Are men uncomfortable with the idea of a female president?
Only 45 percent of American men in a poll released Thursday say they'd be be "very comfortable" with the idea of a woman president. Sixty-four percent say they'd be somewhat or very comfortable with it.
Those are just two of the more startling findings in the survey conducted by Hart Research and Associates for the Shriver Report, a non-profit group focused on the status of American women.
The results could hold political significance in the 2016 election cycle -- an unfolding political drama in which one of the lead players is a woman. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is, by all accounts, the overwhelming favorite for the Democratic nomination. If she wins the primary, she'll be the first female nominee of a major U.S. political party, and she'll likely to wage a competitive general election campaign.
According to the survey released Thursday, African American men (77 percent), Hispanic men (72 percent), and men with a college degree or higher (74 percent) are most likely to be comfortable with a female president.
Only 41 percent of men between 18 and 29 years old say they'd be "very comfortable" with a female -- the lowest percentage of any age group.
Some other interesting findings in the poll:
Forty-nine percent of men say they'd be very comfortable with a female boss; 73 percent say they'd be somewhat or very comfortable.
By a margin of 45 to 20, men say it's harder to be a man today than it was during their father's generation.
By a margin of 54 to 46, men say it's more important to be present for their family than to provide for them.
Thirty-six percent of men say they're uncomfortable around gay men. That number jumps to 62 percent among men who don't personally know any gay people, and it drops to 24 percent among men who do know a gay person.
Twenty-two percent of men believe that showing emotion displays weakness.
A full look at the survey results can be found here. The data were based on an online survey of 813 men from April 10-13.