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Mitt Romney trouncing Rick Santorum even among Catholics
Religious News Service ^ | 03/04/2012 | Daniel Burke

Posted on 03/04/2012 4:44:49 PM PST by SeekAndFind

(RNS) Mitt Romney has trounced Rick Santorum, an ardent Catholic, among Catholic voters, but Romney's support among evangelicals has wavered thus far in the GOP presidential primary, according to a new analysis of exit poll data.

Though he won evangelicals in two states, in general Romney has performed 15 percentage points better among non-evangelicals, according to an analysis released Friday (March 2) by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

Exit poll data is available in seven of the 11 states that have held primary contests to date, according to the Pew Forum. More detailed religious affiliations are available in six of those states.

White evangelicals formed more than a third of all GOP primary voters in each state except for Nevada (24 percent) and New Hampshire (21 percent). Romney, a Mormon, won the evangelical vote in those two states, and nearly tied for first in Arizona and Florida. But he lost the evangelical vote badly in three states: Michigan, Iowa and South Carolina.

Somewhat surprisingly, Santorum has not won the Catholic vote in a single state in which data is available, according to the Pew Forum.

Romney won the Catholic vote by at least 25 points in Florida, New Hampshire and Nevada. Romney also won 47 percent of the Catholic vote in Arizona, compared to Santorum's 33 percent. In Michigan, Romney bested Santorum among Catholics 44 to 37 percent.

Santorum has spoken far more about his faith during the campaign, while Romney has largely been mum on his Mormonism.

According to numerous separate polls, a significant minority of GOP voters, especially evangelicals, remain reluctant to vote for a Mormon president. Most Mainline Protestants and Catholics do not display the same aversion.

Romney, who has won more primary elections and delegates than any other GOP candidate, also won the Protestant vote in three states: New Hampshire, Nevada and Arizona.

However, the Pew Forum notes that Romney's success among Protestants in Nevada and Arizona is boosted by their large Mormon populations. (The Pew Forum does not typically consider Mormons Protestant, but exit polls often do.) Romney won 88 percent of the Mormon vote in Nevada and 96 percent in Arizona.

Texas congressman Ron Paul has performed the best among religiously unaffiliated voters in the two states -- Nevada and New Hampshire -- where they participated in large enough numbers to be analyzed.


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; Religion & Culture; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: catholics; elections; romney; santorum; unexpected; whatasnob
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1 posted on 03/04/2012 4:45:02 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Catholics don’t like Santorum, even in 2006 when Santorum was being dumped from office, he received 42% of the white Catholic vote, and 71% of the white Evangelical vote.


2 posted on 03/04/2012 4:48:15 PM PST by ansel12 (Rick Santorum, Catholic, “I was basically pro-choice all my life, until I ran for Congress,” he sa)
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To: SeekAndFind

This Methodist voted for Santorum.


3 posted on 03/04/2012 4:48:48 PM PST by cripplecreek (What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?)
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To: SeekAndFind

Santorum will only fade from here.


4 posted on 03/04/2012 4:49:45 PM PST by toddausauras (FUMR x 1,000)
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To: ansel12

RE: Catholics don’t like Santorum, even in 2006 when Santorum was being dumped from office, he received 42% of the white Catholic vote, and 71% of the white Evangelical vote

_________________

Hmmm... I wonder what the reason is. Why do people who supposedly share Santorum’s faith NOT vote for him, while those who share it peripherally do?


5 posted on 03/04/2012 4:51:14 PM PST by SeekAndFind (question)
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To: ansel12

Despite what the Catholic church says, Catholic voters are far less socially conservative than Evangelicals.

In 2008, 54% of Catholics voted for Obama. With an increasing percentage of American Catholics being Hispanic, I’d expect Hussein to get a majority of the Catholic vote yet again.


