Oh well another vote lost

Absolutely. Religion does have the ability to cloud judgment in many aspects and I think instead of having a fanatical religious icon, I would prefer an open-minded individual who doesn't just base all decisions on religious faith.

Very, very few people are open-minded, and should you happen to find one, that person would seem so wishy-washy on the issues that they have no chance of being elected. And you assume a lot in answering this question.

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Actually, most people in this day and age are more open-minded to notions and concepts of equality within religious hierarchies then they were say, 20 years ago. Religious fundamentalism is slowly dying but unfortunately, for example, the United States of America is a country still controlled by the bounds of intellectuality in religion thus making any attempt to elect an individual of a non-religious preference to be completely futile. So yes, you're right -- but assumptions are normally played by past experience.

The problem I see with this question is that it relies on a presidential candidate coming out and saying he's not religious. Even if they weren't, they know they could get hundreds of thousands more votes by simply saying they are. When all you have to do is say "I believe", who wouldn't?