Fewer See Dems As Religion-Friendly

[markalot]

By WILL LESTER, Associated Press WriterTue Aug 30, 8:00 PM ET

Democrats' efforts to improve their image with religious voters after the 2004 presidential election appear to be getting off to a bumpy start.

Fewer people see Democrats as friendly to religion now than felt that way a year ago, according to a poll released Tuesday by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.

That number has dropped from 40 percent in August 2004 who thought the Democrats were friendly to religion to 29 percent now.

"The change is seen across all groups," said Scott Keeter, director of survey research for the Pew Research Center, which conducted the poll for the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

After Democrats fared poorly with religious voters in the 2004 election, the Democratic National Committee initiated numerous efforts to strengthen its standing with religious voters.

The DNC hired someone to coordinate religious outreach, encouraged state parties to work more closely with the religious community, and had Chairman Howard Dean meet with clergy and others in the religious community during his travels around the country.

"We're at the beginning," said Democratic spokeswoman Karen Finney, who said religious voters share many of the values of the Democratic Party. "But we know we need to do a better job of talking about our values in a way that people see we share their values."

More than half of those polled, 55 percent, said the Republican Party is friendly to religion.

A majority of political independents, 54 percent, said religious conservatives have too much influence over the GOP. Fewer than half of independents said those who are not religious have too much impact on the Democratic Party.

The poll of 2,000 adults was conducted July 7-17 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

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On the Net:

Pew Research Center — http://www.people-press.org

[nearlygod]

Government should not be religion-friendly nor religion-hostile. It should be religion-neutral.

[tobedawg]

obviously, the American Taliban's propaganda campaign is working!

Democrats and Liberals have been successfully painted as "Anti-Christian" or "Anti-God" types, AND attempting to repair this image now will just be attributed to trying to "score political points".. Too little too Late..

[markalot]

I was playing the religion card ;)

I agree with tobedawg, but I disagree with nearlygod. Government can be religion friendly and also be religion safe.

[Orville Wrong]

obviously, the American Taliban's propaganda campaign is working!

Democrats and Liberals have been successfully painted as "Anti-Christian" or "Anti-God" types, AND attempting to repair this image now will just be attributed to trying to "score political points".. Too little too Late..
Saying "American Taliban" all the time might be, you know, part of the problem rather than part of the solution, you know? Just saying.

[miami2112]

it's very unfortunate that this has become an issue for dems. and worse for everyone that the gop is the proreligion group, and the dems the anti religion group.

do these ppl realize pat robertson is praying for god to kill a supreme court justice?

[Orville Wrong]

it's very unfortunate that this has become an issue for dems. and worse for everyone that the gop is the proreligion group, and the dems the anti religion group.

do these ppl realize pat robertson is praying for god to kill a supreme court justice?
Leftists are very quick to call everyone that goes to church on Sunday a whackjob, and those who interpret biblical myth too literally for you are branded lunatics. In the aftermath of the election, religion was "blamed" for Bush's victory.

Democrats made their own bed here. Either lay in it or try to embrace people with these kinds of practices and beliefs.

[artfag]

I see this as bad for both parties. Why is not exploited that a large part of Conservative leaders are fundamentalist christians that, many times, let those views dictate their actions. This whole thing going on with creationism is absurd. Then again everytime some gets expelled for believing in something has gone way too far as well. The constitution is about freedom not control

[benway]

Fewer see Dems period. There the fuck are they?! :mad:

[Handy Smurf]

Leftists are very quick to call everyone that goes to church on Sunday a whackjob, and those who interpret biblical myth too literally for you are branded lunatics. In the aftermath of the election, religion was "blamed" for Bush's victory.

Democrats made their own bed here. Either lay in it or try to embrace people with these kinds of practices and beliefs.
I hafta say that I know quite a few liberals who have a blind irrational hatred of Catholicism. I'm not sure why

[Emperor Wog]

Why is not exploited that a large part of Conservative leaders are fundamentalist christians that, many times, let those views dictate their actions.
"The worst government is the most moral. One composed of cynics is often very tolerant and humane. But when fanatics are on top, there is no limit to oppression." -H.L. Mencken


!