6 posted on 03/04/2012 4:51:54 PM PST by Longbow1969
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To: SeekAndFind
One reason might me the smear campaign on him. The second reason could that many Catholics (like my daughter-in-law) are cafeteria Catholics, who or either liberal or tend to lean liberal, ever if they vote republican. I went to Catholic school for 12 years and then taught CCD for a few years. When I became politically aware, the priest in the different parishes I attended, never spoke of abortion, purity, homosexuality.....hot button issues. It was then I started questioning the church, shouldn't they be at least talking about these issues once a year??? I became an evangelical a few years later.
7 posted on 03/04/2012 4:53:19 PM PST by Linda Frances (Only God can change a heart, but we can pray for hearts to be changed.)
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To: ansel12
Santorum has some baggage that the Catholics I know are having an issue with. He needs to come clean and explain otherwise it will continue to detract some catholics from supporting him.

“Don't lecture me until”

Its on the web to be seen in many place.

8 posted on 03/04/2012 4:58:50 PM PST by Bailee (Vote Newt the Pitt bull we need. Energy Independence and we bow to NO foreign dictator.)
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To: SeekAndFind
Catholics, we need to educate people that Romney is not a Christian but a member of a cult.

Find out about a cult

9 posted on 03/04/2012 4:59:28 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: ansel12

Source please


10 posted on 03/04/2012 5:00:22 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

RE: Catholics, we need to educate people that Romney is not a Christian but a member of a cult.

I don’t think most people are voting someone based on religion.


11 posted on 03/04/2012 5:08:39 PM PST by SeekAndFind (question)
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To: Longbow1969

Correct.

The Catholic church is a big supporter of illegal amnesty in order to attempt to regain what was lost when all of the middle class whites left the church after it became so politicized.


12 posted on 03/04/2012 5:16:20 PM PST by KeyLargo
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To: SeekAndFind

Then maybe we need to tell them that Romneycare is a flop and that Romney supports abortion.

However, I don’t see how any Christian could ever vote for Romney.


13 posted on 03/04/2012 5:16:52 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: SeekAndFind

The elites better not give us Romney.


14 posted on 03/04/2012 5:17:03 PM PST by RIghtwardHo
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To: SeekAndFind

Japanese Catholics, Korean Catholics, Nigerian Catholics, Malaysian Catholics, Kenyan Catholics, Filipino Catholics, Sri Lankan Catholics, Thai Cathiolics, Indian Catholics, Catholics in the Middle East yet underground, many Catholics worldwide who still love their faith and support their church and live the Christian faith seven days a week and proudly stand up for it, and do not selfishly cherry pick but are tried and true, would go for Santorum in DROVES if they somehow had the vote. I realize that is not a reality, but it just goes to show how soft the core of American Catholicism has gotten. It would not surprise me that in 20 years time they might support abortion and euthanasia. The Vatican has already talked about the libertine influences in the American Catholic church and the great problematic situation (decay). Probably the Santorum-Romney thing reflects it. How else can you explain that American Catholics went for a majority for Obongo himself three years ago? I just think people are socially going through the motions but in a larger sense when push comes to shove, have very week if not no moral commitments nor values at this point. So cafeteria, as it were. The compass seems to be broken for so many people. People will reap what they sow, though.


15 posted on 03/04/2012 5:18:20 PM PST by AmericanInTokyo (Power up the ROMNEYBOT-ZAPPER. FR is going to need it. These folks will start appearing like maggots)
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To: SeekAndFind

Probably for the same reason a lot of liberal Jews do not support Israel.


16 posted on 03/04/2012 5:19:16 PM PST by ReformationFan
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To: SeekAndFind

I know many people who won’t vote for romney because he believes Jesus is satans brother, that Mary and God the Father had sex, that they are gods and will get their own planet when they die, if they worked to a certain level. If romney get the presidency, he might be a galaxy. Obama will do ANYTHING to win, actually, the left will. Can you imagine him in a church, telling people these things?


17 posted on 03/04/2012 5:28:01 PM PST by Linda Frances (Only God can change a heart, but we can pray for hearts to be changed.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Not surprising. Most of my Catholic friends are far more liberal than my Evangelical friends.


18 posted on 03/04/2012 5:30:11 PM PST by montag813
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To: ansel12

Misleading since Santorum’s voters are split with Newt. They could do the same hit piece on Newt but when you combine the anti-Romneys, I bet it’s a different story.


19 posted on 03/04/2012 5:30:35 PM PST by Kenny
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To: Salvation

Yeah, I don’t get that either.


20 posted on 03/04/2012 5:33:41 PM PST by RIghtwardHo
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