Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
Matt Malone, S.J.November 14, 2008

A poll released today by Public Religion Research and sponsored by a coalition of progressive, faith-based organizations has some surprises about the role faith played in the 2008 presidential election and how faith voters are approaching the country’s challenges. Not surprisingly, religious voters, like all voters generally, identified the economy as their number one issue. What is interesting is that other social concerns such as abortion and same-sex marriage were far down on the list of voter’s preoccupations. When asked to rank the importance of various issues in their vote, respondents identified first, the economy (70%), followed by Iraq (35%), health care (31%), terrorism (19%), abortion (14%) and same-sex marriage (6%). 

The poll also found that nearly twice as many Catholics think the best way to ensure peace is through diplomacy rather than military strength (61% vs. 32%), much like the general population (61% vs. 29%). White evangelicals split evenly over whether diplomacy or military strength is the best way to ensure peace (43% each). Lastly, there is an interesting piece of data for those conducting a post-mortem on the Palin vice-presidential pick: Palin’s nomination increased support among fewer than one-third of white evangelicals (30%), and decreased support among every other religious group and political independents. Among white evangelicals, a majority (54%) say her selection didn’t affect their support for McCain, and an additional 14% say her selection made them less likely to support McCain.

The full results can be found here.

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

"The whole church needs fraternity, which must be present in all of our relationships, whether between lay people and priests, priests and bishops, bishops and the pope," he said during his homily at Mass on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul June 29.
Many aspects of Pope Francis’ remarkable program of ecclesial renewal weare prefigured in Hans Urs von Balthasar’s vision for the church.
Travis LaCouterJune 27, 2025
Elio, voiced by Yonas Kibreab, and Glordon, voiced by Remy Edgerly, appear in the animated movie “Elio” (OSV News/Disney/Pixar).
Pixar’s best films understand that kids are capable of profound emotional intelligence. As they try to regain their former success, I think that is what they should focus on.
John DoughertyJune 27, 2025
Sister Camille D’Arienzo “didn’t toe the line. She said what she believed. She is a progressive woman who had a very big pulpit, which was over three million listeners a week.”
June 27, 2025