« McInturff's Back In The Fold; Or McCain Has A Pollster. | Main | Atlantic Podcast: Eh? » Solving Obama's Catholic Problem11 Apr 2008 11:17 am Few statements get heads at Chicago Center hotter than statements like "Barack Obama has a Catholic problem." And yet, facts are facts. Today, the campaign unveils its national Catholic advisory council in a conference call this afternoon. There are many Catholics in Pennsylvania, including Sen. Bob Casey. And the Pope visits America next week. Veepstakes watch: also on the Obama call: Ex-Rep. Tim Roemer of Indiana. Comments (20)
Tim Roemer received his MA and Ph.D from Notre Dame, and is from South Bend. Northern Indiana has a lot of Catholics. 
Try Debbie Wasserman-Schultz for Obama Veepstakes: 1. Respected member of the House, on her way up in the hierarchy. What's not to like?
Good luck, Obama. I was born and raised Catholic in the steel towns of NW Indiana. I have about 30 relative left there, and none are voting for Obama. Further, if Obama wins the nomination, they're all voting McCain.
Joe: Endorsed Clinton. No chance.
Obama has a new "problem" every week. And something tells me these will become self-fulfilling prophecies before too long.
Further, if Obama wins the nomination, they're all voting McCain. I guess they don't know or don't care that McCain has cozied up to John Hagee, who called their religion "the great whore".
I also grew up in the steel towns of NW Indiana. Went to Catholic school there for twelve years. There may be a little more enthusiasm for Clinton, but there is none for McCain. When Obama first announced, I asked my grandma (retired from US Steel; eucharistic minister and member of her church's rosary sodality)if she would vote for him, and she said yes. I reminded her that he's black, and she shrugged it off. She's not a racist, but is definitely "a typical white person of her generation." Add to that the fact that she was a resident of Gary (epicenter of white flight) for most of her life, and I think it's a testament to his wide crossover appeal. Or to how strongly Democratic the area is.
I don't think Obama has a "Catholic problem" any more than he has a "Jewish problem" or "Wiccan problem". Really, some of this has been overblown. For instance, he won the Catholic vote in Virginia, and split it evenly in Wisconsin and Maryland. I think this is more a matter of regional differences than anything else (not to mention the fact that most Hispanics are Catholic, hence reducing Obama's share of the Catholic vote).
Can someone tell me if there is data that shows that Obama has a "Catholic problem" AFTER controlling for age and race??? It seems that people identifying as Catholic are typically older than the general public and either white or hispanic, given there are relatively few African American Catholics.
The idea that Obama has a Catholic problem is just short of insane. Gallup national polling from March 1-22 says Obama is behind Clinton 57-34 among white Catholics, and behind Clinton 56-34 among white Protestants. Virtually identical. His problem is with white Christians (and with Hispanics), not with Catholics. http://www.gallup.com/poll/105595/Clinton-Obama-Closely-Matched-Among-Jewish-Democrats.aspx
Obama's not the only one with a "Catholic Problem." Story out of Erie, PA (population: 100k or so) has the local bishop skipping Mercyhurst College's graduation in protest of them having Clinton visit the campus. He's doing so because of Clinton's pro-choice position. Story here: http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080331/NEWS02/674200394 Not sure how much that will affect the vote, but for what it's worth. Another issue: the nationality of the Catholics in question. Clinton's been polling well with the Hispanics, who are mostly Catholic. I suspect that's skewing the national numbers. And that's a whole different demographic than the Polish, German, and Irish Catholics that make up the biggest part of the Pennsylvania congregations.
Obama was right years ago all the media wants to do is slice and dice the American people. I don't remeber this much analyzing of any other candidate. How do you explain he won every demographic in MD and VA and Wisc. But its easier for you guys to ignore that because it doesn't fit the picture you want to expound on
I echo the "Barack does not have a Catholic problem" people. There is no "Catholic vote" sinc the late 60s/early 70s. Catholics vote as part of their other "classes." How else can you identify 23% of the U.S. population? I promise you that Barack won the Catholic vote in Washington State. (As did John Kerry and Al Gore....)
I can't claim to be authoritative, but at least for South Bend, speaking as a Notre Dame alum, most Catholics I know in South Bend are pro-Obama, including some otherwise very pro-life but also anti-war Catholics (or, JPII Catholics). Of course, since I associate with them it's not exactly a random sampling. At my parish, I've seen "Audacity of Hope" in the sacristy and some parishioners with Obama jackets. Our parish is pretty young though, and that may be the more defining characteristic of Obama voters as mentioned by several posters. It also helps that South Bend is close to the Chicago market.
"I have about 30 relative left there"
Any one who believes that abortion is moral and that a baby is a punishment has a Catholic problem. Wake up Catholics!
Why is grandma (a Eucharistic Minister and member of the Roasry sodality) or Catholic parishioners from South Bend wearing Obama jackets even professing to be Catholic?? Christ is the Author of Life while Obama has endorsed the largest Abortion Mill Agency, Planned Parenthood; he who blocked funding for babies who survied abortion in IL. It's hard to be both Pro-Life (Christian) & Pro-Abortion (Democratic platform) simultaneously. The above may think they are Catholics in good standing, but maybe they had better check with God. A true Catholic could never vote for Obama due to the Life principle. Yes, IF Catholics were true to their Faith, Obama would have a big Catholic problem. If Christians were true to Christ, then Obama would have a huge problem....period! --Baby Rose from IL.
Why is grandma (a Eucharistic Minister and member of the Roasry sodality) or Catholic parishioners from South Bend wearing Obama jackets even professing to be Catholic?? Christ is the Author of Life while Obama has endorsed the largest Abortion Mill Agency, Planned Parenthood; he who blocked funding for babies who survied abortion in IL. It's hard to be both Pro-Life (Christian) & Pro-Abortion (Democratic platform) simultaneously. The above may think they are Catholics in good standing, but maybe they had better check with God. A true Catholic could never vote for Obama due to the Life principle. Yes, IF Catholics were true to their Faith, Obama would have a big Catholic problem. If Christians were true to Christ, then Obama would have a huge problem....period! --Baby Rose from IL.
Oh, please..... Obama is NOT a Catholic. Catholics don't believe in abortion, or contraception, unless they are just "fake Catholics" the ones that want to do whatever they want and don't care about the teachings of the Church. Anyone who thinks that they can call themselves Catholics after voting for Obama, is very ignorant of their faith and needs to go back and study the teachings of the Catholic Church.... Perhaps, start with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, before you go and call yourselves Catholics!
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Tim Roemer - never mentioned until there was a primary in Indiana, and never to be mentioned again after it.
Posted by Anonymous | April 11, 2008 11:26 AM