Friday, September 7, 2007 : Today's National Polls

Today's polls are compiled by NationalJournal.com staff
and gathered in conjunction with The Hotline.
Questions and polling press releases should be directed
to polls@nationaljournal.com.

Please click here for links to other recently released national polls.

PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Religion, WH 2008

Conducted 8/1-18/07; surveyed 3,002 adults; margin of error +/-2% (release, 9/6). A response of * indicates less than 0.5 percent.

Now, I'd like to get your views on some issues that are being discussed in this country today. All in all, do you strongly favor, favor, oppose or strongly oppose ________?

The death penalty for persons convicted of
 murder:

Strongly favor              29%
Favor                       33
Strongly oppose             11
Oppose                      21
Don't know/Refused           6

The U.S. government guaranteeing health
 insurance for all citizens, even if it means
 raising taxes:

Strongly favor              26%
Favor                       37
Strongly oppose             13
Oppose                      19
Don't know/Refused           5

Allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally:

Strongly favor              13%
Favor                       23
Strongly oppose             31
Oppose                      24
Don't know/Refused           9

Reducing legal immigration:

Strongly favor              19%
Favor                       26
Strongly oppose             15
Oppose                      30
Don't know/Refused          10

Do you think abortion should be ________?

Legal in all cases          17%
Legal in most cases         35
Illegal in most cases       26
Illegal in all cases        17
Don't know/Refused           5

Now I would like to ask your opinion about a specific abortion procedure known as "late-term" abortion or "partial birth" abortion, which is sometimes performed on women during the last few months of pregnancy. Do you think that this procedure should be legal or illegal?

Legal                       17%
Illegal                     75
Don't know/Refused           8

As you may know, the federal government has debated whether to fund certain kinds of medical research known as "stem cell research." How much have you heard about this?

A lot                       45%
A little                    43
Nothing at all              12
Don't know/Refused           *

All in all, which of the following is more important?

Conducting stem cell research that
 might result new medical cures             51%
Not destroying the potential life
 of human embryos involved in this
 research                                   35
Don't know/Refused                          14

Now I'd like your views on some people. First, would you say your overall opinion of ________ is very favorable, mostly favorable, mostly unfavorable or very unfavorable?

George W. Bush:

Very favorable              12%
Mostly favorable            28
Very unfavorable            34
Mostly unfavorable          23
Never heard of (vol.)        *
Can't rate/Refused           3

Rudy Giuliani:

Very favorable              12%
Mostly favorable            42
Very unfavorable             9
Mostly unfavorable          19
Never heard of (vol.)        8
Can't rate/Refused          10

Mitt Romney:

Very favorable               5%
Mostly favorable            23
Very unfavorable             7
Mostly unfavorable          17
Never heard of (vol.)       29
Can't rate/Refused          19

John McCain:

Very favorable               8%
Mostly favorable            39
Very unfavorable             8
Mostly unfavorable          21
Never heard of (vol.)       12
Can't rate/Refused          12

Fred Thompson:

Very favorable               8%
Mostly favorable            21
Very unfavorable             4
Mostly unfavorable          12
Never heard of (vol.)       35
Can't rate/Refused          20

Hillary Clinton:

Very favorable              21%
Mostly favorable            34
Very unfavorable            21
Mostly unfavorable          18
Never heard of (vol.)        2
Can't rate/Refused           4

John Edwards:

Very favorable              10%
Mostly favorable            37
Very unfavorable            10
Mostly unfavorable          19
Never heard of (vol.)       11
Can't rate/Refused          13

Barack Obama:

Very favorable              14%
Mostly favorable            34
Very unfavorable            10
Mostly unfavorable          16
Never heard of (vol.)       13
Can't rate/Refused          13

Pope Benedict XVI:

Very favorable              14%
Mostly favorable            36
Very unfavorable             6
Mostly unfavorable          12
Never heard of (vol.)        8
Can't rate/Refused          24

Billy Graham:

Very favorable              28%
Mostly favorable            32
Very unfavorable             8
Mostly unfavorable          12
Never heard of (vol.)       10
Can't rate/Refused          10

James Dobson:

Very favorable               8%
Mostly favorable            13
Very unfavorable             6
Mostly unfavorable           9
Never heard of (vol.)       46
Can't rate/Refused          18

In making your decision about who to vote for in the presidential election of 2008, will ________ be very important, somewhat important, not too important or not at all important?

The issue of Iraq:

Very important              72%
Somewhat important          21
Not too important            3
Not at all important         3
Don't know/Refused           1

Domestic issues such as the economy, health
 care, and the environment;

Very important              78%
Somewhat important          18
Not too important            2
Not at all important         1
Don't know/Refused           1

Social issues like abortion and gay marriage:

Very important              38%
Somewhat important          32
Not too important           17
Not at all important        11
Don't know/Refused           2

Regardless of the specific candidates who are running for president, we'd like to know how you generally feel about some different traits. First, would you be more likely or less likely to support a candidate for president who ________ or wouldn't this matter to you?

