Belief that Obama is Muslim is Durable, Bipartisan – but Most Likely to Sway Democratic Votes
The New Yorker magazine’s controversial cover has renewed focus on persistent public misperceptions of Sen. Barack Obama’s faith.
Obama’s Black Audience
Are critics like Jesse Jackson more -- or less -- in touch with the African American public? A look at what survey data tell us about black attitudes and priorities.
Running on Faith
In the 2008 election season, religion has been a significant factor for candidates in both parties. But even with the Jeremiah Wright controversy, evangelical voter angst, and a Mormon candidate, the media largely avoided dealing directly with the explosive issue of faith.
Two campaign speeches, one JFK moment?
Through the 2008 primary election season, two candidates—Democratic Senator Barack Obama and Republican former governor Mitt Romney—received more media attention about their faith than any of the other candidates combined.
For both, the attention raised concerns about their relig ...
Running on Faith
As the historic 2008 presidential primary season came to an end, the presumptive Republican and Democratic nominees faced similar dilemmas. Both Republican Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) and Democratic Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) decided to sever ties with controversial religious figures who had been backing their campaigns. As the general election campaign got under way, both […]
Accommodating Faith in the Military
Over the past few years, there have been several controversies over religion’s role in the military. Most recently, students and staff at the U.S. Naval Academy and West Point have complained of pressure from their supervisors to engage in religious activities. Three years earlier, there were similar allegations at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Other […]
Press Conference Transcript: U.S. Religious Landscape Survey
Washington, D.C. In a noon conference call for journalists, Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, together with fellows John Green and Greg Smith, released the second report of the Forum’s path-breaking U.S. Religious Landscape Survey – along with new data added to the interactive website accompanying the project – […]
Most Americans See a Black Nominee as Important for Country
Summary of Findings A solid majority of Americans say it as at least somewhat important to the country that an African American has won the presidential nomination of a major political party. But there are wide political and racial divisions over the significance of Barack Obama’s history-making achievement. Overall, 36% of the public says it […]
Assessing a More Prominent ’Religious Left’
Liberal and progressive religious voices have become increasingly prominent in the 2008 presidential campaign. To complement a recent Forum-sponsored panel discussion on the “religious left,” Associate Director Mark O’Keefe asked Senior Fellow John Green to define the various groups that make up the religious left movement and talk about implications for the “religious right.” Featuring: […]
Hispanics in the 2008 Election: Puerto Rico
More than 3.9 million people reside in Puerto Rico and 2.8 million of them are eligible to vote.
