Posted on 09/18/2008 7:50:25 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The McCain-Palin ticket may be locking its huge lead on a crucial voting bloc: church-going Catholics.
The development — contained Thursday in a poll by the Pew Research Center and backed by other polls — could be crucial to victory in November.
Why? Catholics are the ultimate swing voters and make up as much as one-third the population of battleground states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan. Moreover, some 40 percent of U.S. Catholics have no affiliation with either party.
Republican presidential candidate John McCain now has opened a 16-percentage-point lead over Democratic rival Barack Obama among observant Catholics, according to the Pew poll. The lead began to widen with the selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate, who, unknown to most voters, was baptized in the Catholic Church but raised in primarily Protestant evangelical churches.
The gain was noted earlier this month in a Zogby Online Interactive poll that showed 54 percent of Catholic respondents endorsing McCain’s choice of Palin for his running mate. Thirty-one percent believed it would hurt the campaign. Seven percent believed it would not make a difference.
But there also was good news in the Pew poll for Obama: his is gaining among Hispanics, two-thirds of whom are Catholic. He’s also even with McCain among so-called “lapsed Catholics” who attend mass occasionally or never. Because of their dramatic growth in the electorate in the West over the last decade, a large Hispanic turnout could tip the election for Obama if he wins at least 40 percent of that bloc, according to experts.
For decades, Catholics have been leaving their traditional home in the Democratic Party, with more-observant Catholics in the vanguard. Northeastern Catholics were a huge factor in the victories of Ronald Reagan in the 1980s.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
Let’s get the Pope over here with Sarah!
Personal anecdote from here in San Francisco:
The Catholic vote has definitely been locked up. And not just the traditional “ethnic” Catholic vote (Eastern Italians, Mid-western Poles) but also western hispanics and the (traditional) western Irish Catholics.
[But there also was good news in the Pew poll for Obama: his is gaining among Hispanics...]
Wait ‘til they hear Rush’s smackdown in spanish next week. Heh heh....
But the mushy Catholics who are uncomfortable talking about "right" and "wrong" are a natural area for Obama to make up ground.
Thank you Nancy Pelosi!
Now, us observant Catholics have to each one of us, reach one of our less observant parishioners. If we all do that then we double the effort in the direction of good.
I don’t think this block is as HUGH as it used to be. In the past that voting block was extremely crucial, now it’s nice to get their vote even if it’s a small voting block. Every little bit helps. Thank you Devout Catholics, God Bless you!
Even some of the Churchgoing Catholics can be mushy. My grandparents attend mass every Sunday and always vote Democrat. I think most younger Catholic Churchgoers are Republican though.
Too bad you’re in Tampa. I have an aunt I’d like to direct you toward. Oy.
What happened in Nancy’s chat with the bishops? Anyone hear about it afterwards?
I am guessing her schedule has not allowed her to meet with him.......anyone know for sure?
Way to go, Joe!
as a Catholic, I think I can say that “devote” Catholics are a rarity....I’m not one for sure, and neither are my church going Catholic brother and sister who are flaming libs ...and our mother and father walked in front of the abortion clinic for YEARS.....no matter....
Trajan88, an American of Italian heritage... a Roman Catholic... approves this message ;-)
A lot of older Catholics are Democrats by force of habit.
It's the baby boomers and Vatican II enthusiasts who are often mushy.
im thrilled she was baptised catholic....
Palin ‘12
I’ve never understood how anyone can claim to be Catholic and pull for the likes of Obama.
trust me, there are church going Catholics who will vote for Obama.......my MIL being one.
May VP Palin meet with the Pope and come home.
Lord, hear our prayer.
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