Poll: Number of People who believe Obama is a Muslim remains steady

Two months into Pres. Obama's presidency, the number of people who believe he is a Muslim has remained the same according to a new poll by the Pew Research Center. Last October, 12% of Americans believed Obama was a Muslim, and in March, 11%. 35% of Americans do not know Obama's religion (for various reasons). Republicans (17%) and Protestants (19%) were most likely to believe Obama was a Muslim, and for the sake of fair reporting, 7% of Democrats incorrectly identify Obama's religion.

Jacqueline Salmon, of the new God in Government blog, offers this interesting fact on the poll results:

What's interesting is that while most of those oppose him politically, a portion don't hold it against him. They like the guy, they voted for him--and they think he's a Muslim.

Among people who approve of his job performance, seven percent think he's Muslim, says Michael Dimock, a Pew Center associate director. "It's not always a statement of opposition or something that's resonating on the right-wing list servs," said Dimock. "It's something that just happens to be out there."

I am heartened that, among these low-information voters, some of them do not view being a Muslim as a de facto negative thing. It is worth noting, however, that 19% of those who disapprove of his job performance also believe Obama is a Muslim.