate those of another 'race'
c) those who hate people of a different colour - usually black
My experience is that (c) are the largest group. That's why white, European immigrants experience less prejudice than black immigrants. It may also account for the fact that black contestants, however talented, usually get booted off the X Factor quite quickly. Leona Lewis, who won, was of mixed race and, like Obama, quite pale-skinned.

So I wonder whether for colour-prejudiced people, a person's position on the skin-colour spectrum is a relevant factor. If Obama were 'as black as the ace of spades', would he garner less votes than he is currently achieving?
I only ask the question.
Untypically for a blogger, I don't have all the answers, or even any of them.

Meanwhile, today's Guardian took a dangerous punt.
Their front page lead has Hillary losing the New Hampshire primary and sacking her strategists.
An important rule for journalists, as for politicians, is never put your faith in polls.
Wouldn't you love to be a fly on the wall at today's Guardian editorial conference? I bet Harry Potter's glasses are a bit steamed up.