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<DIV class=createdate>Wednesday, 19 September 2012 </DIV>
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<TD class=contentheading width="100%"><A class=contentpagetitle
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title=http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/romney-fumbling-the-catholic-vote.html
size=6>Romney: Fumbling the Catholic Vote?</FONT></STRONG></A> </TD>
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<TD vAlign=top><SPAN class=small>By George J. Marlin </SPAN>
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<P class=firstletter><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Post-convention opinion surveys are
indicating that Mitt Romney is trailing in key battleground states
particularly those with large Catholic populations – Wisconsin, Ohio,
Florida, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=indent><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">A national pollster told me last
week that Romney’s root problem is that he has not been able to close the
deal with blue-collar Catholic voters. The 6 percent undecided in the
national polls are predominantly white working-class Catholics who dislike
Obama, but can’t bring themselves to cozy up to Romney. And without their
support Romney can’t capture the 270 electoral votes required to win in
November.</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=indent><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">A recent Gallup poll shows
Catholics in the aggregate splitting 47-46 in favor of the president. But
that’s an aggregate figure that doesn’t tell us very
much.</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=indent><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">The Catholic Association’s National
Catholic Election Survey conducted by Magellan Strategies from August
19-21 digs a little deeper. On a generic basis, 41 percent of Catholics
support Romney, 49 percent Obama, and 10 percent are undecided.
Among regular Church attendants – those who go to Mass at least once a
week – 47 percent intend to vote for Romney, 45 percent for Obama, and 8
percent are undecided. Cafeteria Catholics break 53 percent for
Obama, 36 percent Romney, and 11 percent undecided.</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=indent><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Here are the Election Survey’s
findings on several key issues (each percentage indicates agreement with
the statement):</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV align=center>
<TABLE border=1 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV></TD>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><B> Church</B></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><B>Attending</B></SPAN></SPAN></DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">
<DIV><B><U>Catholics</U></B></DIV></SPAN></SPAN></TD>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><B></B></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><B>
All</B></SPAN></SPAN></DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">
<DIV><B><U>Catholics</U></B></DIV></SPAN></SPAN></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV></TD>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV></TD>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Religious charities should
not be forced</SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">to pay for services they
morally object to.</SPAN></SPAN></DIV></TD>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"> 72%
</SPAN></SPAN></DIV></TD>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">66%</SPAN></SPAN></DIV></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV></TD>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV></TD>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">The Obama Administration has
gone too far</SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">in placing restrictions on
religious freedoms</SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">when implementing programs
and policies.</SPAN></SPAN></DIV></TD>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">
67%</SPAN></SPAN></DIV></TD>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><BR>57%</SPAN></SPAN></DIV></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV></TD>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV></TD>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Our rights come from nature
and God,</SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">not
government. </SPAN></SPAN></DIV></TD>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">
86%</SPAN></SPAN></DIV></TD>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">72%</SPAN></SPAN></DIV></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV></TD>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV></TD>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">America’s exploding federal
debt hurts the</SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">poor the
most.</SPAN></SPAN></DIV></TD>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">
71%</SPAN></SPAN></DIV></TD>
<TD vAlign=top>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">72%</SPAN></SPAN></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV>
<P class=indent><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Since Romney agrees with Catholics
on these important issues, why aren’t they flocking to his camp? A
focus group conducted earlier this year by McLaughlin & Associates of
Blue Collar Catholics in Cleveland and Pittsburgh gives some
clues.</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=indent><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">All the focus group participants
voted for Obama in 2008 but were not strongly tied to him and are “up for
grabs in November.” The group was evenly split between practicing
and cafeteria Catholics. None of them had college degrees and their
annual household incomes were under $60,000.</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=indent><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">These working class Catholics
believe real unemployment is significantly higher than Labor Department
figures, and that federal spending and debt is out of control. They had
mixed feelings about Obamacare in general, but specifically: opposed the
federal mandate; were angry over the rising cost of gasoline; and
supported energy production from coal and hydrofracking.</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=indent><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">While most were not familiar with
the Obamacare mandate on religious institutions, after learning the
details their support for the HHS mandate weakened, particularly among
regular churchgoers.</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=indent><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Finally, most of these voters
disclosed that they “are personally and severely affected by the economic
downturn and their primary concern is their own economic well-being.”
