[Mr. Thorne]

Would it surprise you that Gore won the Catholic vote outright in 2000? Also, Bush got 10% points more than Dole did in 1996. There is a major problem with the Catholic leadership in America - one in which its members don't consistently support the Christian candidates.

Overall, no.

Break it down, and it gets deeper. Basically, if I remember correctly, the stats were something like 60/40 Bush/Gore for Practicing Catholics, and vice versa for Catholics who graced a church with their presence only a couple of times per year. The numbers were similar, as I recall, for practicing vs. non-practicing Protestants.

A sidebar issue would be the amazing "I'm personally opposed, but..." statement that seems to so many people to be their 'escape hatch'.

[Christian B]

You're right about the practicing vs non-practicing. For Catholics that went to church atleast once a week, Bush won by 10% points. 55/45 is hardly a convincing victory for Bush among practicing Catholics.