US Catholics back bishops on religious freedom, but still favor Obama, poll shows [CWN]
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Nec5
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Kind of predictable.
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Holly3278
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Wow. I do not get this. Obama is viciously attacking our freedom of religion and yet most Catholics still support him??? 
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markomalley
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I don’t believe the poll questioned when the last time a so-called “Catholic” darkened the narthex of a church.Wow. I do not get this. Obama is viciously attacking our freedom of religion and yet most Catholics still support him???
I full well believe it if one includes “cultural” Catholics who haven’t been to Mass since they were confirmed 30 years ago…as well as “Eastmas” (Easter-Christmas) Catholics.
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_Abyssinia
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Problem with this poll is grouping all Catholics together in a poll, practising and non practising and expects an honest result of who ‘Catholics’ support
Pew’s poll from April shows majority of churchgoing Catholics favour Romney 56% over Obama 38%. BTW that says African Americans favour Obama 96% to Romney 0%, that statistic is not accurate. Small percentage favour Romney to Obama, but it is not 0%, I know for a fact. They also oversampled Democrats to Republicans in a swing state poll, I do not trust Pew for accuracy.
Rasmussen released a poll of likely voters in February that found most Catholics disapprove of Obama’s job performance, 35% of likely Catholic voters likely to vote for Obama, 52% likely to vote for Romney.
OP Pew poll is out of touch with other polls on Catholics.
Former Vatican ambassadors have launched Catholics for Romney group
Pew’s poll from April shows majority of churchgoing Catholics favour Romney 56% over Obama 38%. BTW that says African Americans favour Obama 96% to Romney 0%, that statistic is not accurate. Small percentage favour Romney to Obama, but it is not 0%, I know for a fact. They also oversampled Democrats to Republicans in a swing state poll, I do not trust Pew for accuracy.
Rasmussen released a poll of likely voters in February that found most Catholics disapprove of Obama’s job performance, 35% of likely Catholic voters likely to vote for Obama, 52% likely to vote for Romney.
OP Pew poll is out of touch with other polls on Catholics.
Former Vatican ambassadors have launched Catholics for Romney group
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Holly3278
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Thanks for the information. I really really hope that Obama does not win the election. Our religious freedom depends on him losing.
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bellasbane
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From the original article:
“The survey found 51% of self-identified Catholics favored Obama in the presidential race, and 42% favored Romney. When the sample was restricted to white non-Hispanic voters, however, the results were quite different, with Romney leading Obama by 47-44%.”
What strikes me most about these results is how much damage the GOP had done to themselves with respect to the Hispanic vote. It seems that perceived racism is a far more powerful predictor of political preference than just about anything else.
I also wonder what the numbers would look like if the poll had included self-identified ex-Catholics, which I have heard is the third largest religious denomination in the United States.
Finally, the poll does not explain why Obama is kicking Romney’s butt in 9 our of the 10 most Catholic states in the Union. If you look at the numbers the Huffington post put together about the Most and Least Catholic States in America and compare it with the poll numbers from Real Clear Politics, here is what you get:
Top 10 Catholic States: % Catholic vs. RCP Average
“The survey found 51% of self-identified Catholics favored Obama in the presidential race, and 42% favored Romney. When the sample was restricted to white non-Hispanic voters, however, the results were quite different, with Romney leading Obama by 47-44%.”
What strikes me most about these results is how much damage the GOP had done to themselves with respect to the Hispanic vote. It seems that perceived racism is a far more powerful predictor of political preference than just about anything else.
I also wonder what the numbers would look like if the poll had included self-identified ex-Catholics, which I have heard is the third largest religious denomination in the United States.
Finally, the poll does not explain why Obama is kicking Romney’s butt in 9 our of the 10 most Catholic states in the Union. If you look at the numbers the Huffington post put together about the Most and Least Catholic States in America and compare it with the poll numbers from Real Clear Politics, here is what you get:
Top 10 Catholic States: % Catholic vs. RCP Average
*]Massachusetts :…45% Catholic - Obama +19
*]Rhode Island:…44% Catholic - Obama +17
*]New Jersey:…37% Catholic - Obama +14
*]Connecticut:…35% Catholic - Obama +10
*]New York:…32% Catholic - Obama +26
*]Illinois:…28% Catholic - Obama +14
*]New Mexico:…28% Catholic - Obama +11
*]Pennsylvania:…28% Catholic - Obama +7
*]California:…27% Catholic - Obama +17
*]Louisiana:…26% Catholic - Romney +16
Clearly, a large concentration of Catholic voters does not predict support for the GOP. I suppose some would interpret this to mean that the only “real Catholics” are those who live in southern red states, because according to Church doctrine, the litmus test for being a “real Catholic” is whether you vote Republican or not.
