Kerry's impotence on the Catholic vote

[TeePee4Prez]

The thing I find most baffling after looking at the Survey USA Poll done on Pennsylvania is that Catholic voters are at a standstill.  I would think a huge boost for Kerry would occur, but apparently it's not.  Is the pro-life issue the only issue Catholics are focused on??  The Pope himself just dimed Bush out at the Vatican.  I think as time goes on and Kerry gets a cahcne to explain his position better, a few more voters will break for Kerry.  Remember JFK got a whopping 80% of the Catholic vote nationwide.  I expected the number to drop for Kerry, but not by THAT much!

[??????????]

The thing I find most baffling after looking at the Survey USA Poll done on Pennsylvania is that Catholic voters are at a standstill.  I would think a huge boost for Kerry would occur, but apparently it's not.  Is the pro-life issue the only issue Catholics are focused on??  The Pope himself just dimed Bush out at the Vatican.  I think as time goes on and Kerry gets a cahcne to explain his position better, a few more voters will break for Kerry.  Remember JFK got a whopping 80% of the Catholic vote nationwide.  I expected the number to drop for Kerry, but not by THAT much!

For Catholics to vote for any Democrat would basically go against their supposed religious beliefs.

[Smash255]

The thing I find most baffling after looking at the Survey USA Poll done on Pennsylvania is that Catholic voters are at a standstill.  I would think a huge boost for Kerry would occur, but apparently it's not.  Is the pro-life issue the only issue Catholics are focused on??  The Pope himself just dimed Bush out at the Vatican.  I think as time goes on and Kerry gets a cahcne to explain his position better, a few more voters will break for Kerry.  Remember JFK got a whopping 80% of the Catholic vote nationwide.  I expected the number to drop for Kerry, but not by THAT much!

For Catholics to vote for any Democrat would basically go against their supposed religious beliefs.

Not really Catholics are "suppose" to be against the Death Penalty also.  I am a Catholic and a proud Democrat.  I just don't see issues as black & white as the church does and I'm pretty angry over the whole Sex abuse handling including my current Bishop

[TeePee4Prez]

The thing I find most baffling after looking at the Survey USA Poll done on Pennsylvania is that Catholic voters are at a standstill.  I would think a huge boost for Kerry would occur, but apparently it's not.  Is the pro-life issue the only issue Catholics are focused on??  The Pope himself just dimed Bush out at the Vatican.  I think as time goes on and Kerry gets a cahcne to explain his position better, a few more voters will break for Kerry.  Remember JFK got a whopping 80% of the Catholic vote nationwide.  I expected the number to drop for Kerry, but not by THAT much!

For Catholics to vote for any Democrat would basically go against their supposed religious beliefs.

Not really Catholics are "suppose" to be against the Death Penalty also.  I am a Catholic and a proud Democrat.  I just don't see issues as black & white as the church does and I'm pretty angry over the whole Sex abuse handling including my current Bishop

It's a concept I call "Selective Conservatism".  I would not vote for a person because he or she was Catholic either (see Santorum).  The Republican Party since the 1970s has been trying to siphon off Catholic votes by using abortion and focsuing on it like a laser beam regardless of jsut war or the death penalty.

[nomorelies]

Republicans think they have a divine right for the bible. they wrote it. they preech it. the bible belongs to the republicans and no-one else. every one that practices religion MUST vote for Republicans. Jesus Christ would have voted Republican. GOD helps Bush decide his policy. GOD talks to george everynight at 10.30pm along with all the people in Utah, Idaho, Mississippi, Alabama. GOD also tells these people that if they vote for Kerry they will ALL DIE FROM TERRORISM. Republicans are the disciples who represent GOD in the 20th century.

A pissed off EX-PAT WHO HAS WOKE UP AND SEEN HIS COUNTRY RIPPED TO PIECES.

[??????????]

Republicans think they have a divine right for the bible. they wrote it. they preech it. the bible belongs to the republicans and no-one else. every one that practices religion MUST vote for Republicans. Jesus Christ would have voted Republican. GOD helps Bush decide his policy. GOD talks to george everynight at 10.30pm along with all the people in Utah, Idaho, Mississippi, Alabama. GOD also tells these people that if they vote for Kerry they will ALL DIE FROM TERRORISM. Republicans are the disciples who represent GOD in the 20th century.

A pissed off EX-PAT WHO HAS WOKE UP AND SEEN HIS COUNTRY RIPPED TO PIECES.

Troll.

[JNB]

 The Catholic church, despite what some liberal and even Neo-Con clergy would have people think, is not universally opposed to the death penalty, despite the current Popes strong personal opposition to it. The Cathechsim states still, again, despite Pope John Paul IIs strong personal opposition to the death penalty says it is within the states power to impose such a punishment if there is no other option avilable. In short, a Catholic can remain within the fold of church doctrines and dogmas even if he/she is for the death penalty.

  As for the Catholic vote, as polster Zogby has stated, there really is no Catholic vote anymore per say. The 65-70% that do not go to mass on a regular basis are little different than other secular groups, and haard to distinguish, the 30% or so that go to mass on a regular basis, are increaseingly Republican based on social issues, though are more populist on economic issues.

   

[TeePee4Prez]

<<The 30% or so that go to mass on a regular basis, are increaseingly Republican based on social issues, though are more populist on economic issues.>>

My father to a tee!!  A pro-union, anti-trade Republican almost entirely based on his pro-life views.

   

[JNB]

 I am a Catholic myself, and a Traditional One at that, and here is somthing intresting I have noted. The more Traditional a Catholic, one who tries to follow the teachings and traditions of the church, the less Pro Bush they are. Now this does not mean they are pro Kerry or Democrat by any means, they view the Democratic partys view on culture war issues as an abomination, but they Bush' stand on globalisation(such as trade and immigration) also as rotting society. Also, the more Traditional a Catholic, the less pro "free market" they are.

  None of the active Catholics I know will vote for Kerry, but many with either hold their nose and vote for Bush or vote for other/write in.

[© tweed]

Gore won 53% of catholics.  Kerry should get 57-58% then.

[TeePee4Prez]

Gore won 53% of catholics.  Kerry should get 57-58% then.

One thing in that poll is there were a lot of undecideds among Catholics.  Another thing is in Southeast PA, Kerry is crushing Bush by about 3-2.  That's not a whole lot, but enough to make the rest of teh state really push for Bush.  I'm surprised Kerry is holding his own in the West and the Northeast portions of PA.  It's Central PA I'm worried about.  

[dazzleman]

I don't think there really is a Catholic voting bloc any more.  As Catholics have become less marginalized, they have simply blended in with mainstream white voters.

I don't think the fact that Kerry is nominally a Catholic makes much of a difference to any but the real diehard old-line Catholic voters, most people of my grandparents' generation.

I am a relatively modern Catholic.  I follow most of their teachings, but not with the zeal, or reverence for the church, of earlier generations.  I feel more comfortable with a Protestant like Bush who (in my opinion) attempts to follow true Christian teachings than a phony Catholic like Kerry.