Most Republicans I know were once loyal Southern Democrats, but have since switched to the GOP mainly due to the extreme liberal social policies of the Democrats. OTOH a devout Catholic man from Michigan who once worked for me and whose wife and kids marched in anti-abortion protests every year remained a rabidly loyal, Reagan-hating, Clinton-loving Democrat for as long as I knew him. Go figure.
Disclaimer: I am NOT trying to turn this thread into another Catholic vs Protestant free for all, just mentioning the rather odd inconsistency I have observed concerning this issue.
You have to distinguish between “practicing” Catholics and CINO’s(Catholics in Name Only) or what we Catholics refer to as “Cafeteria Catholics” who just pick & choose what they want to believe, what sacraments they receive and what Commandments to obey. The “Cafeteria Catholics” usually only show up for Mass on Christmas and maybe Easter Sunday.
Praciticing Catholics are conservatives who usually vote “R”. While the CINO’s are liberals who if they vote at all, vote “D”.
Indeed it was. Blue collar workers, especially Catholic Irish, Italians, etc., were a huge Roosevelt Democrat constituency.
My 85 year old Mom, God Bless her, still thinks that the Democrat party is run by or descended from Roosevelt & Co.
When I try to describe how the party has been hijacked by the '60's Communist hippie left, she simply cannot connect. And continues to vote for Democrats. Sigh....