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threedogday
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From the original article:
“The survey found 51% of self-identified Catholics favored Obama in the presidential race, and 42% favored Romney. When the sample was restricted to white non-Hispanic voters, however, the results were quite different, with Romney leading Obama by 47-44%.”
What strikes me most about these results is how much damage the GOP had done to themselves with respect to the Hispanic vote. It seems that perceived racism is a far more powerful predictor of political preference than just about anything else.
I also wonder what the numbers would look like if the poll had included self-identified ex-Catholics, which I have heard is the third largest religious denomination in the United States.
Finally, the poll does not explain why Obama is kicking Romney’s butt in 9 our of the 10 most Catholic states in the Union. If you look at the numbers the Huffington post put together about the Most and Least Catholic States in America and compare it with the poll numbers from Real Clear Politics, here is what you get:
Top 10 Catholic States: % Catholic vs. RCP Average
*]Massachusetts :…45% Catholic - Obama +19
*]Rhode Island:…44% Catholic - Obama +17
*]New Jersey:…37% Catholic - Obama +14
*]Connecticut:…35% Catholic - Obama +10
*]New York:…32% Catholic - Obama +26
*]Illinois:…28% Catholic - Obama +14
*]New Mexico:…28% Catholic - Obama +11
*]Pennsylvania:…28% Catholic - Obama +7
*]California:…27% Catholic - Obama +17
*]Louisiana:…26% Catholic - Romney +16
Clearly, a large concentration of Catholic voters does not predict support for the GOP. I suppose some would interpret this to mean that the only “real Catholics” are those who live in southern red states, because according to Church doctrine, the litmus test for being a “real Catholic” is whether you vote Republican or not.
Interesting data. Thanks for posting.
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Rich_Olszewski
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So it would seem. Also, those who put Catholic in quotation marks don’t know their Catechism. They need to see what the Church considers as a Catholic, and it ain’t “Catholic.”Clearly, a large concentration of Catholic voters does not predict support for the GOP. I suppose some would interpret this to mean that the only “real Catholics” are those who live in southern red states, because according to Church doctrine, the litmus test for being a “real Catholic” is whether you vote Republican or not.
Anyone baptized in the Faith is a Catholic, and the deniers are flat wrong.
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scipio337
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Actually, they did, and the results weren’t very shocking:
What gaineth a man, if he win the White House, but lose his soul?
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interestedman
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Most American Catholics don’t mind gay marriage or birth control.Wow. I do not get this. Obama is viciously attacking our freedom of religion and yet most Catholics still support him???
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gnjsdad
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Agreed. Clearly, if you are a weekly churchgoer, you are more likely to agree with the Bishops and more likely to favor Romney. Other polls vaildate this finding. The problem is, the percentage of Catholics who are regular churchgoers is somewhere south of 20%. They won’t make enough of a difference, IMO.
I don’t know about their methodology, but if they follow other reputable polling outfits, they don’t sample or weight on party ID. They wouldn’t obtain sample from voting records. Respondents self-identify as Republican or Democrat, and the proportion changes from poll to poll.
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interestedman
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The democratic party does a lot more to help the poor and disenfranchised, something that Jesus seemed to focus on a lot more than gay marriage or birth control in the gospels.So it would seem. Also, those who put Catholic in quotation marks don’t know their Catechism. They need to see what the Church considers as a Catholic, and it ain’t “Catholic.”
Anyone baptized in the Faith is a Catholic, and the deniers are flat wrong.
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Holly3278
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I am not sure why but I have had this premonition for a long while now that Obama will win the upcoming elections. I sincerely hope that my premonition is wrong but I just have a strange feeling that he’s going to win even if it is only by a slight margin. Again, I truly hope that he does not win. Our religious freedom may very well hang on this upcoming election and if Obama wins the elections you can be sure that more attacks on our freedom of religion will come in the next four years.
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seekerz
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I’ve had that premonition too - actually the more correct word would be prediction. It may be wrong, but as in 2004, it’s based on my observations, not of Democrats - but of Republicans.
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He_Man
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Defining Catholic in these polls is as meaningless as a demographic can be. The Jews get the same treatment. Being Catholic by baptism is MEANINGLESS in terms of the values you hold dear too. Robert Hansen (FBI spy) was Catholic. He and I however shared some different values.
There is such a difference between actively practicing, weekly Mass attending, confession attending, adoration attending Catholics and those who show up occassionally, or attend Mass but refuse to go to confession for years at a time.
There are such a non-homogenous group that the polls never indicate much.
