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Rabbi David Saperstein

The American Values SurveyAugust 9 -23, 2006

2,502 American AdultsAfrican American and Hispanic Over Samples

Margin of Error: +-1.95%Conducted by Braun Research, Inc.

www.centerforamericanvalues.org

http://www.centerforamericanvalues.org/

5

Centrists Dominate the Religious Landscape

Note: The religious orientation scale was based on a composite religiosity factor that utilized three basic types of religious measures: belief, practice and salience.

18%

10%

22%

50%

Modernist

Secular

Traditionalist

Centrist

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• Religious Traditionalists: – Attend religious services weekly or more– Pray daily– Believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible– Believe God exists without any doubts– Report that religion is a very important or the most important thing in their lives

• Religious Centrists: – Attend religious services weekly or a few times a month– Pray frequently but not necessarily daily– Believe that Bible is inspired but not literal word of God– Believe God exists, but may have doubts– Report that religion is very important part of their lives

• Religious Modernists: – Attend religious services once in a while or infrequently– Pray occasionally or infrequently– Believe that Bible is inspired but not literal word of God or an ancient book of myths and

legends– Believe God exists but have doubts or are uncertain God exists– Report that religion is fairly important to their lives

Religious Orientations: Traditionalists, Centrists, and Modernists

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Q.22: Moral values can mean different things to different people. What comes to mind when you think about voting your values?

The Meaning of ‘Voting Your Values’

23%

39%

21%

9%

3%

The honesty, integrity, and responsibility of the candidate Protecting personal freedoms and individual choices

Eliminating poverty and guaranteeing access to health care Keeping marriage between a man and a woman

Working to restrict access to abortion

Honesty & Integrity

Freedoms & Choices

Poverty & Health Care

Traditional Marriage

Abortion

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The Meaning of ‘Voting Your Values’

Q.22: Moral values can mean different things to different people. What comes to mind when you think about voting your values?

23%21%

9%

3%

39%

The honesty, integrity, and responsibility of the candidate

Protecting freedoms and individual choices

Eliminating poverty and guaranteeing access to health care

Keeping marriage between a man and a woman

Working to restrict access to abortion

Evangelicals

44%

18%14%

16%

3%

10

23%

17%

15%

9% 9%8%

7%6%

5%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Jobs andthe

economy

War in Iraq Terrorismand

NationalSecurity

Corruptionin

Washington

Medicareand SocialSecurity

Health Care IllegalImmigration

Don't Know Abortionand gaymarriage

Q.14: Thinking about the upcoming elections this year, which ONE of the following issue areas would be MOST important to you in deciding how to vote for a candidate for Congress?

Abortion and Gay Marriage are the Least Important Issues in Deciding 2006 Vote

Too many leaders use religion to talk about abortion and gay rights, but don’t talk about more important things like loving your neighbor and caring for the poor.

Q.15 & Q.16c

Which of these kinds of issues are more important in the United States today: issues like poverty and affordable health care OR issues like abortion and same-sex marriage.

Strong Support for Broader Religious Discourse and Economic Issue Priorities

82%

15%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Agree Disagree

85%

12%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Issues like poverty andaffordable health care

Issues like abortion andsame-sex marriage

13

Q.10: If the law guaranteed that no church or congregation would be required to perform marriages for same-sex couples, I would support allowing gay couples to legally marry.

Increased Support for Same-sex Marriage with

Religious Liberty Assurance – All Americans

28%

32%

36%

40%

23%

33%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

Marry Civil Unions No recognition

Original SupportSupport for Marriage with Religious Liberty Assurance

Support for Environmental Regulations and ‘Creation Care’

Q.8c. (Split A) Stricter environmental regulations are worth the cost.(Split B) We have a moral obligation to care for God’s creation by supporting stricter environmental laws and regulations, even if it means some economic costs.

