I think it can partly be explained as those identifying themselves as Catholic in the exit polls were likely “Easter Mass Catholics” or identify themselves as such from a traditional standpoint.
Unfortunately not. Before the election, I had an online discussion with someone who attends weekly Mass in a fairly orthodox parish. The parish priest said (I forget the exact comment) that Communion and her Obama button were incompatible. She was astounded and threw a hissy fit online gathering sympathy from a number of “Catholics” that the priest “overstepped and should be reported to the bishop.”
Early in the online discussion, I mentioned the 5 non-negotiables which Miss HF did look up, then said she wasn’t going to let religion interfere with her politics. By that time, the priest slightly backed off from his initial comment which Miss Hissy Fit and chorus took as evidence that the priest was wrong “and didn’t want to admit it.” MIss HF wasn’t interested in any further references on Catholic teaching, only in interpreting a comment as an “apology.”
Bottom line: She attends weekly and apparently active in some parish activity, but doesn’t really know the Catholic and doesn’t want to know.
Unfortunately, there are a number of people who regularly attend Mass and have an incomplete knowledge of Catholic teaching.