One in Five Think Obama's a Muslim; Four of Five Just Think He's Incompetent

I added that last part. As to this curiously timed poll, let's just say his entry into the Ground Zero mosque dispute seems to be just a coincidence, I guess.

A substantial and growing number of Americans say that Barack Obama is a Muslim, while the proportion saying he is a Christian has declined. More than a year and a half into his presidency, a plurality of the public says they do not know what religion Obama follows.

A new national survey by the Pew Research Center finds that nearly one-in-five Americans (18%) now say Obama is a Muslim, up from 11% in March 2009. Only about one-third of adults (34%) say Obama is a Christian, down sharply from 48% in 2009. Fully 43% say they do not know what Obama’s religion is. The survey was completed in early August, before Obama’s recent comments about the proposed construction of a mosque near the site of the former World Trade Center.

The view that Obama is a Muslim is more widespread among his political opponents than among his backers. Roughly a third of conservative Republicans (34%) say Obama is a Muslim, as do 30% of those who disapprove of Obama’s job performance. But even among many of his supporters and allies, less than half now say Obama is a Christian. Among Democrats, for instance, 46% say Obama is a Christian, down from 55% in March 2009.

The belief that Obama is a Muslim has increased most sharply among Republicans
(up 14 points since 2009), especially conservative Republicans (up 16 points). But the number of independents who say Obama is a Muslim has also increased significantly
(up eight points). There has been little change in the number of Democrats who say Obama is a Muslim, but fewer Democrats today say he is a Christian (down nine points since 2009).

Maybe the fact Obama is rarely if ever seen attending church services since he left Jeremiah Wright's radical congregation two years ago has something to do with it. He's gone golfing 44 times since becoming POTUS, yet I doubt his church attendance comes close to rivaling that.

As to those who think he's a Muslim I can't figure where they're getting that idea, unless they've noticed his relentless pandering to Muslims. The Democrats are usually openly hostile to religious types (except for their Muslim masters, of course) and may want to take note here.

The religious landscape is far more favorable to Republicans than was the case as recently as 2008. Half of white non-Hispanic Catholics (50%) currently identify with or lean toward the Republican Party, up nine points since 2008. Among religiously unaffiliated voters, who have been stalwart supporters of Democrats in recent elections, 29% currently identify with or lean toward the Republican Party, up from 25% in 2008 (the proportion identifying as Democrats has fallen seven points since then). And 33% of Jewish voters identify with or lean toward the Republican Party, up from 20% in 2008.

That's a significant increase among Jewish support and likely stems from Obama's hostility toward Israel. It could well be a factor in some thinking he's a closet Muslim.

Whatever the case, expect more and more of these stories as the midterms near. The leftwing media is desperate to portray the right as a bunch of conspiratorial wackos and this is just an opening salvo. They're regurgitate this and the Birther silliness ad nauseum between now and November. Anything to divert attention from the Democrat crackup where the GZ mosque is concerned.