Barack Obama is no Jack Kennedy.
Posted on 09/13/2012 9:41:26 AM PDT by wmfights
A new poll by a Catholic advocacy group shows President Barack Obama has a slight lead over Gov. Mitt Romney among non-Hispanic Catholics, despite the stalled economy and his 2012 establishment of church regulations requiring them to fund contraception and abortion-related services that they abhor.
The poll of 2,629 likely Catholic voters, an unusually large sample, showed that 46.5 percent of non-Hispanic Catholics support Obama, while 45.6 percent support Romney.
The poll was commissioned by The Catholic Association, and it showed Obama getting 49 percent of Catholics overall, including those of Hispanic descent. Only 41 percent support Romney, while 10 percent are undecided.
Even if Romney wins every undecided non-Hispanic Catholic vote, he would only narrowly best Texas Gov. George W. Bush’s 52 percent share during his razor-thin victory in 2000. Bush won support from 56 percent of non-Hispanic Catholics during his comfortable win in 2004.
Even Sen. John McCain won 52 percent of the non-Hispanic Catholic vote in 2008, despite running a poor campaign against Sen. Barack Obama’s wave.
Romney is only slightly ahead of Obama among church-going white Catholics, 46.6 percent to 45.3 percent.
Forty-eight percent of the poll respondents were Democrats; 33 percent were Republicans.
Non-Hispanic whites comprised 65 percent of the Catholics polled; 29 percent were Hispanic.
Fifty-seven percent of respondents agreed with the statement that “[t]he Obama Administration has gone too far in placing restrictions on religious freedom when implementing their programs and policies.”
That’s a reference to Obama’s controversial 2012 policy that forces all denominations to provide their employees with free contraception and some abortion-related services via insurance companies.
Administration officials has suggested they will exempt churches that pass a multi-part government test. Religious leaders from many denominations have promised to oppose the president’s edict in court and at the ballot box.
The poll’s numbers will be disappointing for Romney, and should push him to step up his outreach to Catholics in crucial swing states including Ohio, Iowa, Virginia and Pennsylvania, said Catholic advocates.
But the poll showed that most Catholics are philosophically closer to the GOP than to progressives, said Maureen Ferguson, a senior policy advisor at The Catholic Association.
Seventy-eight percent said rights come from nature and God, not government, she said. “It gets to the fundamental question of government, she said, adding that “one [party] is 100 percent on one side, and the other is 100 percent on the other side.”
In battleground states, “Catholics continue to account for a higher percentage of the electorate than their overall percentage of the population. … Catholics are the key swing vote,” said Matt Smith, president of Catholic Advocate.
His group is trying to boost Catholic turnout in the 2012 election, and help elect Romney.
Also, Catholics who regularly attend Mass are also more likely to vote, he said, creating a slight advantage for Romney.
“Any successful outreach to Catholics must address the prominence issues such as the sanctity of life, traditional marriage, and religious liberty hold, particularly among Mass-attending Catholics,” Smith said.
Romney is trying to boost his Catholic support by hiring Brian Burch, president of CatholicVote.org, to spur support and turnout.
The Catholic advocates were coy about their registration, turnout and advocacy plans.
“We are producing a Catholic voter guide that will be very widely distributed” before the election by lay Catholics, Ferguson said, adding that “we don’t want to telegraph in public what we want to do.”
I am assuming that they did not ask how many times the members go to church, or they would have included it in the poll. However, the respondents did identify themselves as Catholic. I think the Catholic clergy have been pretty clear that they don't support obama. If this poll is accurate why don't more Catholics (even the marginally Catholic) support Romney?
this poll must use the axelrod methodology.
Putting a little emphasis where it is needed, let’s phrase it like this. Catholics are supporting a president who is gay, promotes the gay agenda, promotes abortion on demand right up to and beyond birth. They support a president who is waging a war on Catholics and all Christians.
I would imagine the polling samples reflect the percentage of Catholics who are registered Democrats compared to the number who are registered as Republicans. When seen in that light, 7 percent of Democrat Catholics won’t be voting for Obama. Catholics who care about Christianity and their Church should get out and persuade their brothers and sisters to not vote for the enemy.
“I know you Conservatives to Reelect President 0bama (CREEP0)”
Last time you called me a Stalinist. I seem to have been demoted in that fevered, fermenting, deliquescent slime that passes for your thought processes.
Are you paid for your insipid cheerleading and slanders? It is an important distinction. In one profession it distinguishes whores from sluts.
Blantant bullshit poll is right.
I totally agree...I saw another poll that showed his support cut in half among Catholics.Do not believe this tripe.
How many of them will admit in confession that they have enabled the baby killer party?
“The Obama Administration has gone too far in placing restrictions on religious freedom when implementing their programs and policies.”
The lack of difference between Mass attenders and those that don't tends to validate this current poll. I'm surprised after everything that the obama admn. has done.
Why are the swing states so close. The Catholic vote is disproportionately high in those states.
That may not be your intent, it is the result of your actions.
If you object to your CREEP0 behavior being pointed out, stop doing it.
That's what I thought about the sampling imbalance.
I agree with the second part of your comment. If the Catholic vote is so strong for Romney the swing states wouldn't be close. The Catholic vote is very strong in those states.
Priests need to say it.
“A vote for Obama or any Democrat is a SIN will lead to excommunication, and unconfessed will endanger your immortal soul.
And dare the IRS to do anything about it.
“If you object to your CREEP0 behavior being pointed out, stop doing it.”
You seem to labor under delusions of significance.
They won't, just as my Evangelical Brothers and Sisters won't.
The most consistent argument I run into is "we are supporting obama because we are for the little guy".
Forty-eight percent of the poll respondents were Democrats; 33 percent were Republicans....
__________________________
So that’s why they didn’t call me! I’m a registered, likely voter who is Republican and Catholic. Wonder if CBS & NPR reporters helped stage the poll questions.
I walked up to her after church one day, and asked her how she could suposrt a candidate from a party that supports abortion and Gay lifestyle....
She looked at me red faced, said "Excuse me.." and walked away. I didn't see her wear that pin again in church after that, but you know she voted for Gore.
I'm with you .... she should have been kicked out or at least thrown out of the retirement community of nuns she was living with which my tithing was helping to pay for.
It seems to me we are moving pretty close to the days where we have to decide where we stand, there is no middle ground.
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