Religion Breakdown Gives Bush An Edge In Key Swing States

In June's IBD/TIPP poll, Bush led Kerry 52% to 35% among Protestants. Catholics gravitated toward Kerry (48% vs. 35%) while Jewish voters overwhelmingly supported the Democratic challenger (74% vs. 19%).

Protestants' strong support for Bush is also reflected in their support of the war in Iraq, his handling of the economy and his leadership credentials:

• Nearly two-thirds (62%) of Protestants support the war compared with 54% of all Americans. Only 46% of non-Protestants support the war.

• On the IBD/TIPP Presidential Leadership Index, Bush scores 55.3 among Protestants, the highest among all faith groups. Catholics give him 40.9 while other religions give him a 41.9. Among Jews, Bush gets a lackluster 21.8.

• Protestants score higher (55.9) on the IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism Index than Catholics (47.4), Jews (47.6) and other religious groups (40.6).

• More Protestants (64%) see Bush as a strong leader; only 35% feel the same way about Kerry. On the other hand, non-Protestants see Kerry in a slightly better light, 49% to 48%.

We also note that those who most frequently attend a place of worship are more likely to vote than their less religious counterparts.

Fifty percent of Protestants attend church at least once a week. This compares with a 42% rate of attendance among Catholics and 35% for other religions. One of eight (12%) Jewish voters attend synagogue at least weekly.