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 Obama has substantially widened his lead among Catholic voters since June, the Pew poll found.
September 27th, 2012
11:24 AM ET
Pew poll: Obama opens up lead over Romney among CatholicsBy Dan Gilgoff, CNN.com Religion Editor Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama has opened up a significant lead among Catholic voters, a crucial swing voting bloc, according to a recent Pew poll. Obama leads opponent Mitt Romney among Catholic voters by 54% to 39%, according to the survey, conducted from September 12 to 16 by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. Obama’s lead in the Pew survey comes despite outspoken recent criticism of the Obama administration from America’s Catholic bishops and despite Mitt Romney’s selection of a Catholic running mate, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan. The survey was released last week, but the findings on Catholic voters were highlighted this week by the Religion News Service, which notes that Obama held a much tighter 49-47% lead over Romney among Catholics in a June Pew poll. John Green, a religion and politics expert at the University of Akron, said Obama’s gains among Catholic came from growing support among Hispanic and black Catholic voters, but also from white Catholics, among whom Obama is now tied with Romney. Follow the CNN Belief Blog on Twitter “That’s the part of the poll that I think is kind of surprising,” Green said, noting that Obama lost white Catholics in 2008, even as he won the overall Catholic vote. Green said that it is white Catholics who were most likely to be receptive to the bishops’ recent attacks against the Obama administration over what the church says is the White House’s curtailment of religious freedom. In its recent “Fortnight for Freedom,” campaign, the church urged American priests to denounce the administration’s requirement that health insurance companies provide free contraception coverage to employees, even if those employees work for Catholic organizations that oppose contraception. “The bishops were hoping those efforts would bring more moderate and liberal Catholics, not necessarily for Romney but against the administration’s position,” Green said. CNN’s Belief Blog: The faith angles behind the biggest stories John Allen, CNN’s chief Vatican analyst, noted that at least one other recent national poll gave Romney a slight lead among Catholics, and that Romney leads among Catholics who attend Mass each week. “That either shows that the more practicing you are, the more pro-Romney (or anti-Obama) you are,” Allen said in an e-mail message, “or it says something about the political message Catholics are getting in their parishes these days.” Catholic voters, who accounted for more than a quarter of the electorate in the 2008 election, have voted with the winning presidential candidate in every election going back to the early 1990s. In 2008, Obama beat John McCain among Catholics by 54% to 45%. In 2004, John Kerry - the first Catholic nominee for president since John F. Kennedy - lost the Catholic vote to George W. Bush, provoking Democrats to take Catholic outreach more seriously. Both major parties had America’s highest-profile Catholic cleric, New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, give the closing prayer at their recent political conventions. The Democratic Convention also featured a Catholic nun who led a “nuns on the bus" tour attacking the federal budget that Ryan designed in his role as chairman of the House Budget Committee. The Obama and Romney campaigns have both rolled out Catholic outreach efforts in recent days, and the Romney camp has highlighted Ryan’s Catholicism. “A faithful Catholic, Paul believes in the worth and dignity of every human life,” Romney said when he introduced Ryan as his running mate last month. soundoff (1,503 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Next »
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We were created with a conscience and a mind to form that conscience, also a free will. As a lifelong Catholic I will be voting for Obama with pride. I am frankly tired of my church heirarchy trying to tell me how to think/vote. The Ryan plan which is seemingly approved by Romney, does NOTHING for the people Jesus loved the most.....the poor, less privileged, and sick. Obama/Biden 2012 Forward
Yes! I learned the same thing in Cathloic school. Thank God for Vatican II, and let's hope the Church leadership who is trying to tear down those advances are unsuccessful.
Ya ill vote for the guy who is in favor of killing millions of unborn babies in the united states that makes so much sence as a catholic. and also a party who removed god from their party platform in there convention. yup that makes so much sence oh ya and to force catholic hospitals to give birth controll. really if jesus was beside you woud he approve? at least the Gop doesnt hide the word of god they protect. im sorry my brother and neighbor you are very miss led.
