The GOP didn't try very hard.
Catholics are a swing group. You want their votes? You gotta work for ‘em. Rightly or wrongly.
In ‘00 and ‘04, I was contacted personally by the Bush campaign and invited to sessions to hear about Catholic concerns. Why? I was identified as a parish leader, as a “persuader.” I didn't go to any, but I noted that the Bush campaign kept in constant touch with me from the late primaries through the generals both years, NOT ASKING FOR MONEY EVERY DAMNED TIME THEY REACHED OUT, but asking me as a Catholic lay leader, as a homeschooler, as a pro-lifer.
In neither ‘08 or ‘12 did I hear a peep out of the McCain or Romney campaigns about my issues. I received 3 - 6 phone calls per day begging for money, but no one asked my views on anything.
I still voted for McCain and Romney, but both campaigns took my vote - and the votes of a lot of other Catholics - for granted.
Not the way to win elections.
sitetest
Swing? Catholic voters supported the free Birth control more than most. The only way you can claim different is define only those Catholics who opposed it as REAL Catholics and then its such a tiny % its irrelevant.
Hispanics are a great example. They didnt vote for Obama because they were mad they were getting free contraceptives.
With all the hundreds and hundreds of things in Obama-care, picking the absolutely most positive handout in it and deciding that's your issue to highlight oppose is just dumb, or just a wish to lose which may be the case.
When you form the triangle with 3 corners together : ‘anti-abortion-anti-birth control-anti-welfare spending’ its pretty much a death wish.
At some point actually stopping things you hate (like losing marriage to gays) from happening needs to take priority over making voters made at you.