Election 2002: Catholic Voters Trend Republican

National Catholic Register (article in Print only) ^ | November 24, 2002 | Tim Drake

[topher]

WASHINGTON -- The 2002 elections were certainly historic. Only three other times in the past century have a president's party gained seats in the House in an off-year election, and the president's party has never before gained back a Senate majority during a midterm election.

With 60 million Catholic votes up for grabs, Catholics account for the nation's largest voting bloc. Many analysts wonder: Did the Catholic vote make a difference in this year's election?

Historically, the majority of Catholics have tended to vote Democrat. That trend, however, seems to be changing.

Since 1994, when Catholics supported Republican candidates over Democrats by a margin of 53-47%, increasing numbers of Catholics appear to be favoring Republican candidates over Democrats. In fact, exit-poll data show the Catholic vote might very well have played a key rote in Senate races such as those in Missouri, New Hampshire and Minnesota.

Sen.-elect Norm Coleman captured 53% of the Catholic vote in Minnesota. John Sununu captured 49% of the Catholic vote in New Hampshire and Gov. Jeb Bush captured 58% of the Catholic vote in Florida, according to Michael Hernon, director of Catholic Outreach for the Republican National Committee, quoting both Zogby and Fox News exit-poll data. Catholics, he noted, made up the highest single denomination voting in Florida at 26%.

Hernon also noted that nine times out of 10, Catholics tend to outvote their percentage of population. Not only that, but since 1994 practicing Catholics have tended to vote more Republican than the general population.

"While Catholics make up only 4% of the general population in Georgia, for example, they made up 12% of the voting population," Hernon said, "contributing to Saxby Chambliss' Senate victory there."

The Washington Times reported that 74% of religious conservatives voted for the pro-life Chambliss for U.S. Senate.

Key to such victories was the Republican strategy of building grass-roots alliances with Catholics at the local level. Active in 18 states, such coalitions were most active in Pennsylvannia, New Hampshire, California, Missouri, Michigan, Florida and Minnesota.

In Pennsylvannia, outreach volunteers distributed the state's Catholic Conference's voter-education guides to show where candidates stood on the issues.

"I expect we are going to see the Church taking more of a role in educating Catholic citizens in future elections," Hernon predicted.

[end of first part of article -- to tired of typing right now. I will post additions as time allow -- topher.]

[topher]

This article is, unfortunately, not available online, at least from a brief search of the website.

I am copying the article from a hard-copy of the newspaper.

Thought it was interesting stuff.

[Enterprise]

Catholics SHOULD tend Republican. After all the public bashing they have received by the RATS any Catholic voting RATACRATIC would be an IDIOT!

[madprof98]

Sen.-elect Norm Coleman captured 53% of the Catholic vote in Minnesota. John Sununu captured 49% of the Catholic vote in New Hampshire and Gov. Jeb Bush captured 58% of the Catholic vote in Florida,

These are not very good numbers at all, especially in Minnesota and New Hampshire, where the Dem candidates were rabid advocates of baby-butchery. The Church has a LOT of work to do in forming the "social consciousness" of her flock.

[marajade]

Maybe the Church's problem is they haven't started with the social consciousness of its leaders...

[jmaroneps37]

This should help Suzie Terrell kick mary's ash.

[G Larry]

Which Protestant denomination spends more time condemning abortion from the pulpit, than the Catholic Church?

We have other issues to resolve, but try to stay on topic and quit undermining the point at hand.

[marajade]

What difference does that make?

We're just now getting half of their vote... I'd say Republicans get a better vote for their beliefs, if the issue is abortion, from the other Protestant churches...

[GraniteStateConservative]

Sununu and Bush are both Catholics. GWB has room to increase his share of the Catholic vote in NH and electing two Catholics (Benson and Sununu) will help a lot. It's hard to see NH on the table as a toss-up state in 2004.

[G Larry]

Gee, with a country that's over 70% Christian how'd all those pro-abort dem's get into office?

It makes a difference because if the Protestant churches had the same Pro-Life margins as Catholics, and took those votes to the polls, we wouldn't have any pro-aborts in office!