Hence, they are very negative about their personal financial plight and
“view the national economy as dismal.” As they struggle to make ends
meet, “they see the poor and unemployed as taking advantage of their hard
work by collecting welfare.”</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=indent><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Even with these center-right views,
blue-collar Catholics are not yet ripe for Romney’s picking. That’s
because they believe that rich people like Romney play by different
rules. The McLaughlin focus group respondents said that rich people
like Romney “are getting richer at their expense.”<BR></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class=indent><IMG alt=""
src="http://www.thecatholicthing.org/images/smilies/romneyfl.jpg"
width=305 height=165><BR> <STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: small"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"> The candidate
campaigns in the Sunshine State</SPAN></SPAN></STRONG></P>
<P class=indent><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Romney has seven weeks to dispel
the notion that he is an out of touch, Republican rich guy. This is not an
impossible task. The groundwork was laid a generation ago by Richard Nixon
and Ronald Reagan. They forged the Republican realignment that included
Catholic blue-collar ethnics. </SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=indent><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">These two men were elected
president because they were perceived as protectors of the interests of
second- and third-generation ethnics while the Democratic “elitist heirs”
of Adlai Stevenson and George McGovern scorned them.</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"> Back in
1980, Ronald Reagan opened his successful campaign over the Labor Day
Weekend on Liberty Island in New York Harbor with the Statue of Liberty
serving as a backdrop. With his shirtsleeves rolled up, Reagan began
his race for the White House by appealing directly to ethnic Catholic
voters. In his remarks that day, he lauded the true grit of millions
of immigrants who had passed through Ellis Island.</SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=indent><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">This soft-spoken former Democrat
invited Catholics to follow his lead into the Republican Party. Portraying
himself as the antithesis of cultural liberalism, Reagan stressed the
themes of “work, family, neighborhood, peace and freedom.” He told
Catholic voters:<BR></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">The secret is that when the Left
took over the Democratic Party we took over the Republican Party.
We made the Republican Party into the Party of the working people, the
family, the neighborhood, the defense of freedom, and yes, the American
Flag and the Pledge of Allegiance to one Nation under God. So, you
see, the Party that so many of us grew up with still exists except that
today it’s called the Republican Party.</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; FONT-SIZE: large"> </SPAN></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"> Fast
forward thirty-two years and these same working class Catholics, albeit
smaller in number and older, are still the key to victory in the heartland
states of Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Indiana. And for
Romney to move them out of the undecided column he must do more than tell
them he’s a nice guy who has a wonderful family. He must convince them
that their working-class values and priorities are his and that he will
protect their interests just as Reagan did.</SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=indent><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">If Romney does not move fast to
execute a plan to reach out to these Catholic voters, he will blow the
election on November 6 and go down as the Tom Dewey of our
age.</SPAN></SPAN></P>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><B><I>George J. Marlin
</I></B><I>is an editor of</I> </SPAN></SPAN><A
title=http://astore.amazon.com/thecatthi-20/detail/0385262264
href="http://astore.amazon.com/thecatthi-20/detail/0385262264"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: large"
title=http://astore.amazon.com/thecatthi-20/detail/0385262264><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"
title=http://astore.amazon.com/thecatthi-20/detail/0385262264>The Quotable
Fulton Sheen</SPAN></SPAN></A><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"> <I>and the author of</I>
</SPAN></SPAN><A
title=http://astore.amazon.com/thecatthi-20/detail/1587310236
href="http://astore.amazon.com/thecatthi-20/detail/1587310236"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: large"
title=http://astore.amazon.com/thecatthi-20/detail/1587310236><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"
title=http://astore.amazon.com/thecatthi-20/detail/1587310236>The American
Catholic Voter</SPAN></SPAN></A><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">. <I>His most recent book
is</I> </SPAN></SPAN><A
title=http://astore.amazon.com/thecatthi-20/detail/1587315653
href="http://astore.amazon.com/thecatthi-20/detail/1587315653"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: large"
title=http://astore.amazon.com/thecatthi-20/detail/1587315653><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"
title=http://astore.amazon.com/thecatthi-20/detail/1587315653>Narcissist
Nation: Reflections of a Blue-State Conservative</SPAN></SPAN></A><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">.</SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">© 2012 <I>The Catholic Thing</I>.
All rights reserved. For reprint rights, write to: </SPAN></SPAN><A
title=mailto:info@frinstitute.org href="mailto:info@frinstitute.org"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: large" title=mailto:info@frinstitute.org><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"
title=mailto:info@frinstitute.org>info@frinstitute.org</SPAN></SPAN></A></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: large"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><I>The Catholic Thing</I> is a
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