Obama promotes abortion, and the Ryan budget is so contrary to the Catholic sense of Justice that his Bishop and several other Bishops criticized him for it. Who is the bigger sinner? Not much of a choice this year is there?
I suggest you find a religiion to follow that fits your likes. You are a psuedo Catholic someone who wants it their way instead of following the church's teachings which is founded by Jesus. Go somewhere else where killing 54 million unborn children since 1973 is Ok.
@William, I don't usually do this, but your grammar is pretty bad. Sence is really sense, if you are going to make sense, you really should learn to spell it. First, let me say that terminating any pregnancy is not murder, for a "baby" that is unable to live outside of the host is little more than a parasite, to put it bluntly. Secondly, Obama does not make the Catholic Church "give out birth control" that is a false statement that you are swallowing from the Right. So far, NOTHING you have said makes much sense (not sence) and it kind of makes me sad.
@William, you ask about what Jesus would say if he were beside someone, well, IF Jesus had been a real person and could somehow come back to life, my guess is he would be for birth control, he would have no problem with abortion since the bible doesn't say anything about it, and he would probably be VERY anti Republican because they seek to harm the poorest among us. He would have issues with people who follow ONLY the words of the church leaders, and NOT think for themselves, and he'd be very upset with Romney because he is much like the money lenders in the Temple.
So in your mind you are justified in choosing poor individuals who have a chance to move out of poverty over the helpless unborn. You are you against the death penalty, but for abortion, too? What a shame. Ask yourself if Jesus had to choose would he help an adult or a baby?
actually pk Jesus loved EVERYBODY, even the 1% (remember Zaccheus?)
Morality is objective and murder is a sin. Morality follows objective norms given to us by our Creator. If you make morality subjective, then you are straying away of having a "right conscience". Read Chapter 2 of the Encyclical Letter of Pope John Paul II Splendor of Truth.
william, when more men stand up and help care for the babies you all helped create there will be less need for an abortion. you all want to save the fetus but the second it is born your job is done. who cares when the child is hungry, can't get medical attn, is abused because the mother/father did not want the child? well those who support choice(not abortion so get off the pro killing crap) carea hell of a lot more. get off your high horse and do the right thing and advocate for fathers to help raise the child, support the child and love the child instead of blaming the mother.
Why on earth are you still a Catholic if you are "tired of being told what to think"? Isn't that part of what religion is all about?
And Jesus' first love was for "the little children" that your choice for POTUS has no problem KILLING!
God help you!
This is because Romney and Ryan are Fraudulent in their Methods and beliefs and most Americans completely understand that now. Ryan’s Budget is obscenely cruel to all people that are of -limited resources- in this country.
Besides the Religious implications, a Romney/Ryan administration would destroy our economy and put everyone back into the Bush agenda years of preferences to the wealthiest because Romney is owned by them and always has been!
Romney is all about Money first, and Obama is all about people first, it is that basic.
Well said B.
This is why I respect Catholics more than protestants.
really? do you actually think before you write things?
God created both Catholics and Protestants (and everyone else). It is not a Protestants fault that their copy of the Bible is missing 7 books.
To Celt, I pity both sides of the debate. NO book, none written, has all the answers, and the Bible probably has fewer than MOST.
To ..guru,
There's more of us than there will ever be of you.
@SouthernCelt, that, my dear friend, is of NO consequence to me. If the Majority are Wrong, then being the majority does not make it right. Unfortunately, in my lifetime, religions will continue to flourish, but a time is coming in this world when reason, science, and intellect will rule the day...
And that day will see the story of your Jesus get placed along side the stories of ancient Romans and Greeks, as mere mythology, where it belongs.
The majority of Catholics are much more progressive than how they portray themselves. Fact is most don't agree with a lot of what the Church preaches and there will come a day (hopefully soon) when the Church will realize it's losing its members and come into the 21st century.
Never heard of the Magisterium, huh? The Romans thought the same as you yet the Church is still here and the Romans aren't
How bizarre? You think the church is going to change its 2000 year old precepts and traditions because a bunch of Americans decide not to follow them? Haha. Just because you choose to ignore the Church's teachings doesn't mean they're about to bend to your will. They've been around a lot longer than you have and will continue to be long after you're gone.