62

70 7175 76

8082

66

7478

82

72

80

72

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Evangelicals MainlineProtestants

BlackProtestants^

HispanicProtestants^*

Catholics HispanicCatholics^

Secular

Environmental Regulations Worth the Cost Obligation to Care for God's Creation

Swing Voters, Centrists, and Evangelicals

64%

83%

60%

74%

67%

83%

62%

74%

57%

78%

48%

62%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

The U.S. government shouldguarantee health insurance for

all citizens, even if it meansraising taxes.(65%)

Congress should approve anincrease in the minimum wagefrom $5.15 an hour to $7.25

an hour.(83%)

Good diplomacy is the bestway to ensure peace (61%)

Stricter environmental lawsand regulations are worth the

economic costs.(71%)

Swing Voter Religious Centrists Evangelical

Q. 5d, 8a, 8b, 8c.

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Source: 2004 National Election Pool Exit Poll.

2004 Vote by Religious Attendance

37%

45%

51%

59%

65%

63%

55%

35%

41%

49%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

More thanonce a week

Once a week Few times amonth

A few timesa year

Never

Bush Vote Kerry Vote

22

Q.53. If the election for U.S. Congress were held today, would you be voting for the Democratic candidate or the Republican candidate in your district where you live?

2006 Projected Vote by Religious Attendance

57%60% 60%

45%

40%

23%24%

29%

42%

43%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

More thanonce a week

Once a week Once or twicea month

A few times ayear

Never

Democrat/Lean Republican/Lean

No Other/

Rep Dem Ind Pref DK N

Total 26 32 32 5 5=100 3,002

More than once a week 40 27 23 7 3=100 433

Once a week 32 32 27 4 5=100 857

Once or twice a month 26 32 33 5 4=100 460

A few times a year 21 35 35 5 4=100 494

Seldom 20 35 36 6 3=100 465

Never 15 32 44 3 6=100 253

Source: Pew Research Center Survey, Aug. 2007

Party Affiliation by Religious Attendance

Favorable Unfavorable N % %

Total 42 58 1,166 All Protestants 45 55 627 White Evangelical 48 52 256 White Mainline 48 52 261All Catholics 39 61 253 White Non-Hisp. 45 55 194Unaffiliated 32 68 182

Based on those who could rateSource: Pew Research Center Survey, January 2008

Favorable Opinions of the Republican Candidate

Mitt Romney





John McCain





Mike Huckabee


Total 54 46 1,454 All Protestants 51 49 806 White Evangelical 37 63 322 White Mainline 49 51 329 Black 83 17 112All Catholics 54 46 308 White Non-Hisp. 52 48 238Unaffiliated 62 38 220


Favorable Opinions of the Democratic Candidate

Hillary Clinton


Total 63 37 1,364 All Protestants 60 40 756 White Evangelical 39 61 297 White Mainline 66 34 310 Black 86 14 107All Catholics 66 34 284 White Non-Hisp. 63 37 217Unaffiliated 68 32 208


Favorable Opinions of the Democratic Candidate

Barack Obama

"Freedom requires religion, just as religion requires freedom.”

Mitt Romney

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/12/06/romney.speech/index.html

“The fact is, this country has always been a country where people were able to respect people who had faith. And frankly, we ought to be able to respect people who don't have any.

I mean, I don't feel like a person has to share my faith to share my love of this country.”

Mike Huckabee

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22799665/page/21/

“Iowa, for good reason, for constitutional reasons, for reasons related to the Lord, should be the first caucus and primary."

Bill Richardson

Source: http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2007/09/election_central_morning_roundup_100.php

"And I know …. is a man of great character and strong Christian values who will make us proud"

• Said by Neb. Sen Ben Nelson about Barack Obama

Source:http://blog.4president.org/2008/2008/01/obama-campaig-7.html

``I know that I'm right with God and the people I love,'' he said in Greenville. But it's ``just the way I am not to talk about some of these things.''

Fred Thompson

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=washingtonstory&sid=asjpd65rYRrk

“I believe that our founders had faith in reason and they also had faith in God, and one of our gifts from God is the ability to reason.”“I am grateful that I have the ability to look at dinosaur bones and draw my own conclusions.”

Hillary Clinton

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/05/us/politics/05clinton.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

“We're going to leave it to the Joshua generation to make sure it happens. The previous generation, the Moses generation, pointed the way. They took us 90% of the way there. We still got that 10% in order to cross over to the other side.”

