Thomas J. Reese, S.J.
Jesuit priest, Senior fellow Woodstock Theological Center

Thomas J. Reese, S.J.

Former editor of the Catholic weekly magazine "America", Reese is the author of "Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church."

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Obama and the Catholic Vote

Up through Super Tuesday, Catholic voters were strong supporters of Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries.

The Catholic vote helped her win in New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, California, Arizona, and New Mexico. In these states she won the Catholic vote by 15 to 40 percentage points. On Super Tuesday, she only lost the Catholic vote in Missouri and Georgia. If she had won the Catholic vote in Missouri, she would have won the state.

Experts are divided on why Catholics voted for Hillary. Most scholars believe that once the number crunchers get a hold of the exit poll data and control for income, gender, age, education and issue concerns, the “Catholic factor” will disappear. For example, in New Hampshire Catholics tend to be working-class ethnics, while in California, many are Hispanic.

Some wonder if this could be a case of Catholic racism, or is it a case of Catholic feminism? Most studies show, however, that white Catholics are more liberal than white Protestants.

Another theory is that Catholics are uncomfortable with the evangelical rhetorical style of Obama’s speeches. Interestingly, Catholic Republicans rejected Huckabee and voted for McCain. He only lost the Catholic vote in Romney’s home states, Massachusetts and Michigan, and in Georgia. Catholics helped McCain get the nomination.

More recently, the Catholic tide has been moving away from Clinton and toward Obama, although more slowly than with other Democrats. Obama won Catholics in Louisiana and Virginia, and split the Catholic vote with Clinton in Maryland and Wisconsin.

The slow move away from Clinton gives us another theory: perhaps Catholics are just slower to switch their loyalties than other Americans. After all, they stick with the church through thick and thin.

Whatever the reason for the way Catholics are voting in primaries, the Catholic vote will be important in November. Catholics since 1928 have been part of the traditional Democratic coalition in presidential elections. They even voted against Eisenhower in 1952 and against Nixon in 1968. The two national polls (Gallup and the National Election Studies) disagree on how they voted in 1956.

Nixon, however, won them in 1972 and they have been a key prize in every election since then, almost always going with the winner of the popular vote. I have to say “popular vote” because in 2000 they voted for Gore, who won the popular vote and lost in the Supreme Court. The polls disagree on how Catholics voted in 1988 and 2004. In 2004, the Exit Polls have Catholics voting for Bush, but Gallup and the National Election Studies have them voting for Kerry.

McCain has done very well with Catholic Republicans. Could he cut into Catholic Democrats and independents? Certainly Hispanics like him better than the other Republican candidates. If Obama wins the nomination, he will need to pull Catholics into his coalition. If he does not, he will lose the election.

By Thomas J. Reese, S.J.  |  February 22, 2008; 8:05 AM ET Save & Share:  Send E-mail   Facebook   Twitter   Digg   Yahoo Buzz   Del.icio.us   StumbleUpon   Technorati  
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I personally do not understand how any Christian, one who follows Christ, can vote for Obama, Clinton, Kennedy, or support the Democrat Party in any way. That group is firmly behind the woman's right to choose abortion. Rationalization of any kind does not work with this subject. Its equivalent would be for one to say that in 1942 I was opposed to the extermination of Jews but I respect someone else's right to do that if he chooses. There is no wiggle-room with this topic.

Posted by: John | July 15, 2008 11:04 PM
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I personally do not understand how any Christian, one who follows Christ, can vote for Obama, Clinton, Kennedy, or support the Democrat Party in any way. That group is firmly behind the woman's right to choose abortion. Rationalization of any kind does not work with this subject. Its equivalent would be for one to say that in 1942 I was opposed to the extermination of Jews but I respect someone else's right to do that if he chooses. There is no wiggle-room with this topic.

Posted by: John | July 15, 2008 11:03 PM
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I personally do not understand how any Christian, one who follows Christ, can vote for Obama, Clinton, Kennedy, or support the Democrat Party in any way. That group is firmly behind the woman's right to choose abortion. Rationalization of any kind does not work with this subject. Its equivalent would be for one to say that in 1942 I was opposed to the extermination of Jews but I respect someone else's right to do that if he chooses. There is no wiggle-room with this topic.

Posted by: John | July 15, 2008 11:02 PM
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Karen Hall

I do not believe that live babies are thrown into dumpsters to die. You are passing along lies. Is that what your entire religious belief system is based on, lies?

Posted by: Daniel in the Lion's Den | February 26, 2008 2:07 PM
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The GOP found out the Bible is a proved hoax and dumped the evangelicals, kinda gentle like. They also realize that religion is the great enemy of democracy and in turn civil order. A lack of order in the public square eliminates the possibility of democracy.

