Publication date: 01/31/2012 by the Nationa Catholic Register
A Feb. 1 National Journal story, underscored the potential political ramifications of the controversial federal rule. The story reported that “the clout of the Catholic vote is unquestioned. Since 1972, only once has a candidate won the presidency despite losing the Catholic vote, according to network exit polls. That lone exception was 2000 when Democrat Al Gore won 50% of Catholics but lost in the Electoral College to Republican George W. Bush, who got 47% of Catholics. If Hispanic Catholics are excluded and only white Catholics counted, the winning streak is unbroken: From 1972 to 2008, the candidate who got the most votes from white Catholics won the election,” stated the National Journal story.
“In 2008, Obama trailed Republican John McCain among all Catholics for most of the campaign, but made a late surge to overtake him. Gallup showed him winning Catholics 53% to 47%. The media exit polls had him winning 54% to 45%.
“The political clout is enhanced by the reality that the battleground states often have the highest concentrations of Catholics. In 2010, there were 77.7 million American Catholics, 25% of the population. And Catholics are the big swing vote in the key political states. In 2008 numbers compiled by the Official Catholic Directory, Catholics made up 41% in New Jersey, 32% in Nevada, 30% in Illinois and Wisconsin, 28% in Pennsylvania, 25% in New Mexico, 24% in New Hampshire, 22% in Michigan, 21% in Minnesota, 18% in Ohio, 17% in Iowa, and 13% in Missouri and Florida.”
