/s
Posted on 06/15/2007 5:58:48 AM PDT by Between the Lines
A new national poll revealed that Americans want a religious person to be president.
Over half of all respondents with an opinion (60.7 percent) believe a presidential candidate should be religious while 39.3 percent do not, according to the poll released Thursday by the Sacred Heart University Polling Institute.
But a majority of Americans (66 percent) said the candidate’s specific religious affiliation is not relevant to their voting decision while 27.8 percent do consider a candidates specific religious affiliation. Most of the rest (6.3 percent) responded they were unsure if a candidate’s specific religious connection influences their vote.
“While 27.8 percent is a minority, it represents nearly 34 million people, based on the 2004 voter turnout, who will consider the particular religious denomination of such candidates as former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney – a Mormon,” commented Jerry C. Lindsley, director of the Sacred Heart University Polling Institute in a statement
That – according to Dr. June-Ann Greeley, SHU assistant professor of Religious Studies – means 27.8 percent of Americans would either vote for a candidate because of the candidate’s religious affiliation or they would not support the candidate on that basis.
“We think we can understand something meaningful about a person, a politician, if we have a sense of his/her religious beliefs because, clearly, religious belief is still esteemed by a majority of Americans,” explained Greeley, who is director of SHU’S Center for Catholic Thought, Ethics and Culture.
Nearly half of all participants, 48.4 percent, said their own religious faith always or sometimes guides their political views with the same percentage of Americans saying their faith seldom or never guides their views. A minority of 3.2 percent were unsure.
The poll also found most Americans (60.3 percent), neglecting how they will vote themselves, expect Democrats to regain the White House compared to only 14.5 percent believe that Republicans will maintain the presidency. About a quarter of Americans said they were undecided.
“When you remove undecided voters from the data, 80.6 percent believe the Democrats will win the White House – a perception that will be hard to overcome,” Lindsley noted.
“Even Republicans, by a margin of 42.6 percent to 29.4 percent, believe Democrats will regain the White House,” he added.
The top three most popular Democratic presidential candidates according to the poll are: New York Sen. Hillary Clinton (54 percent), Illinois Sen. Barack Obama (20.5 percent), and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina (12.1 percent).
For Republicans, the top presidential candidates are former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (38.6 percent), former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (19.3 percent), Arizona Sen. John McCain (17.9), and former Sen. Fred Thompson (9.0 percent).
Furthermore, the SHU poll revealed that Americans believe Republicans are three times more likely than Democrats to maintain a strong military and twice more likely to protect the country against terror attacks.
However, Democrats are considered more likely to maintain a strong economy, reduce the U.S. budget deficit, provide health care to the uninsured, end the military effort in Iraq, and support higher education.
Dr. Gary Rose, professor and chair of SHU’s Government and Politics department, said the vote may be impacted by the current issues surrounding Election Day.
“If national security is the principal concern of the electorate, the Republicans will have the advantage,” Rose said. “If domestic issues are primary, then the Democratic Party will carry the day. That’s the traditional way American politics has played out over the years.”
Some of the top issues that concern Americans, according to the poll, are: the Iraq War, rising gasoline prices, cost of and access to health care, immigration policy/illegal aliens, poor economy, high taxes, environment/pollution, terrorism, global warming, and violence/crime.
The poll also showed a continued loss of support for President Bush. Just under one-third, 32.6 percent, had a very or somewhat favorable opinion of the job Bush is doing. The favorability is the lowest SHU has recorded. The figure is down from 51.0 percent in February 2006 and 45.1 percent in October 2005.
The Sacred Heart University Polling Institute conducted a nationwide telephone survey of 958 Americans May 14-26 to study what role religion may play in the 2008 election. The sample was generated proportional to population contribution in all 50 states.
Sacred Heart University, in Fairfield, Conn., is the second-largest Catholic university in New England.
/s
Poll results are always good when they say what we want to hear.
Mitt Ping
Article not about him but discusses him.
The Dems certainly pay attention to this poll.
All they talk about these days is “faith.”
Winning elections is all in the packaging.
Right now, I am a one issue voter... We are being invaded and it needs to stop.
The rats certainly found religion in global warming.
And the Goracle came down from the volcano declaring that thou shall speak no ill of my energy-wasting mansion or my carbon trading scam.
No, the rats have been successful in inserting global warming and other socialist ideals into religion.
Now what are those folks who keep wanting to segregate religion from POTUS going to do about these masses who don’t?
“...and other socialist ideals into religion.”
You sure got that right. I’m reading of churches enticing poor souls to accept eco-fascism as some kind of holy quest to save the earth. The earth doesn’t need saving, souls do, however.
“Poll: American Voters Want a Religious President”
I’d settle for one that wasn’t an atheist or a member of a murderous death cult.
So a majority of Americans would be willing to elect a Muslim president?
I don't believe that for a minute, but if I did I think I would be looking around for another country to immigrate to. I would almost as soon have a Nazi in the White House as a devout, practicing Muslim.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.