Interesting numbers from Rasmussen:
Catholics strongly disapprove of the job President Obama is doing as the debate continues over his administration’s new policy forcing Catholic institutions to pay for contraception they morally oppose. While the president’s overall job approval ratings have improved over the past couple of months, they have remained steady among Catholics.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 59% of likely Catholic voters nationwide at least somewhat disapprove of the president’s job performance, while 40% at least somewhat approve. But the passion’s on the side of those who don’t like the job he’s doing: 44% Strongly Disapprove versus 19% who Strongly Approve.
Fifty-four percent (54%) of Catholics voted for Obama in November 2008. However, Republican hopeful Mitt Romney currently leads the president among Catholic voters by a 52% to 35% margin. Among all voters, however, President Obama leads Romney and all Republican hopefuls.
These results are from surveys conducted over the seven days ending February 12, 2012. Among all likely voters, 50% approve of how the president is doing and 49% disapprove. This includes 26% who Strongly Approve and 38% who Strongly Disapprove. Rasmussen Reports also provides daily updates of the president’s Job Approval and match-ups between President Obama and both Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum.
Go here to read the rest. If Obama loses the Catholic vote in the fall he can kiss Ohio, and perhaps Pennsylvania, goodby. If he loses Ohio he probably loses the election. If he loses Ohio and Pennsylvania he loses by a landslide. Bigotry has a price, and I hope Obama pays that price on election day.
It appears there is something seriously deficient among 41% of Catholics.
What percentage of the 41% could pick the Pope out of a line-up?
I love our big fuzzy universal Church but it can be difficult having to continually explain away the bizarre behavior of my self-identifying Catholic brethren, particularly those currently forming the warp and weft of the P’resident’s doormat.
“If Obama loses the Catholic vote in the fall, he can kiss Ohio and perhaps Pennsylvania goodbye.”
And probably Wisconsin too. Not to mention the concerned Protestant evangelical votes (e.g. Rick Warren) that he will also lose over the HHS issue. That means, I’m guessing, he loses EVERY state in the Midwest other than Illinois and maybe Minnesota. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him lose every Illinois county outside of the Chicago metro area and East St. Louis as well.
Good analysis Elaine. The Midwest could well decide the election. I think the South is gone for Obama. New England will be solid for him except for New Hampshire. In the West Obama keeps the coast, with the Republicans taking everything else, except possibly New Mexico. The Great Plains states will be entirely Republican as usual. The Mid-Atlantic is Obama’s except quite possibly Pennsylvania. If Obama can only hold on to Illinois and Minnesota in the Midwest, the elction becomes a rout against him.
I did a little playing around with the 270towin.com electoral vote map, based on your projections, and the results were:
Without PA or OH, Obama loses 337-201.
With PA but not OH, he loses 317-221.
With PA and OH, he still loses 299-239.
“What percentage of the 41% could pick the Pope out of a line-up?”
Maybe 5% of that I’d say.
I wish these polls would a make a distinction between church going catholics (~20%) and the rest of catholics, who are asleep in a coma.