This comes as no surprise to me as a general observer and as a former precatholic/christian because this is what it was like the last election. Statistics show that the more that you attend church on a weeekly basis that you are more inclined to be a conservative not liberal in political matters. The surprising thing is that anybody listens to organized religion anymore in the 21st century on deeply personal issues like contraception, breast exams or the individual mandate? I'd rather let a woman decide her matters herself than some bureaucrat called a male bishop that isn't qualified or knows anything on medical knowledge decide it for them.
Thank you, thank you,thank you Peter Q Wolfe! Seriously. As a woman who has had to make this VERY hard decision, I applaud your very intelligent and honest comment. Most women do not WANT to have a pregnancy terminated. What most women want is the ability to make life decisions, just as men do. I do not see the same clamor for men to take equal responsibility of an unwanted pregnancy. And please, claiming that adoption is always an option is another way for men to absolve themselves of this very real responsibility. It is a personal decision, and the responsibilities fall on the woman. It is too easy to stand on a pulpit and cry about unborn babies, while not taking the responsibility of how these unwanted pregnancies occurred. It is about our health, our lives, and our choices. Most of the time, this is a hard and sad decision and very LONELY decision for a woman to make. Thank you.
DO NOT KILL. Real Catholics believe that, not the psuedo ones who pick and choose what they want. They are not Catholic. Abortion is killing. Isn't 54 million abortions since 1973 enough for you?
Kristin,
While I agree with most of what your said, the law still makes the Father financially responsible for the child until its 21st birthday. This presumes the woman knows who the Father is.
Interesting that they do not mention Joe Biden's catholic faith, but mention Ryans...just saying.
That would bring more light to the discussion -the Biden catholic (compassionate) verses the Ryan catholic (greed).
I suspect that is because Biden is not a nut-case Opus Dei type like Ryan. I am glad to see this statistic – as an excatholic, I know full well we were all mostly far more in the 21st century that the idiots in the hierarchy. It's time for thse church to siply go the way of the dinosarus.
I think that speaks for itself. He's(Biden) an embarrassment. But of course they were proud of the alcoholic, murdering, philandering Kennedys, too.
Mike, our empty suit of a vice president gave a grand total of $3000 to charity over the past decade. That's not compassion, that's STINGINESS
Ahh...American Taliban!
So many zealots! Soooo much time!
Go find an occupy rally where you can score some free weed
Separation of Church and State, people!! I don't think Romney is capable of that – the Mormon church will hold his feet to the fire – you can count on that.
kinda like the Pope and Kennedy..... wake up America.. Vote them all OUT
I don't think Romney nor Ryan are capable of following the first amendment. They are Repubtard extremists, for crying out loud.
VaVoter,
According to the Lateran Treaty with Italy, the Vatican is a Sovereign State. The Pope is the head of that State as well as leader of the 1 Billion Catholics in the world. Kennedy's Foreign Policy as well as faith caused that meeting.
Sam thing they said about Kennedy and the Pope....what a bunch of hypocrites
Mike, you lefty loons are only interested in the First Amendment for yourselves, NEVER anyone else
I suspect many Catholics like myself have been disgusted by our bishops' blatant political moves and are voting for Obama as a result. I don't like the government in my church's business but equally I don't like my church imposing itself on my government.
In what way has the Church "imposed" itself on the government? According to my dictionary, "imposed" essentially means "forced." I am unaware of any force the Church has used on the government. Leaving that aside, your comment suggests that because the bishops have been "blatantly" political, you are voting for Obama. I cannot understand that rationale at all. Is it a revenge vote of some kind? It seems silly to vote for a candidate for the presidency of your country based on revenge. On the other hand, there is no other discernible relationship between the way some bishops may have acted and the question of who should be the country's president, so I simply cannot see a good way to make sense of your train of thought here (sorry).
I'm with you 100%
When the Government promotes policies contrary to The Faith you expect the Bishops to be silent? They remind the faithful what they should believe. That is their job, and does not force anything on anyone. Free Will, remember?
