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.
They probably have no idea what a Mormon is. They probably think it's an Amish guy wearing a straw hat and holding a pitchfork.
Hey, if voters can elect a practicing Muslim after 9/11, they can definitely vote for a Mormon.
What about a woman Mormon candidate? Or is that possible? Can anyone come up with a woman holding a public office that is a Mormon?
Sorry, but the Southern Baptist south would not vote Mormon.
I wouldn't vote for a Methodist and I am a Methodist
Does anyone remember if this was an issue when George Romney ran for president?
But Islam is a political/legal system as well as a religion.
That what I heard as well, but there is so much bad information out there re: the beliefs of groups, I am not willing to repeat it.
I think we should be willing to have a Mormon president, and I think we need to look past the old jokes and ancient stereotypes!
(And besides, the job of First Lady is pretty difficult, and team of six women would do a much better job.)
:)
If what you are saying is correct, then this country is doomed...and that doom will be a well-earned one.
I can't believe that anyone would be that superficial.
Baptists are soooo huggable and a large percentage of them are in therapy for sexual issues.
They elected a member of the MMM, er Nation of Islamic Supremacists, er Nation of Islam; a group that has been denounced as a Hate Group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
"Can anyone come up with a woman holding a public office that is a Mormon?"
Besides Harry Reid?
Evangelical won't vote for him.
Why? Mormons don't accept the trinity, they have errant views on the nature of God etc.
He is a great guy, but to run him would give Hillary victory.
That's because Mormons don't publically baptise. We have no way of knowing how it is done.
Let's fight fire with fire; Democrat Lyndon LaRouche will run again in 2008 if he's still breathing.
Lots of folks would love to make Romney's candidacy about his Mormon background. But that is completely off point.
Willard Mitt Romney's candidacy is about his record of extreme liberalism.
LOL
Why? Not one of them would have voted for a Mormon.
I'm not exactly sure that Mitt Romney's father was a Mormon.
Mitt Romney may have converted from his parents religion.
The Mormon church was created because they said the rest of the Christian world wasn't really Christian. We are satanists and going to hell in Mormon eyes.
Why should we consider them Christian?
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