According to the Sacred Heart University Polling Institute, a nation-wide telephone survey of 958 Americans reveals what role religion may play in the 2008 elections.Over half of all respondents with an opinion, 60.7%, believe a presidential candidate should be a religious person while 39.3% do not.
Nearly half of all respondents, 48.4%, suggested their own religious faith always or sometimes guides their views toward politics. An equal percent, 48.4%, said their own faith seldom or never guides their views and 3.2% were unsure.
When choosing a presidential candidate, 27.8% consider a candidate’s specific religious affiliation relevant to their decisions. Another 66.0% do not and 6.3% are unsure.