DJ, your government IS imposing on your church by telling you you must provide coverage for something that violates a church tenent
The tyranist government imposed iself on the church forcing the church to take a stand for FREEDOM OF RELIGION!
President Obama has been the most Christian President we have seen in a long time. President Obama demonstrates Jesus in his actions and concern for the voiceless. Mitt Romney represents GREED, SELFISHNESS, MATERIALISM, and GLUTTONY- the Things Jesus did not support.
By catholics they mean illegal aliens.
I completely agree – even though I am an atheist.
These polls are oversampling democrats based on record turnout in 2008.
It will be fun watching all the talking heads stutter at the results when Romney wins by a landslide.
irock,
Then how do you explain me? My ancestors came here legally and we are still Catholic.
Pat, you have a very warped idea of Christianity.
And as far as greed, selfishness and materialism go, how about all those $40K a plate fundraising dinners Obama goes to with all those Hollywood degenerates? No greed or materialism there, right? And what about empty suit Joe Biden contributing a grand total of $3000 to charity over the past decade? No selfishness there, right?
Catholics are known as followers anyway . . . But, you know what? This is crap! After the Democratic National Convention voted three times to use God in their platform and booed and hissed?!?!? C'mon? What kind of Catholics are voting for Obama? The ones that booed and hissed? Those are the only ones I can think of. PLEASE LIBERAL MEDIA–STOP LYING ALREADY!
An Independent ready to vote for Romney - A. Sanchez
I was surprised when my elderly Catholic parents said they were voting for Obama. They are not stupid. They are looking at Rummy pirate strictly from a financial standpoint.
We'll take this slow:
There should not be any references to any religion in any political platform...ever!
Knock yourself out voting against your own best interests.
There is no Liberal Media Bias, there is only common sense versus ignorant bronze age religious zealots attempting to bonk the electorate over the head with a club and drag them back to their dirty faith based religious caves. Go back to your Fox Cave Al.
The kind of Catholic that will vote for Obama is one like me who values my independence of thought. You don't seriously think that all Catholics moronically adhere to everything they hear from the bishops, do you? To think that you would have to ignore the fact that 98% of Catholics report using birth control at some point in their lives.
That's because actions speak louder than words...
All my Catholic relatives, except 1 BIL who is a Southern baptist-turned athiest are voting for Obama.
Well Al, I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings but there are a s__t load of Catholics that are voting for more tyranny from the current regime! There are nuns walking around St. Mary of the Woods near Terre Haute, IN with Obama buttons on! It is a sad statement on the condition of the church! God help us!
PDXer - So YOUR religion allows you to pick and choose what part of the Bible and Church Doctrine you choose to adhere to? Now that's some religion, yes sir!
Back on topic, could it be that Catholic women agree with the inclusion of birth control coverage in health insurance?
Obama is crushing Romney in every category except with: racists, wealthy white males, dressage riders and bigots. Luckily, they are in the minority. Obama 2012
YOU SOUND VERY RACIST WHEN YOU CAN PUT WHITE PEOPLE INTO CATEGORIES, JUST LIKE THE LATINOS, BLACKS AND SUPER LIBERAL STUPID WHITE PEOPLE DO! IT'S TRUE, LIBERALS ARE JUST AS RACIST AS CONSERVATIVES - YOU ARE A PRIME EXAMPLE!!
A. SANCHEZ
Well I'm white, but I can't argue with Adam.
I'm white and among other whites I know we still differentiate between ourselves and the "wealthy white males" demographic Adam mentions. If you took two seconds to look at history you would see that much of our countrys capital has been held in a very few, very white, very male hands for the last 200 years. Their single greatest achievement has been to convince some of the poor populace that they don't exist, or that the poor could become just like them, if only they worked hard enough... and were white and male and born into a privileged family...
Al Sanchez
YOU SOUND VERY RACIST WHEN YOU CAN PUT WHITE PEOPLE INTO CATEGORIES, JUST LIKE THE LATINOS, BLACKS AND SUPER LIBERAL STUPID WHITE PEOPLE DO! IT'S TRUE, LIBERALS ARE JUST AS RACIST AS CONSERVATIVES – YOU ARE A PRIME EXAMPLE!!
