2012 Election
Should We Be Surprised by the New Numbers on Romney’s Religion?
[10.27.2011]Last July, only 4 in 10 Americans could correctly identify Mitt Romney’s religion. Today, a new survey shows that Americans are no more informed about Romney’s Mormon faith than they were three months ago – only 42% correctly identify him as Mormon. This total absence of change may seem surprising, given that Romney’s Mormonism has been in the news ever since Robert Jeffress, a prominent evangelical pastor, publicly encouraged Republicans… more
The Morning Buzz | October 27, 2011
[10.27.2011]Welcome to the Morning Buzz, PRRI’s morning dose of religion-related news with a shot of data – because what doesn’t liven up a morning round-up like some public opinion numbers? I can tell you one thing – you’ll never impress your dinner party guests unless you can serve metallic-colored food, courtesy of Food Finish. Armed with this product, you can create a “chrome trout” or “gold-plated asparagus tips.” You’ll be… more
The Morning Buzz | October 26, 2011
[10.26.2011]Welcome to the Morning Buzz, PRRI’s morning dose of religion-related news with a shot of data – because what doesn’t liven up a morning round-up like some public opinion numbers? If you want to scare (or anger) your friends who remain loyal to Google Plus, send them this ecard. Did Herman Cain “flip-flop-flip” on abortion? Does he sound “vaguely pro-choice,” despite his recent insistence that he is “100% pro-life”? Or… more
White Evangelical Protestants, Tea Partiers, and the Climate Change Debate
[10.25.2011]Earlier this week, Eugene Robinson wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post, lambasting the “neo-Luddites” (read: politicians) who he says are turning the GOP into an anti-science party. He zeroes in on climate change skeptics, citing a recent study by Richard Muller, a physicist at the University of California, Berkeley, who along with his team at the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature project, “rigorously explored the specific objections raised by skeptics… more
The Morning Buzz | October 25, 2011
[10.25.2011]Welcome to the Morning Buzz, PRRI’s morning dose of religion-related news with a shot of data – because what doesn’t liven up a morning round-up like some public opinion numbers? This morning, I’m cautiously excited that, according to the Telegraph, interactive bathroom mirrors are the way of the future. While it still may be difficult to pin down just how religious the Occupy Wall Street movement is, the Vatican released… more
Faith, Politics and Herman Cain
[10.24.2011]At this point, there doesn’t seem to be much about Mitt Romney’s Mormon background that hasn’t been exhaustively picked over by the media. The same is true to a lesser extent of Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann; the two former Republican front-runners sparked controversy late in the summer for their alleged links to Dominionism, an extreme Christian theological movement. Bachmann was profiled in The New York Times and The New… more
The Morning Buzz | October 24, 2011
[10.24.2011]Welcome to the Morning Buzz, PRRI’s morning dose of religion-related news with a shot of data – because what doesn’t liven up a morning round-up like some public opinion numbers? Your first fact to mull over this morning: guess what’s the latest “lucrative business opportunity for small-time criminals?” Cheese theft. At Time’s Swampland blog, Amy Sullivan probes what it means when Americans say that they want a religious president. Given… more
Herman Cain on Abortion: Pro-Life, Pro-Choice or Both?
[10.21.2011]Earlier this week, Herman Cain thoroughly mystified bloggers and pundits alike when, during an interview with Piers Morgan of CNN, he said that if a woman became pregnant as a result of rape, the situation “ultimately gets down to a choice that that family or that mother has to make.” When asked to clarify his remarks, Cain immediately found himself stuck between a rock and a hard place. His aversion… more
The Morning Buzz | October 21, 2011
[10.21.2011]Welcome to the Morning Buzz, PRRI’s morning dose of religion-related news with a shot of data – because what doesn’t liven up a morning round-up like some public opinion numbers? Educate me, please: has anyone actually had their car vandalized on Halloween? I’m not convinced that this is a serious problem, but if you wake up on November 1 to discover that you are a victim of Halloween prankery, here… more
Voice of America | Romney Faces Political Challenge Over Religion
[10.20.2011]Our research director, Daniel Cox, is featured in a recent report from Voice of America, on the recent controversy over Mitt Romney’s faith. Watch below!