[The Big Crunch]

They really shouldn't have had that Democratic Bible burning at the convention last year...I think that really made a lot of people wary of them as being tolerant of Christians. Oh yeah, and when Howard Dean held up a piece of carboard with "Organized Religion" written in big letters and proceeded to take a dump on it in front of a crowd of 1,000 supporters at a mega-church in Alabama last week...well, that was just really dumb thinking.

[dragonflier]

I hafta say that I know quite a few liberals who have a blind irrational hatred of Catholicism. I'm not sure why
I'm liberal and I'm an atheist, but if I were to become religious, I would likely become Catholic. I certainly have no underlying dislike for Catholicism.

Mormons, Baptist, and Evangelicals, not so mouch.

[markalot]

I'm an atheist. Swear to god!

[CablinasianRam]

Any liberal who has a beef with Catholicism should read a biography on Dorthory Day. Actually, everyone should.

[BigSugar]

"The worst government is the most moral. One composed of cynics is often very tolerant and humane. But when fanatics are on top, there is no limit to oppression." -H.L. Mencken


!

moral is to fanatic as cynic is to tolerant. hmmm....interesting. bullcrap, but interesting bullcrap. c'mon wog, you got better i know it! :)

Rev. Sug, Universal Life Church
May 28, 2006.....oh yeah Wog, i'm gonna be there!

[Semiapies]

They really shouldn't have had that Republican televised gay-bashing at the convention last year...I think that really made a lot of people wary of them as being tolerant of gay people. Oh yeah, and when Pat Robertson held up a piece of carboard with "Secular Culture" written in big letters and proceeded to take a dump on it in front of a crowd of 1,000 supporters at a mega-church in Alabama last week...well, that was just really dumb thinking.

[Shlep]

Not even the grab-asstic morons managing recent Democratic Presidential campaigns are dumb enough to have the party formally come out against organized religion. To be sure, the Dems' front-runners made sure to make their election-year visit to church so they could be photographed in a house of worship (in the same way they make sure to be photo-opped holding guns, and mysteriously develop Southern accents for several weeks).

I think this view comes from the Democratic/lefty opinion organs. Whenever Rush Limbaugh or Ann Coulter opens their yap and says something so idiotic that you ask yourself "Did I actually hear that?", liberals attribute those opinions to conservatives and Republicans. Conversely, when liberal opinion-merchants throw the term "Conservative Christian" around like it's a slur, portray people of faith as addled simpletons who got hit over the head with a Bible, and talk about religion like it's some sinister force to be opposed by right-thinking, enlightened folks as themselves, it has the halo effect of falling on the Democratic party.

It sure doesn't help when the head of the DNC levels the criticism at the GOP that they're a "white Christian party." Not merely beholden to Christians, mind you, but guilty of the manifold affront of appealing to white people. Or maybe Deans' problem is simply with people who are white *AND* Christian and is giving J.C. Watts (who is black and Christian) a pass.

Then again, the Democrats have historically appealed to Jews, and in 2000 ran a devout, observant Jew who seems to hate naughty videogames, violent movies, and racy rap lyrics and who would like to use the power of the federal government to tone it down as much as any sensible-shoe-wearing Christian. Nobody's been griping about conservative religious Jewish nuts in the Democratic Party.

[Wondertastic]

what is the exact meaning of "religion-friendly"? does it mean that you'll let people practice what ever religion they want, or does it mean that you'll use religious platforms to dictate your actions in office?

[The Big Crunch]

Oh yeah, and when Pat Robertson held up a piece of carboard with "Secular Culture" written in big letters and proceeded to take a dump on it in front of a crowd of 1,000 supporters at a mega-church in Alabama last week...well, that was just really dumb thinking.
And really unoriginal on the part of the Rev. Robertson...everyone knew Dean had done the same thing, in the same church, the previous night. Hell, the stench was still lingering. I guess the unfortunate diference was that Robertson had eaten at Taco Bell that afternoon. :eek:

[The Big Crunch]

Nobody's been griping about conservative religious Jewish nuts in the Democratic Party.
I've been griping about it daily to my Congressman's office for three years now. :p :D