Richard Tafoya
Feb 20th, 2007, 11:39 AM
TPMCafe:
http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/feb/20/poll_americans_reluctant_to_vote_for_mormon_multiple_divorce e_or_old_candidate
An intriguing new poll contains some slightly sobering news for at least three of the 2008 Presidential hopefuls: It appears that Americans are more willing to vote for an African American or a woman than they are for a Mormon, someone who's advanced in years, or someone who's been married three times.
The poll, which was released today by Gallup (http://www.galluppoll.com/content/?ci=26611), asked voters whether they would vote for a candidate with various non-traditional traits, provided the candidate was generally qualified for the Presidency. While 94% said they'd vote for an African American, and 88% said they'd vote for a woman, only 72% would vote for a Mormon, 67% would vote for someone who was married for the third time, and 57% would vote for someone who was 72 years old.
Mitt Romney is a Mormon, Rudy Giuliani has been married three times, and John McCain will be 72 in 2008.
The poll's findings seem to suggest at least the possibility that Hillary and Barack Obama are actually at somewhat less of a disadvantage because of their "non-traditional" traits than Romney, McCain and Giuliani are -- that is, when all these candidates are assumed to be generally qualified and are evaluated strictly by these traits and no others. It's hard to know what to make of these findings, but they seemed worth passing on. The full poll has much more on changing voter attitude towards various "non-traditional" traits; view it here (http://www.galluppoll.com/content/?ci=26611).
http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/feb/20/poll_americans_reluctant_to_vote_for_mormon_multiple_divorce e_or_old_candidate
An intriguing new poll contains some slightly sobering news for at least three of the 2008 Presidential hopefuls: It appears that Americans are more willing to vote for an African American or a woman than they are for a Mormon, someone who's advanced in years, or someone who's been married three times.
The poll, which was released today by Gallup (http://www.galluppoll.com/content/?ci=26611), asked voters whether they would vote for a candidate with various non-traditional traits, provided the candidate was generally qualified for the Presidency. While 94% said they'd vote for an African American, and 88% said they'd vote for a woman, only 72% would vote for a Mormon, 67% would vote for someone who was married for the third time, and 57% would vote for someone who was 72 years old.
Mitt Romney is a Mormon, Rudy Giuliani has been married three times, and John McCain will be 72 in 2008.
The poll's findings seem to suggest at least the possibility that Hillary and Barack Obama are actually at somewhat less of a disadvantage because of their "non-traditional" traits than Romney, McCain and Giuliani are -- that is, when all these candidates are assumed to be generally qualified and are evaluated strictly by these traits and no others. It's hard to know what to make of these findings, but they seemed worth passing on. The full poll has much more on changing voter attitude towards various "non-traditional" traits; view it here (http://www.galluppoll.com/content/?ci=26611).