--------------------------------------------------–
He tries to bash you as a racist,
then goes on a "racial" tirade.
Very funny.
I second that.
if they are really catholic, then voting for obama is a sin...they should leave the church if they vote for obumo.
If they are really catholic then they are a form of extremism that is detrimental to society on all levels.
True Catholics follow Jesus,
not The Pope.
Some you Obama hating Catholics need to read the Bible. Jesus was a "socialist" who cared about the sick & poor. If you're truly a Jesus loving Catholic there is no way you would support Romney/Ryan. Just ask the Nuns on the Bus – they have it right!!
FLindependent JESUS did not kill. Obama would gladly escort his daugher to the killing mill. Obama has funded, supported and promoted abortion. Catholics know abortion is a serious sin and know it is a serious sin to support someone who supports, funded and promotes abortion. Abortion is intrinsically evil. The catholic church condems the act of abortion. Don't call your Catholic if you can't follow the basic teaching of... do not kill.
It is good that Catholics finally are divesting from the requirements of the Pope!
NO SATAN, THIS IS JUST LIBERAL SPIN. . . . NOW, GO BACK TO HELL . . .
No, you go to hell, Al S. By the way, your vote probably won't count as a latino, if you are latino, because Rummy pirate is not going to fair well with that group, nor with elderly, nor with gays, nor with middle class, nor with low income, nor with – like someone said, a handful of rich white good-old boys.
For clarity – I typed it too fast:
No, you go to hell, Al S. By the way, your vote probably won't count as a latino, if you are latino, because Rummy pirate is not going to fair well with that group, nor with elderly, nor with gays, nor with middle class, nor with low income, nor with – like someone said, anyone except a handful of rich white good-old boys.
Al Sanchez
NO SATAN, THIS IS JUST LIBERAL SPIN. . . . NOW, GO BACK TO HELL . . .
--------------------------------–
Jesus was a liberal.
I doubt he would be too happy the way you treat people.
Maybe, YOU are going to hell.
Which is heavier? A pound of bricks or a pound of feathers?...
Answer: They are exactly the same
Which is crazier, a Catholic that votes for Romney or a Catholic that votes for Obama?...
Answer: They are exactly the same. Both still believe in invisible magic sky daddys.
Obama leads in 8 of 10 FL polls posted on RCP, also in all 7 VA polls.
. . . and in all 7 OH polls.
Yes, we all know that Obama will win the election. Willard "Mittens" Romney will fade into the background noise of the GoP in two months with a wimper as he forces a surogate to make the call to congratulate Obama on the win. Then you will see an angry Ryan lashing out at his running mate saying all the things he wished he could say during the campaign but couldn't. He will try to distance himself as much as possible from the flailing failure of frothy faith.
Clearly the work of Satan!
Hah! Beat ya to it!
Nice to see that many Catholics aren't letting themselves be herded by their Bishops. Yesterday, a Bishop in Illinois said that if you vote democratic, you will burn in hell. A bishop in Omaha wants the voters to vote against a gay rights ordinance that was passed by the city council. As a former Catholic, I am sick of their hate and condemnation
I don't appreciate the way that religions are now trying to use the back door of legislation to force their religious beliefs on everyone else. They cry religious freedom for themselves but don't want it for anyone else. If they're going to get involved in politics then they should start paying taxes.
I'm just tired of all monotheistic religions period. If we're the best that a god can do, he's really not much of a god.
It's not a matter of religious affiliation, it's a matter of intelligence. Catholics understand that Romney is not Presidential material, regardless of who his running mate is.
Perhaps these are the catholics that take Jesus' teachings about the poor, how to treat people and his example of turning over the tables of the money changers in the temple seriously.
Here's one of them. How can you vote for someone who thinks he should only represent Dives, and states, in effect, that Lazarus is a lazy bum who should be chewed up by the dogs? I can see no evidence of Christ's words in the thoughts and plans of either Mr. Romney or Mr. Ryan.