The question I always ask in these polls is “and what does that number mean???” In this case, nothing.
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He_Man
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Very true, but as such, it is a meaningless factoid to poll or discuss.So it would seem. Also, those who put Catholic in quotation marks don’t know their Catechism. They need to see what the Church considers as a Catholic, and it ain’t “Catholic.”
Anyone baptized in the Faith is a Catholic, and the deniers are flat wrong.
I agree with you, but it renders a discussion of Bellasbanes statistics (for example) a waste of time.
Adolf Hitler and Blessed John Paul II were both Catholic. INcluding them in the same discussion of Catholic voting trends is kind of pointless, agreed?
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He_Man
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- Link or source for your made up opinion about which party does more for this or that?
- If the Catholic Church believed in Sola Scriptura, your post might have some merit. Since we don’t, …
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rfournier103
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I need to weigh in here. MOST Americans live in their own little bubble and never ever concern themselves with matters that do not affect them directly. Americans have very short memories, (A.D.D., if you will) and can be outraged one day, and forget all about it the next.
These attacks on religious liberty don’t change their daily lives one way or another, so it doesn’t matter.
For example; if the United States went to war with Columbia in 2003 and not Iraq, there would be riots in the streets because the price of coffee would soar. Most people didn’t have sons, brothers, or fathers fighting, so the protests were limited to hard-core liberals, and most people didn’t REALLY care.
Lastly, -]Gordon Gekko/-] Mitt Romney isn’t a likable guy. He’s not your average joe, and nobody can relate to him. He’s rich (at a time when many are unemployed, or underemployed) and many see men like him as the reason we’re in this mess (sending jobs to China and elsewhere). And that DOES affect alot of people.
Americans are easily fooled with a smile and slick talk. Look at the 8 years of Bill Clinton. He was way in over his head, but many precieved him to be more common than George H.W. Bush, or Bob Dole.
As long as Mitt Romney has the Bain Capital outsourcing albatross hanging around his neck, he will never be president, no matter what Obama says and does. He needs to convince people that he didn’t ship jobs overseas, and will bring jobs back if elected. Obama hasn’t helped the ecconomy like he said he would, but he’s done a great job of painting rich businessmen as the enemy.
Most sheeple (sheep+people) are concerned with paying the rent, the electric bill, and the grocery bill. Not religion. Sad, but true.
These attacks on religious liberty don’t change their daily lives one way or another, so it doesn’t matter.
For example; if the United States went to war with Columbia in 2003 and not Iraq, there would be riots in the streets because the price of coffee would soar. Most people didn’t have sons, brothers, or fathers fighting, so the protests were limited to hard-core liberals, and most people didn’t REALLY care.
Lastly, -]Gordon Gekko/-] Mitt Romney isn’t a likable guy. He’s not your average joe, and nobody can relate to him. He’s rich (at a time when many are unemployed, or underemployed) and many see men like him as the reason we’re in this mess (sending jobs to China and elsewhere). And that DOES affect alot of people.
Americans are easily fooled with a smile and slick talk. Look at the 8 years of Bill Clinton. He was way in over his head, but many precieved him to be more common than George H.W. Bush, or Bob Dole.
As long as Mitt Romney has the Bain Capital outsourcing albatross hanging around his neck, he will never be president, no matter what Obama says and does. He needs to convince people that he didn’t ship jobs overseas, and will bring jobs back if elected. Obama hasn’t helped the ecconomy like he said he would, but he’s done a great job of painting rich businessmen as the enemy.
Most sheeple (sheep+people) are concerned with paying the rent, the electric bill, and the grocery bill. Not religion. Sad, but true.
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bellasbane
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You make a very good point - which is why I worry so much about the statistics on those who self-identify as Ex-Catholic. I checked out the numbers since my last post, and this is what I got:So it would seem. Also, those who put Catholic in quotation marks don’t know their Catechism. They need to see what the Church considers as a Catholic, and it ain’t “Catholic.”
Anyone baptized in the Faith is a Catholic, and the deniers are flat wrong.
According to the Pew Research Center:
Approximately one-third of those who say they were raised Catholic no longer describe themselves as Catholic; which means that roughly 10% of all Americans are former Catholics.
And according to another of their reports:
Protestants are about 51% of the population (if you lump them all together)
Catholics are about 24% of the population
All other faiths combined make up about 9% of the population
Unaffiliated make up about 16% of the population
That means the Church has no hold on about 1/3 of its members in the United States. I find that to be very disturbing. If you add in those who still consider themselves Catholic, but do not respect the moral authority of the Bishops, this quiet drifting away is comparable to when we lost half of Europe during the Reformation. It’s a real crisis.
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