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.
My point was to illustrate how the left will design polls specifically to smear Republicans, but would never do the same thing to a 'Rat.
They never ran around in 2000 asking people if they would be comfortable having a Jew a heartbeat away from the presidency.
The Mormon faith began because every Christian faith was corrupt and not true according to Smith.
But that is a theological argument. I, of course, agree that the Trinity is a core belief of Christianity, but Mormons make great neighbors because they are generally very ethical people. There's no reason why one would not make a good president.
But that is a theological argument. I, of course, agree that the Trinity is a core belief of Christianity, but Mormons make great neighbors because they are generally very ethical people. There's no reason why one would not make a good president.
In the early sixtys Catholics were considered idol worshipers and not true Christains by many fundamentalists. You are looking at Catholics through todays lense not the prevailing sentiment at that time.
I would hazard to guess that if a similar poll had been taken back then a similar percentage of people would state they would not vote for a Catholic. Romney will educate the public as did Kennedy.
That is another heresy then.
Yes! Hope you caught the final correction. . . Having been 'baptised' know the difference. . .really. ..honest. . .and thanks for pointing out my upsidedown 'p'. . . (thought it looked funny. . .but carried on nonetheless)
So that means 57% would. Great!
I seem to recall that in 1959 most Americans said they would never vote for a Catholic.
"For me (and I'm a Catholic) religion is NOT an issue."
Well, that's because you have to put up with all these protestants that are going to Hell, anyway.
:)
Exactly right. The "sound" of a candidate's name is not a reason to vote or not vote. Illinois residents should have learned that lesson about twenty years ago; some candidates for state races had ethnic-sounding names (Polish, Italian) and others had "American" sounding names. People voted for the "American" sounding names, and elected a bunch of LaRouche supporters, who had run "American" names for exactly that reason.
When my son was six he asked to be "babbitized". Does that count?
Yes, The truth of the matter is that protestants consider us (mormons) to be 'sheep stealers', by converting them away from deception and error (in our view obviously) ... and we're VERY good at it..... so good in fact, that entire cottage industries have sprung up dedicated to stopping us. Many of the posters here are obviously enthusiastic consumers of those industries products.
My own planet? Well, as long as it's not Uranus. I'd get tired of the kidding real fast.
Nicene Creed.
I'd vote for a Mormon before I'd vote for a satanic liberal any day.
"When my son was six he asked to be "babbitized". Does that count?"
As a bris, perhaps.
They would if it was between a Mormon and the devil incarnate.
I don't however, give a real flip about someone's belief as the worst two presidents in my life time were supposedly pious Southern Baptists--Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.
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