[sanjacjake]

Right on..As a catholic myself, cannot understand yet
why the faithful vote Democratic..with abortion, ethics,
morality,etc. that the Dem. party has exhibited for past
30 years......I know a few in our parish and they are
dumb hardheads..don't even talk politics to them..after
9/11... I mentioned how proud I was of Bush handling the
situation..and the guy said..Oh, Gore would have done the
same?? I walked away and said...forget it. Jake

[marajade]

Well we go by the Catholic church we'd have 50-50 wouldn't we?

[G Larry]

Uh...NO!
Read the aricle again.
In 1994 it was 53% - 47% and has become stronger in recent years.

[G Larry]

For emphasis....

"Sen.-elect Norm Coleman captured 53% of the Catholic vote in Minnesota. John Sununu captured 49% of the Catholic vote in New Hampshire and Gov. Jeb Bush captured 58% of the Catholic vote in Florida, according to Michael Hernon, director of Catholic Outreach for the Republican National Committee, quoting both Zogby and Fox News exit-poll data. Catholics, he noted, made up the highest single denomination voting in Florida at 26%. "

And if you check, I don't believe Sununu is Pro-Life.

[Mannaggia l'America]

As a catholic myself, cannot understand yet why the faithful vote Democratic..with abortion, ethics, morality,etc. that the Dem. party has exhibited for past 30 years

My limited observation with my family/friends is that many older Catholics were immigrants (becoming Americans in the FDR era) and/or blue collar union members. They were trained to vote Democrat and have no ability to change.

I recall one family member who signed a petition at church against partial-birth abortion to send to our senators, yet he was voting for Gore (because that's how the union told him to vote).

I've also seen a lot of Catholics who try to "make up" for voting for a pro-abort 'rat by voting for another pro-life candidate. An example of this was in Pennsylvania in 2000. Gore won the state, but Rick Santorum (a pro-life Catholic sentor) trounced the Democrat. I know people who told me they voted for Santorum to make up for voting for Gore. Crazy!

[deport]

A few other milestones that were accomplished this election.....

• Republicans gained some 200 state legislative seats in this non presidential election reversing a trend that the Presidental Party normally loses some 350 seats thus a net of some 550 seats. This is the first time since 1938 that this has happened.
• Republicans will hold more than half the nation's 7,382 state legislative seats for the first time since 1952.
• Republicans will control both legislative chambers in 21 states, up from 17
• http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A19886-2002Nov6&notFound=true

[deport]

And if you check, I don't believe Sununu is Pro-Life.

What is he then?

• Citizens for Life, NH Endorsed John Sununu

  WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 12:30 PM

  YES, YES SUNUNU!!!!!!

  He's a gentleman.

  He's gracious.

  He's pro-life.

  And he's our Senator!!!

[stands2reason]

From that article:

The GOP gains were reflective not of Republican dominance, analysts said, but, paradoxically, of how evenly divided the country is between the two major parties.

Suuuuure. And how did those particlur analyists vote? do we even have to guess?

[crystalk]

Despite the fact that Catholic priests and Church leaders are far more likely to oppose abortion, especially seriously, than Protestants of almost ANY stripe...

Yet, Catholics are both more likely to HAVE abortions...

And also far more likely to vote for pro-Abortion [RAT] candidates, than any Protestants to say nothing of conservative Protestants such as Mormon, Southern Baptist, Assembly of God, Church of God, etc.-- all of which are 80% Republican or so.

[G Larry]

What do you mean "And also far more likely to vote for pro-Abortion [RAT] candidates, than any Protestants "?
The stats clearly show Catholics voting 53% Republican in 1994, and in higher percentages in this most recent election!
If Protestants are voting Republcan in higher percentages, then how do Dem's get elected?
Don't feed us your bias, reference facts!

[crystalk]

Jews, the Unchurched, Atheists, Agnostics, and Liberal Protestants, of course.

I didn't say that ALL Protestants voted 80% Republican, but that conservative denominations such as Mormons, Southern Baptists, and Church of God (Cleveland, TN)...and Assembly of God, voted 80% Republican.

But even the very most LIBERAL Protestant churches, such as that godawful pro-abortion PCUSA, gave Republicans a higher percentage of their vote, than Catholics did.