I’ve been sitting on this since Friday morning. I’m glad to finally get to post it.
NPR has two stories on faith and religion in the White House.
The first talks about the role religion will play in the race.
The second talks about the hurdle former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney may face as a Mormon.
Here are some poll results from NPR’s website:
Public Opinion Polls Weigh Faith and Politics
Los Angeles Times / Bloomberg
June 2006
Percentage of 1,321 respondents who said they could NOT vote for the following presidential candidates because of religion:
* A Mormon candidate: 37%
* A Jewish candidate: 15%
* A Muslim candidate: 54%
* An evangelical Christian candidate: 21%
* A Catholic candidate: 10%
December 2006
Percentage of 1,489 registered voters surveyed who could NOT vote for one of the following, even if they were presidential candidates nominated by the respondents’ party and even they and the respondents were in general agreement on most issues:
* A Mormon: 14%
* A 72-year-old: 14%
* A woman: 4%
* An African-American: 3%
Newsweek
December 2006
Percentage of 864 registered voters surveyed who would NOT vote for the following for president even if they were qualified for the job and nominated by the respondent’s party:
* A Mormon: 25%
* An African-American: 3%
* A woman: 8%
NBC News/Wall Street Journal
December 2006
Percentage of 1,006 adults who said they were very uncomfortable or have some reservations about voting for a presidential candidate who is:
* Mormon: 53%
* Jewish: 19%
* An evangelical Christian: 54%
ABC News/Washington Post
December 2006
Percentage of 1,005 adults who said they would be less likely to vote for a candidate for president who is:
* Mormon: 35%
Fox News/Opinion Dynamics
December 2006
Percentage of 900 registered voters who said they would be less likely to vote for a candidate for president who is:
* Mormon: 32%
* Protestant: 6%
* Roman Catholic: 10%
* Jewish: 10%
* A member of the Christian Coalition: 24%
* Muslim: 45%
* An atheist: 50%
* A Scientologist: 53%
Percentage of 900 registered voters who said they be less likely to vote for Mitt Romney because he’s a Mormon: 24%
Source: Compiled by NPR from searches of the iPOLL Databank provided by the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, University of Connecticut.
Oh and Barack Obama announced his campaign for President today. I’m excited to see what happens. He reminds me of a black Jed Bartlett. I hate that I have to point out his race but at the same time I’m really excited to think that America may finally approve of someone other than a white man in the White House.
I posted on Obama’s faith back in October after I read a transcript of a speech he gave earlier in the year. Seems even more pertinent now.
I still love this quote:“I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God’s will. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all.”
