Posted on 11/20/2006 8:24:45 AM PST by areafiftyone
Mitt Romney (R) begins the 2008 campaign season in fourth place among those seeking the GOP Presidential nomination, trailing Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and Condoleezza Rice. While many Republican insiders believe the Massachusetts Governor could become an attractive candidate to the party's social conservatives, a Rasmussen Reports survey finds that Romney's faith may initially be more of a hindrance than a help.
Forty-three percent (43%) of American voters say they would never even consider voting for a Mormon Presidential candidate. Only 38% say they would consider casting such a vote while 19% are not sure. Half (53%) of all Evangelical Christians say that they would not consider voting for a Mormon candidate.
Overall, 29% of Likely Voters have a favorable opinion of Romney while 30% hold an unfavorable view. Most of those opinions are less than firmly held. Ten percent (10%) hold a very favorable opinion while 11% have a very unfavorable assessment. Among the 41% with no opinion of Romney, just 27% say they would consider voting for a Mormon.
It is possible, of course, that these perceptions might change as Romney becomes better known and his faith is considered in the context of his campaign. Currently, just 19% of Likely Voters are able to identify Romney as the Mormon candidate from a list of six potential Presidential candidates.
The response to a theoretical Mormon candidate is far less negative than the response to a Muslim candidate or an atheist. Sixty-one percent (61%) of Likely Voters say they would never consider voting for a Muslim Presidential candidate. Sixty percent (60%) say the same about an atheist.
The Rasmussen Reports survey found that 35% say that a candidate's faith and religious beliefs are very important in their voting decision. Another 27% say faith and religious beliefs are somewhat important. Ninety-two percent (92%) of Evangelical Christian voters consider a candidate's faith and beliefs important.
On the partisan front, 78% of Republicans say that a candidate's faith is an important consideration, a view shared by 55% of Democrats. However, there is also a significant divide on this topic within the Democratic Party. Among minority Democrats, 71% consider faith and religious beliefs an important consideration for voting. Just 44% of white Democrats agree.
The national telephone survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports November 16-17, 2006. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.
"Their name is, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.""
Again, I am not stating the merits of the dispute. Merely the fact of the dispute.
And this shows why women shouldn't be allowed to vote.
Their dedication is to the church. You leave the church and see what happens. A true Christian is simply a Christian. His denomination is irrelevant. A Baptist can worship in a Presbyterian church and a Presbyterian can worship in a Baptist church. I can go to a Catholic church and worship there even though I am Protestant.
A Christian is part of the catholic church of Jesus Christ. There is no one true denomination. A Mormon who accepts Christ as his Lord and Savior is a Christian. A Mormon who feels the Mormon church is the only true church is not a Christian because his allegiance is to the earthly church, not Christ.
I believe that the Nicene Creed sets down the basics for what a Christian believes. The early Church established that to fight heresy and I believe that if you agree with every statement of that Creed and do not believe anything that contradicts that Creed, you have Christian beliefs.
Since that is my belief on what constitutes Christian belief, I believe therefore that LDS teaching is not Christian teaching.
< snicker >
No Mormon considers other Christians real Christians.
They would say you are going to hell.
Homo "rights" are unBiblical, but you don't see the some churches too concerned about it these days. Their followers STILL think their way is the only way into heaven.
"And it's idiotic if it hands the country over to the Democrats, who are militantly anti-religious unless that religion is Wahhabist Islam..."
So you shoot the messenger?
Perhaps a more constructive solution would be to find a Republican candidate who could get elected.
Haley Barbour comes to mind.
He will appeal to the Reagan Democrats, women and Catholics (who remember JFK's fight for acceptance).
Yes, he certainly will.
When are they going to do the following polls:
1. Would you vote for a black candidate like Barack Obama?
2. Would you vote for a candidate who has a Muslim-sounding name like Barack Hussein Obama?
3. Would you vote for a ( fill in the blank ) candidate like Hillary Clinton?
43% ?? Is that because they are all liberals...43% of the population votes rat every election.
I have my doubts that the "700 Club" bloc (as opposed to the general evangelical block) is as significant to Republicans as you say. I know lots of evangelicals, but not many watch the 700 Club regularly.
You need to read the debates on the First Amendment.
They made it clear only a national religion was prohibited.
You need to read the founders. They said it was the best thing for voters to prefer Christians as rulers...not to put that in law, but for the voters to decide.
I predict Arnold will be the GOP candidate in 2008 or 2012 -- one way or another and I know what it would take for him to qualify.
Forgot to finish my point...Most evangelicals are more flexible tham the Pat Robertsons of the world.
Oh c'mon. That's just plain silly. A Scientologist would use an alien space ship. Sheesh.
And many evangelicals support him already. See evangelicalsformitt.com
Here's hoping most evangelicals will be more "put off" with the thought of Hillary as president.
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