Only 4-in-10 Americans correctly identify Republican presidential candidate Governor Mitt Romney as Mormon, the July PRRI/RNS Religion News Survey finds. The survey, which was conducted in partnership with Religion News Service, also finds that President Obama has his own religious identifications problems: only 38% correctly identify Obama as Christian, and 18% continue to wrongly say he is Muslim.
While it's too early to gauge the full impact Romney's religious identity will have on the election, there are suggestive patterns. Among all Americans, Romney currently trails President Barack Obama in a head-to-head matchup by eight points (44% vs. 36%). However, among the nearly half of Americans (46%) who say Mormons hold religious beliefs that are different from their own, Romney trails Obama by 21 points (49% vs. 28%).
While it's too early to gauge the full impact Romney's religious identity will have on the election, there are suggestive patterns. Among all Americans, Romney currently trails President Barack Obama in a head-to-head matchup by eight points (44% vs. 36%). However, among the nearly half of Americans (46%) who say Mormons hold religious beliefs that are different from their own, Romney trails Obama by 21 points (49% vs. 28%).
Because views about religious differences are tied to political support, Romney will need to continue to address these perceptions as Americans learn more about him during the campaign.
To read more about the July PRRI/RNS Religion News Survey, including the topline results, questionnaire and methodology, click here: http://bit.ly/JulyRNS
To read the Religion News Service story about the poll, click here.
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