"The religious electoral fault lines have largely returned to 2004, despite intense efforts by the Evangelical Left and others to politically refocus traditional church going voters." -- Mark Tooley, IRD President

Contact: Jeff Walton, Institute on Religion and Democracy, 202-682-4131, 202-413-5639 cell, jwalton@TheIRD.org

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2, 2012 /Standard Newswire/ -- According to the latest Pew poll, 76 percent of white evangelicals support former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and only 17 percent back President Barack Obama. About 26 percent supported Obama in 2008, sparking hopes of a breakthrough for the Evangelical Left. Romney, despite his Mormon faith and mostly silence about social issues that energize many evangelicals, seems on his way to attaining the soaring 79 percent that Bush received in 2004.

Increased religious support for the GOP nominee isn't confined to evangelicals. Sixty percent of white Mainline Protestants told Pew they are backing Romney, versus 35 percent for Obama. Fifty-four percent of white Catholics told Pew they favor Romney, compared to 40 percent for Obama. Weekly churchgoers of all races collectively favor Romney by 55 percent to 38 percent, continuing the "God Gap" favoring Republicans. Sixty-six percent of the now much discussed religiously unaffiliated back Obama.

IRD President Mark Tooley commented:

"Many religious idealists on the Left hoped President Obama would usher in a new post partisan age. But the culture wars continue, now joined by fierce strife over America's economic future, amid the grim realization that the War on Terror, however named, goes on indefinitely.

"The religious electoral fault lines have largely returned to 2004, despite intense efforts by the Evangelical Left and others to politically refocus traditional church going voters.

"The Evangelical Left has been especially low key this year after much excitement in 2008. What will they do after this election?"