Growing
Number Of Americans Waking Up That Obama Is
Muslim
A substantial and growing number of Americans
say that Barack Obama is a Muslim, while the
proportion saying he is a Christian has
declined. More than a year and a half into his
presidency, a plurality of the public says
they do not know what religion Obama follows.
A new national survey by the Pew Research
Center finds that nearly one-in-five Americans
(18%) now say Obama is a Muslim, up from 11%
in March 2009. Only about one-third of adults
(34%) say Obama is a Christian, down sharply
from 48% in 2009. Fully 43% say they do not
know what Obama’s religion is. The survey
was completed in early August, before
Obama’s recent comments about the proposed
construction of a mosque near the site of the
former World Trade Center. The view that Obama
is a Muslim is more widespread among his
political opponents than among his backers.
Roughly a third of conservative Republicans
(34%) say Obama is a Muslim, as do 30% of
those who disapprove of Obama’s job
performance. But even among many of his
supporters and allies, less than half now say
Obama is a Christian. Among Democrats, for
instance, 46% say Obama is a Christian, down
from 55% in March 2009.