ABC News pollster Damla Ergun breaks down some polling numbers and finds that how people feel about the LDS faith might predict how they look at Mitt Romney's candidacy.
Thirty-one percent of non-Mormon Americans express an unfavorable view of Mormonism, while 38 percent see it favorably (the rest have no opinion). Romney has 54 percent support among registered voters in the positive group, vs. 42 percent among those who see Mormonism negatively, a 12-point gap. This, again, is statistically significant when controlled for other factors.
Comfort among non-Mormons with a relative marrying a Mormon is lower than is comfort among non-blacks with a relative marrying a black person; 74 percent of non-Mormons say they’d be comfortable with a close relative marrying a Mormon, and just 49 percent say they’d be entirely comfortable with it. In this case, there’s no effect on vote choices.
Opinions on Mormonism differ across groups as well, though not sharply (given that three in 10 overall don’t have an opinion of the religion). The largest difference is that evangelical Protestants feel the most uneasy about a close relative marrying someone who is Mormon – 62 percent are comfortable with the idea, vs. 78 percent of other adults.
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