It's probably not going to be a major factor in 2012.
JFK's religion was a factor in the 1960 election. After that, few Americans knew, or cared, that Barry Goldwater's running mate in '64, Congressman Bill Miller from upstate NY, was Catholic.
People forget about Al Smith's 1928 campaign, where his Catholicism did play a considerable part in his defeat. That and he was "Wet" when Prohibition was still publicly supported.
Regarding '12 and Religion, How about Mitt Romney's Mormonism?
Locally here in East Tennessee back in the '08 primaries, Mittens was only referenced not for RomneyCare or managing the Olympics or even his father.
No he was The Mormon. Like Smith and JFK's Catholicism was used against them, backwoods people and their ignorant fear of religious sects they both don't understand (Magic underwear?) and...
Well, how many Mormons do you know personally?
Huckabee in '08 played on that card when he told reporters he "heard" and was "displeased" with people claiming Mormons worshipped Satan.
Now where and from who did he "hear" this from? Why he never mentioned it, but he did conveniently use that excuse to slip that intolerable hateful thing out into public to influence the Evangelical GOP base.
Imagine if Palin runs. Her people will play this garbage without skill or subtlety. Newt and his coded speeches will too I'm sure. And knowing politics, if Mittens gets the GOP nomination, it'll be used against him too by the other side.
~And this from somebody who really doesn't care much for Mittens the shamelessly pandering used car salesman. He's almost the blue blooded Bill Clinton, but without the charm.