Barack Obama

Source: http://www.barackobama.com/2007/03/04/selma_voting_rights_march_comm.php

“I think that Governor Romney's religion should not, absolutely not, be a disqualifying factor when people consider his candidacy for President of the United States, absolutely not.”

John McCain

Source: http://www.beliefnet.com/story/220/story_22001_1.html

"[Some of my opponents] do not want to change the Constitution, but I believe it's a lot easier to change the constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God, and that's what we need to do is to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards."

Mike Huckabee

Source: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/01/15/579265.aspx

“I felt it was not the schools’ job, he said, to teach his children to pray, but the family’s.”

Mike Huckabee

Source: http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2007/02/06/huckabee-families-not-schools-should-teach-prayer/

"Don't Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?"

Mike Huckabee to a reporter for The New York Times

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/12/magazine/16huckabee.html?ex=1355202000&en=c85ac2f5909e536c&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalinkhttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/12/magazine/16huckabee.html?ex=1355202000&en=c85ac2f5909e536c&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

“You can think about every bit of progress you try to make, there’s always going to be somebody to say, ‘You know I think we should go back to Egypt. We can’t transform bad housing, we can’t do it, we can’t afford it, we don’t know how to do it. Do we really want those people in our church? Are we supposed to be parenting these children, where are their parents? Do we want to get in the business of educating after school, pre-school?’ . . . . “We need prophetic voices to say, yes we do, yes we do.”

Hillary Clinton

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/02/washington/02cnd-hillary.html?hp&ex=1162530000&en=84ecbd1be528613a&ei=5094&partner=homepage

Q: A recent poll found that 55 percent of Americans believe the U.S. Constitution establishes a Christian nation. What do you think?A: I would probably have to say yes, that the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation. But I say that in the broadest sense. The lady that holds her lamp beside the golden door doesn't say, “I only welcome Christians.” We welcome the poor, the tired, the huddled masses. But when they come here they know that they are in a nation founded on Christian principles.

John McCain


“I just have to say in all candor that since this nation was founded primarily on Christian principles.... personally, I prefer someone who I know who has a solid grounding in my faith.”

John McCain


"All I can say is that maybe I should have kept my comments to the fact that I'm a practicing Christian, I respect all religions and beliefs, and that I support the principles, the values of the Founding Fathers. Perhaps I should have couched my remarks to that rather than getting into, as I say, a Talmudic discussion.”

John McCain

Source: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0930mcc.html

FOR CANDIDATES

Thou shalt offer an explanation to the electorate about how your religious

beliefs shape or alter your views on the issues– but never justify policy only on

religious beliefs

FOR CANDIDATES

Thou shalt discuss your views on policy and legal issues that

directly affect religion

FOR CANDIDATES

Thou shalt feel free to use religious language to explain how your beliefs or practices would affect your ability to perform as

President (or in any other office)

FOR CANDIDATES

Thou shalt feel free to discuss the role religion plays in shaping

your values and character

FOR CANDIDATES

Thou shalt minimize the use of divisive and exclusive religious

language

FOR POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS AND PARTIES

Thou shalt not seek to organize partisan supporters in houses of worship, but should respect the

sacred spaces of church communities

FOR RELIGIOUS GROUPS AND LEADERS

Thou shalt not use religious authority, threats, or discipline to coerce the political decisions of

American citizens

FOR RELIGIOUS GROUPS AND LEADERS

Thou shalt not endorse or oppose candidates

FOR VOTERS

Thou shalt not base your votes on a candidate’s

religious beliefs or practices

FOR EVERYONE

Thou shalt never, explicitly or implicitly, suggest that there is a religious test for holding office

Huckabee- Christian Leader Ad

Huckabee – Christmas Ad

Huckabee – God and the Constitution

Harold Ford, Jr.- Campaign Ad

Romney- “Faith in America” Address

Obama- Faith, Values and Poverty Forum

“The Constitution explicitly forbids the requiring of any religious test as a

qualification for holding office. To impose such a test by popular vote is as bad as to

impose it by law. To vote either for or against a man because of his creed is to impose upon him a religious test and is a

clear violation of the spirit of the Constitution.”

--President Teddy Roosevelt, October 12th 1915, addressing the Knights of Columbus in New York

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