LA Times asserted Obama “probably can't erase the God gap,” but ignored findings that he leads among Catholics and black Protestants

Written by Morgan Weiland

Published

The Los Angeles Times asserted that Sen. Barack Obama “probably can't erase the God gap,” but cited as evidence Pew poll results for white voters. In fact, the same Pew poll found that Obama leads McCain 88 percent to 6 percent among “Black Protestant[s].” Moreover, Barabak asserted that Obama “trail[ed] McCain among ... non-Hispanic Catholics,” but Barabak did not note that Obama leads McCain among all Catholic voters, 47 percent to 42 percent.

In an August 19 Los Angeles Times article, staff writer Mark Z. Barabak asserted that Sen. Barack Obama “probably can't erase the God gap,” but cited as evidence Pew poll results for white voters, suggesting that the political views of white religious voters are representative of the political views of all religious voters; they are not, according to a Pew poll released August 13.

Specifically, Barabak wrote in support of his claim of a “God gap” that "[a] recent Pew poll found Obama trailing [Sen. John] McCain among white evangelicals, mainline Protestants and non-Hispanic Catholics." But Barabak did not note that in that poll, Pew found that Obama leads McCain 88 percent to 6 percent among “Black Protestant[s].” Moreover, Barabak asserted that Obama “trail[ed] McCain among ... non-Hispanic Catholics,” but Barabak did not note that Obama leads McCain among all Catholic voters, 47 percent to 42 percent.

From the August 19 Los Angeles Times article:

A big test will come this fall. Likely party standard-bearer Barack Obama has courted religious voters like no Democratic nominee since Jimmy Carter. A week after the primaries ended, the Illinois senator met privately with a group of conservative religious leaders, winning positive reviews.

“We want people of faith to know that Barack Obama is a viable option and a candidate who's not ashamed to stand up and talk about his values,” says Joshua DuBois, the campaign's director of religious affairs, whose staff has conducted more than 200 “faith town halls” for religious leaders and their followers.

Obama probably can't erase the God gap, even if he seems more comfortable discussing his Christianity than the last two Democratic nominees or, for that matter, his Republican rival, Sen. John McCain of Arizona. A recent Pew poll found Obama trailing McCain among white evangelicals, mainline Protestants and non-Hispanic Catholics. But McCain's support was below Bush's levels, and even small gains by Obama -- winning, say, just 1 in 3 white evangelicals -- could significantly reshape the electoral map, says Allen Hertzke, a University of Oklahoma expert on religion and politics.

“Democrats have developed a keen awareness of the problem and they're seriously engaged in trying to narrow the gap,” Hertzke says. “That in itself is a significant change from 2000 and 2004.”

But Daughtry is looking past November. “Obviously, you want to win elections,” she says. But more important “is the extent to which we allow people of faith to be a vibrant, active part of the party. Because that is a longer-term benefit with greater implications ... than what one election may or may not yield.”