What's left to find out is if the GOP plan will work, trade the idiot fringe for the safe and sane middle of the road types. They've picked a time when their fortunes are unfortunate to do the test. By being covert about it they can always get the evangelicals back with another 'abortion' like that great communicator Regan and a few well spent tax dollars for the ministry.

Godless communism as a political commodity has gone the way of buggy whips.

Will McCain win against Obama? Right now he won't carry a single state. Huckabee would fare worse. So the laboratory is open, beakers boiling, steam rising and the test tube about to be dumped into the stew.

Evangelicals have become so irrelevant they are relevant. Heard from God recetly -to make the point only of course?

Will McCain play the 'burning bush' card? He has nothing to lose and the office of president to gain?

The 'burning bush' card: http://www.hoax-buster.org/sellyoursoul You be the judge, God or Devil? That's the sort of thing Obama might just stub his toe on.

Posted by: Wake up time | February 26, 2008 12:49 PM
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Karen, you and I both know that those who see abortion as the most serious problem in our society are never going to vote for a Democrat. Emily's List, the premier reproductive rights (i.e. pro-abortion) PAC has strongly endorsed Clinton. So Clinton's and Obama's positions on that subject (which I'm guessing are similar) are not at issue in the primary.

Criminalizing abortion isn't going to solve the problem. Personally, and this may make me a bad Catholic, I feel the best way of eliminating abortion is by eliminating the conditions in which women think it is their best option. If you don't want to "throw live babies into medical dumpsters," then help build a society where young women feel valued beyond their sexual desirability and where men and women take pride in bearing and raising children. Access to birth control and prenatal care might also help.

Posted by: Viejita del oeste | February 24, 2008 12:55 AM
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I find it absolutely stupifying that the word "abortion" is never used in this article. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Obama voted to throw LIVE BABIES into medical dumpsters to die. The "Catholic voting block" not racing to support that?

Thank God.

Posted by: Karen Hall | February 23, 2008 10:57 PM
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Posted by: wiccan | February 23, 2008 2:00 PM
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When Obama et al finally admit to the flaws in Christianity (and all religions), then I will listen.

Posted by: Concerned The Christian Now Liberated | February 23, 2008 11:21 AM
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Surprise... Catholics for the most part aren't a voting "block" the way that they used to be. I hate to tell you this, Father, but Catholics are actually starting to think for themselves and not vote for whomever the person up on the altar tells them to.

Posted by: Athena | February 22, 2008 8:11 PM
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Yeah, that smear, along with the others, was debunked a long time ago, anyway.

Maybe this time we can count on the Catholic Churches not to choose war and execution over other things they don't like, when it comes to endorsing candidates.

Posted by: Paganplace | February 22, 2008 6:36 PM
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Garbage...

If you look for it with it on your mind, you will find it.

Peddle it else where.
terra

Posted by: Terra Gazelle | February 22, 2008 3:48 PM
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Just In:

"February 5, 2008 – Syndicated columnist Debbie Schlussel broke a story on January 30, on Senator Barack Obama’s close ties with the Nation of Islam (NOI), headed by black racist and anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan.

Schlussel interviewed a former Obama insider on the condition of anonymity and learned that contrary to Obama’s recent statements distancing himself from Farrakhan and his anti-Jewish views, the Senator actually has staff members who are NOI members.

According to Schlussel, “… a former Obama insider says that Obama’s sudden aversion to NOI and Farrakhan is belied by the fact that Obama employed and continues to employ several Farrakhan acolytes in high positions on his Illinois and U.S. Senate campaign and office staffs.”

One of those NOI members is Cynthia K. Miller, who served as Treasurer of his Senate campaign. Another NOI member is Jennifer Mason who currently serves as Obama’s Director of Constituent Services and who oversees the hiring of interns for Obama.

The insider also told Schlussel that Obama’s Illinois State Senate district consisted of prime Nation of Islam territory, including Hyde Park where Farrakhan’s mansion is located. According to Illinois politicos, no one can win that district without the blessing of Farrakhan.

Obama’s relationship with recently arrested Tony Rezko is problematic. Rezko is a Syrian Arab who helped Obama purchase his home. In addition, Rezko was in partnership with NOI founder Elijah Muhummad’s son, Jabir.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nation_of_Islam

The Nation of Islam & the OBAMA Nexus!

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NAACP

The Black Islamic Businees World Connection & Foreign intervention.

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Please Yahoo/Google/Vista "THe SECRET" OPRAH WINFREYS "WHiTE WOMAN" Mezzmerizing zero laws of Attraction but Brain-Washing Oprah's mostly 'House-Wives' and playing 'DOUBLE-AGENT" with NOI et al!

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Posted by: OBAMA and His NATION OF ISLAM and OPRAH's "THE-SECRET" CULT | February 22, 2008 1:04 PM
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