BETHESDA, Md. –- Will presidential candidates' religion matter in next month's election? Does the religion of voters? Should religion matter at all?
In the strictest, most personal sense of the word, the answer to all three questions is no. At least that's what officials from the campaigns for President Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney pitched to dozens of religion reporters on Friday at the Religion Newswriters' Association annual conference, despite continued discussions of religion-based voter reticence over both candidates because of their religious views and practices.
In most elections, "we look for competence and then, for many us, if the selected competent person is of faith, that is seen as a bonus. If they happen to be a person of similar faith, maybe that is a double-bonus," said Mark DeMoss, a senior advisor to the Romney campaign and an evangelical Christian. DeMoss said much of his work over his six years advising Romney has been focused on convincing religious groups, such as evangelicals, to look at "shared values" with Romney, even if they disagree with his Mormon religious views.
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