Not only is Sen. Barack Obama ahead in general national polls, but a new survey finds that the Democratic presidential candidate has made significant inroads among faith voters.
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(Photo: AP/Darron Cummings)Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., campaigns in Indianapolis, Ind., Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008.
In comparison to the 2004 Democratic nominee Sen. John Kerry, Obama has made significant gains among monthly worship attenders. Among this group of voters, who attend religious services once or twice a month, 60 percent support Obama in 2008 compared to 49 percent for Kerry in 2004, according to results from the report, “The Faith and American Politics Survey,” sponsored by Faith in Public Life and conducted by Public Religion Research.
Also unlike the 2004 election, more Americans think the Democratic candidate is friendly to religion than the Republican nominee. Forty-nine percent of Americans say Obama is friendly to religion, while 45 percent say the same of McCain.
This is a significant difference given that President Bush in 2004 won more than 60 percent of the religious vote.
The poll also found that 71 percent of Americans say it is important for public officials to be comfortable talking about religious values.
Besides looking at faith voters as a whole, the survey also delved into examining young faith voters, particularly Catholics and evangelicals.
It found that young Catholics (ages 18-34) are more supportive of Obama than older Catholics (ages 35 and older). While older Catholics are split between the candidates (46 percent for McCain and 44 percent for Obama), younger Catholics support Obama by a 15 percentage point margin over McCain (55 percent to 40 percent).
Younger Catholics are also more supportive of abortion, with six-in-ten saying it should be legal in all or most cases, compared to older Catholics, half of whom support legalizing the practice.
However, when it comes to young white evangelicals, this religious segment still remains strongly opposed to abortion rights, with two-thirds saying it should be illegal in all or most cases, and solidly backs McCain (65 percent).
But young white evangelicals are more likely to favor either same-sex "marriage" (24 percent) or civil unions (28 percent) than older evangelicals. Sixty-one percent of evangelicals age 35 and above want no legal recognition of homosexual relationships.
In other words, young white evangelicals are 2.5 times more likely than older evangelicals to say gay couples should be allowed to marry.
Among young white mainline Protestants and Catholics, nearly half (48 percent and 44 percent, respectively) support same-sex “marriage.”
“Younger Americans, including younger Americans of faith, are not the culture war generation,” commented Dr. Robert Jones, president of Public Religion Research and lead analyst of the poll, during the report’s teleconference on Wednesday.
“On issues from gay and lesbian rights to the role of government at home and around the world, young Catholics, mainline protestants and evangelicals are bridging the divides that entrenched their elders and ushering in an era of consensus in which the common good trumps the clash of ideologies.”
In this election year, culture war issues of abortion and same-sex “marriage” have been put on the back burner given the state of the economy and the financial crisis.
According to the survey, 83 percent of Americans say the economy is the most important issue in the 2008 election, followed by energy and gas prices (76 percent) and health care (71 percent).
Economic issues topped the list of most important issues among all religious groups polled. Even white evangelicals did not rank abortion or same-sex “marriage” among their top five most important voting issues.
Survey results are based on telephone interviews with a representative sample of 2,000 American adults and an over sample of 1,250 younger adults (ages 18-34). The poll was conducted under the supervision of Opinion Access Corp from Aug. 28 to Sept. 19, 2008.
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Daniel that's hilarious - a poll on the defectiveness of polls.
I'd like to do a poll here. Please thumb up or down if you think polls are stupid and really prove nothing!
Thumb up for stupid. Thumb down for not stupid.
holito8,
"This case is not closed."
It might as well be, she can run, but she can't hide.
Yet Palin claimed to reporters over the weekend that she had been "cleared of any legal wrongdoing, any hint of unethical activity."
That's just not true, and Palin knows it.
She kept repeating her silly contention at campaign stops, instructing one reporter to "read the report, sir."
And american people should read the report, here is the money quote.
"Governor Palin knowingly permitted a situation to continue where impermissible pressure was placed on several subordinates in order to advance a personal agenda."
(actual alaska report here)
http://download2.legis.state.ak.us/DOWNLOAD.pdf
http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/10/11/response.branchflower.report.pdf
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/11/us/politics/11trooper.html?hp
agent, I don't have my history books nearby, but if I'm not mistaken at that time in our political system whoever got the 2nd highest number of votes in the preseidential election became the VP, so the Republican Party would not have nominated Andrew Johnson.
"Well, many people thought that Republican Abraham Lincoln was, but unfortunate after his assasination his Democrat VP overturned almost all of the work that he did for the black community"
Democratic VP, overturning 'most' (which ones, details?) for the black community? Besides seedy, if a former democrat turned republican was so obviously bad, why did the republican party see fit in nominating him? They are at least partially culpable, just like McCain and his choice of Palin.
Uhhh, not quite. Hamlin joined over to the Republican party several years prior to be being a VP....darn, those facts again.
..."on June 12, 1856 he withdrew from the Democratic Party and joined the newly organized Republican Party, causing a national sensation."
6 years later he'd be a VP...
"From the very beginning of his service in Congress he was prominent as an opponent of the extension of slavery;"
"...although he urged both the Emancipation Proclamation and the arming of African Americans."
Yup, sure sounds like a guy who would be pro-slavery if I ever heard one.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal_Hamlin
"is there such a thing as a good president?"
Well, many people thought that Republican Abraham Lincoln was, but unfortunate after his assasination his Democrat VP overturned almost all of the work that he did for the black community much to the dismay of the Republicans who faught so hard for their freedom and gave up their lives.
True Christians who fast and pray for guidance on a daily basis will not put their trust in any politician.The US has avoided Christian persecution till now. But, the days ahead will TEST the faith of Christians worldwide. It is easier to wear Christianity on your sleeve than in your heart. In the future many of us will undergo the TEST for our FAITH. We, in the WEST have a false sense of security for our Christian faith. GOD BE WITH YOU"LL
Lord, I hope Obama doesn't. As I said earlier, if he does it will be like going from the frying pan into the fire.
As far as Bush is considered, he may have not been the best, but he sure beat the alternative. And is there such a thing as a good president?
Bush got us involved in a war. People are pissed off about it. Now if he hadn't gotten us involved, we would still be dealing with Saddam, and people would be pissed off. It doesn't matter what you do, people are going to get pissed off.
OK prophet, at least we can agree bush not the best prez we ever had. We will have to see how obama works out should he get elected, which my money says he will be the next prez.
scitsonga,
You said "feed up, come 1/2009, that evil will be removed after eight disaster filled years........"
Very true. Only to be replaced by a bigger evil....should Obama win....
feed up, come 1/2009, that evil will be removed after eight disaster filled years........
We need to also pray without ceasing that God will keep evil from the Whitehouse and Congress. Our way of life is at stake!
I love it pretty petty palin sure can dish it out, but doesnt take it very well when her character is being questioned. palin is like a lead weight for mccain, I bet he wished he hadn't gambled putting this unqualified bimbo on the ticket. disperate people do disperate things, US doesnt need another 4 years of poor decision making.
yeah right prophet, you got the correct set of beliefs and your goin to spend eternity in paradise while the "incorrect believers" goin to get the eternal torture treatment...........LOL, you make me laugh.
wrhalver, Well I got to tell you, the IEM poll seems to work pretty well. I remember I didnt want to believe it in 2004 when it was predicting bush to win, but win he did. As they stay in investing, "the trend is your friend", as an Obama supporter I like the trend.