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.
NO...HE'S NOT GOING TO HELL......JUST YOU!
DOES THAT UPSET YOU....
Get your FACTS straight....Mormons don't believe in the existance of HELL anyway.
He represents a state where a large percentage of voters are Mormon. He'd have a heck of a time winning the presidency.
Lieberman is Jewish. Shumer "the putze" is Jewish.
If you look at the polls, you'll see a huge difference in how the voters view Jews vs. Mormons. Mormons are at a far greater disadvantage.
What does Mormon have do with anything? Its the fact that the PRM, which reelects and reelects Kerry and Kennedy, voted him gub'nor that makes me suspicious...
Not a 'practice' but a Rite. . .(of passage, if you will and so to speak).
Or. . .am I missing something?
"The same as Catholicism was when Kennedy ran. It won't stop him as the public sees what they are getting."
No, almost all protestant denominations recognize Roman Catholics as Christians. (The reverse is not necessarily true --- many RCs espouse that protestants are going to Hell, but that is beside the point.)
This is a much more serious divide --- many/most protestant groups do not recognize Mormons as Christians at all.
The same groups preach that God provides protection to the US because of its Christian devotion.
They would opine (again, for right or wrong) that God would no longer protect the US if we "turned away."
Etc.
Again, NOT ADOPTING the merits of this argument. Just stating that it WILL OCCUR and will be a very, very powerful argument to a critical portion of the electorate.
Oh. .. I got iT! You are right. ..no babtism. . .right! And. . .ooops. .. moving too fast here. . .
Most Mormon women are too tired after raising seven children...
What basis do you have for the claim that a Christian is, by definition, trinitarian? I'm not necessarily doubting you, I'm just wondering if you can point me to some relevant authority.
Do you have a link to documentation of this incredibly slanderous claim?
My belief is that anyone who believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that he died for our sins is a Christian. I believed that was what made a Christian when I was Catholic. I believe it now.
Even mainstream Christianity can't agree amongst the different sects what makes for a "real Christian" a lot of times.
Yes, the "Spell" button.
2. Would you vote for a candidate who has a Muslim-sounding name like Barack Hussein Obama?
What a silly reason not to vote for somebody. It's beneath us.
There are many legitimate reasons not to vote for him - we don't need to make up ludicrous ones.
I hope so.
Yes, you're missing the fact that the word is BAPTISM, not "babtism".
Not really. She'll be carrying a Bible, waving incense, wearing a burka complete with an an explosive belt, wearing a wiccan broach, toting around a lesbian mate with a pitch fork, and wearing a Jewish skull cap all at the same time.
Boy golly, she'll have them all fooled.
Evangelicals like Jews, although they really don't trust Judaism. On the other hand, Mormons are out to actively recruit their children away, and Jews don't do that.
It seems to be a big issue with evangelicals. For me (and I'm a Catholic) religion is NOT an issue.
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.