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.
Likely Rise In Voter Turnout Bodes Well For Democrats
Even with a partisan enthusiasm gap, voter interest is already as high as in November of recent elections, two trends that may significantly alter the composition of the eventual electorate in the Democrats’ favor. The proportion of swing voters is also up compared with four years ago. Nearly half of independents (47%) are undecided or may change their minds, up from 28% in June 2004.
The Faith Factor in the Media’s Primary Campaign Coverage
Despite attention to Obama’s former pastor, questions about McCain’s relationship with the conservative religious base, interest in Romney’s Mormon faith and Baptist preacher Huckabee’s strong showing, only 2% of campaign stories directly focused on religion; still that was more than the attention devoted to race and gender combined.
Media Heat Wave
A week of negative election storylines was led by the shake-up in the McCain campaign, Gen. Wesley Clark’s comments and questions of patriotism. Thanks in part to his staffing reshuffle, McCain was competitive with Obama in coverage for the first time since Obama clinched his nomination.
McCain’s Interest Gap
While Obama and McCain received similar levels of media coverage, Obama remained by far the most visible candidate. Only 11% of Americans cited McCain as the candidate they had heard the most about, while more than seven-in-ten (71%) named Obama.
Organized Religion’s Role in the Military
In recent years, cadets, military officers and chaplains have asserted competing constitutional rights. Church-state scholar Robert W. Tuttle discusses the legal complications in an interview with Pew Forum.
Home Broadband Adoption 2008
Even as many broadband users opt for premium services, access stalls among low-income Americans
For Public, Oil Prices and Economic News Overshadow Campaign
Last week marked the largest partisan gap in campaign interest since the start of the presidential race in early 2007. Democrats were almost twice as likely as Republicans to say they followed the campaign very closely (52% vs. 28%).
U.S. Traveler Advisory: Where in the World Is the Welcome Mat Still Out?
The United States has lost much of its global popularity in recent years. Yet trip planners will be glad to know that recent surveys show that the countries that Americans are most likely to visit are, for the most part, countries that like Americans.
