According to some researchers , religion is being used as a strategic tool to influence voters at higher levels than ever before. Between 2009 and 2010 the amount of media coverage dedicated to religious topics doubled . Furthermore, according to the Pew Research Center , six percent of election stories in major news outlets during the 2012 election cycle contained references to religion. For example, in 2012 the conservative leaning Media Research Center published an online article titled “How Network News Has Twisted Obama’s War on Religion into a Conservative War Against Women.” These examples demonstrate that activating people’s religious beliefs is not only a common occurrence in political discourse, but is done with the apparent intent to influence opinions.