New Survey: Religion Not Clear-Cut Issue in 2008 White House Race

Religion is not proving to be a clear-cut factor in the 2008 U.S. White House race, taking a back seat to the Iraq war and domestic issues, but most Americans still feel faith is an important attribute in their president, according to a Pew survey released on Thursday.

As in the past, most Americans continue to say that it is important for a president to have strong religious beliefs. And voters who see presidential candidates as religious express more favorable views toward those candidates than do voters who view them as not religious.

But the latest Pew survey finds U.S. presidential candidates need not be seen as very religious to gain wide voter acceptance.


Read the whole survey and results at the Pew Forum.