Is a woman:

More likely                 15%
Less likely                 12
Wouldn't matter             72
Don't know/Refused           1

Is black:

More likely                  9%
Less likely                  6
Wouldn't matter             84
Don't know/Refused           1

Is Hispanic:

More likely                  9%
Less likely                 15
Wouldn't matter             75
Don't know/Refused           1

Is Mormon:

More likely                  5%
Less likely                 25
Wouldn't matter             66
Don't know/Refused           4

Is Muslim:

More likely                  3%
Less likely                 45
Wouldn't matter             49
Don't know/Refused           3

Is an evangelical Christian:

More likely                 19%
Less likely                 16
Wouldn't matter             60
Don't know/Refused           5

Does not believe in God:

More likely                  3%
Less likely                 61
Wouldn't matter             34
Don't know/Refused           2

Is Catholic:

More likely                 13%
Less likely                  7
Wouldn't matter             79
Don't know/Refused           1

Is Jewish:

More likely                  9%
Less likely                 11
Wouldn't matter             79
Don't know/Refused           1

On the abortion issue, do you happen to know if Rudy Giuliani is pro-choice, that is, a supporter of abortion rights, pro-life, that is, favors new laws to outlaw abortion in almost all cases or are you not sure where he stands on this issue?

Pro-choice, that is, a
 supporter of abortion rights   22%
Pro-life, that is, favors new
 laws to outlaw abortion in
 almost all cases                7
Not sure                        68
Don't know/Refused               3

Do you think there has been too much, too little or the right amount of expressions of religious faith and prayer by political leaders?

Too much                    27%
Too little                  38
Right amount                26
Don't know/Refused           9

During political elections, should churches and other houses of worship come out in favor of one candidate over another or shouldn't they do this?

Should come out in favor of candidates      28%
Should not come out in favor of candidates  63
Don't know/Refused                           9

How do you feel about this statement: It makes me uncomfortable when politicians talk about how religious they are. Do you completely agree, mostly agree, mostly disagree or completely disagree with it?

Completely agree            15%
Mostly agree                28
Mostly disagree             30
Completely disagree         20
Don't know/Refused           7

And how do you feel about this statement: It's important to me that a president have strong religious beliefs. Do you completely agree, mostly agree, mostly disagree or completely disagree with it?

Completely agree            30%
Mostly agree                39
Mostly disagree             16
Completely disagree         11
Don't know/Refused           4

Do you believe that it is proper or improper for journalists to ask politicians how their religious beliefs affect their opinions on issues of the day?

Proper                      58%
Improper                    37
Don't know/Refused           5

Do you feel that ________ is generally friendly toward religion, neutral toward religion or unfriendly toward religion?

The Democratic Party:

Friendly                    30%
Neutral                     37
Unfriendly                  15
Don't know/Refused          18

The Republican Party:

Friendly                    50%
Neutral                     23
Unfriendly                   9
Don't know/Refused          18

(If Democrats are friendly,neutral, or unfriendly) And in your view, is this a good thing, a bad thing or doesn't it matter to you?

Friendly:

Good thing                  15%
Bad thing                    2
Doesn't matter              13
Don't know/Refused           *

Neutral:

Good thing                  13%
Bad thing                    7
Doesn't matter              17
Don't know/Refused           *

Unfriendly:

Good thing                   *%
Bad thing                   12
Doesn't matter               3
Don't know/Refused           *

(If Republicans are friendly,neutral, or unfriendly) And in your view, is this a good thing, a bad thing or doesn't it matter to you?

Friendly:

Good thing                  23%
Bad thing                   11
Doesn't matter              16
Don't know/Refused           *

Neutral:

Good thing                   6%
Bad thing                    4
Doesn't matter              13
Don't know/Refused           *

Unfriendly:

Good thing                   1%
Bad thing                    5
Doesn't matter               3
Don't know/Refused           *

Here are a couple of statements about the political parties. For each, please tell me if you completely agree, mostly agree, mostly disagree or completely disagree with it.

Religious conservatives have too much control
 over the Republican Party:

Completely agree            15%
Mostly agree                28
Completely disagree         10
Mostly disagree             31
Don't know/Refused          16

Liberals who are not religious have too much
 control over the Democratic Party:

Completely agree            13%
Mostly agree                24
Completely disagree         14
Mostly disagree             33
Don't know/Refused          16

Now I am going to read you a list of some political figures. For each name that I read, please tell me how religious you think that person is very religious, somewhat religious, not too religious or not at all religious.

George W. Bush:

Very religious              37%
Somewhat religious          36
Not too religious            7
Not at all religious         7
Don't know/Refused          13

Rudy Giuliani:

Very religious               9%
Somewhat religious          41
Not too religious           12
Not at all religious         3
Don't know/Refused          35

Mitt Romney:

Very religious              22%
Somewhat religious          21
Not too religious            3
Not at all religious         1
Don't know/Refused          53

John McCain:

Very religious              11%
Somewhat religious          40
Not too religious            7
Not at all religious         2
Don't know/Refused          40

Fred Thompson:

Very religious               5%
Somewhat religious          23
Not too religious            5
Not at all religious         2
Don't know/Refused          65

Hillary Clinton:

Very religious              12%
Somewhat religious          41
Not too religious           16
Not at all religious         9
Don't know/Refused          22

John Edwards:

Very religious              18%
Somewhat religious          37
Not too religious            7
Not at all religious         3
Don't know/Refused          35

Barack Obama:

Very religious              15%
Somewhat religious          36
Not too religious            6
Not at all religious         3
Don't know/Refused          40