Faith On The Rise in U.S. Elections

Seventy percent of Americans say that they want a president who has strong religious beliefs, and they are as well comfortable with discussion about religious subjects in time of election campaign, according to the Pew poll on religion and politics that was released lately.
The interesting part of the poll is that there is a high level of discussion on faith and values among Americans, Republicans as well as Democrats, and 38 percent of them still want more.
Dispite this results it is still unclear what role will religion play in voters political choices.
The front runners in the Republican and Democratic parties, Rudy Giuliani and Hilary Clinton, are seen as the least religious among the presidential candidates.
Social issues are taking a back seat to Iraq and domestic issues. 78 percent of Americans name Iraq as very important in their decision. 38 percent sie hot subjects social issues in abortion and gay marriage.
Among the younger generation of Evangelicals the agenda is changing in ways that might affect politics. The Evangelicals care about poverty, climate change and the war in Iraq.
Those who will address this issues from a moral point of view will be an attractive candidate to Evangelicals.
Rspecially Democrats are making an effort on issues like faith and values. Since 2004 Democrats are trying to erase the image of being inhospitable to religion with a special effort on the campaign trail.
There are indications that the effort by Democratic leadrs to change their image is bearing fruit. The Democrats have discovered the faith factor in a big way, and have been ,uch more ocert in expressing their religiousity, and the impotance of their religion to their public lives, and not only as a private matter.
Two years ago many independent voters saw in the Democratic party a party where secularists had too much influence. Today, this perception is declining, which could make it easier for independent voters to vote for a Democratic candidate.
However, this does not mean that the Christian conservatives will flip towards Democrats in 2008, when they are likely to about thirty percent of 12 million voters.
The greatest danger for Republicans is that millions of "value voters" will dismiss a Republican candidate who stays at home on Sundays - and decide to stay at home on election day and by this helping to cement a Democratic victory.
At this stage of the American presidential campaign religious talk is getting more attention than how those beliefs will intersect with candidates personal positions.
As the election date is nearing,Americans will look to see if the religious talk of the candidates matches with policy positions and is consistent with peoples faith.
Faith will continue to be a major subject on the presidential campaign trail. It will reinforce the desire of the various candidates and party leaders to make effective religious appeals.
Despite the support that Amerivcans give faith and value discussions, according to the Pew survey, two-thirss of Americans opose to houses of warship endorsing political candidates.
Today, 43 percent of American voters say that religious conservatives have too much control over the Republican party.
For three decades the Republican party has built its election victories on the power of theChristian Right. But now it is facing the prospect of a "God void" by selecting a presidential candidate who is not a church goer. All the Republican candidates have made it clear that they will not follow the example of Presiden t Bush, who during his election campaign spoke openly about God.
The Pew survey also shows that even people who do not see themselves observant see religious commitment as an asset in a presidential candidate.
The only deeply religious Republican candidate currently incontention is Mitt Romney. His Mormon Church, however, is regarded as a cult by many christian conservatives.
Many Republican conservatives ha expected Mr. Thompson to fill the God void when he jumped into the presidential race this month.
As the election date is nearing, Americans will look to see if the religious talk of the candidates matches with policy positions consistent with peoples faith.

Israel Rafalovich