Donald Trump has a massive Catholic problem

[Brian4Liberty]

Donald Trump has a massive Catholic problem
By Aaron Blake - August 28

Much has been made of Donald Trump’s problems with a few voting groups — female voters, blacks and Hispanics, and young voters, in particular. And, to be sure, they are all problems.

But relatively speaking, his biggest problem actually appears to be with a different group: Catholics.

Yes, the man who once feuded with the pope (how soon we forget that actually happened) is cratering among Catholics.

Back in 2012, GOP nominee Mitt Romney lost the Catholic vote by just 2 points, 50 percent to 48 percent. And the GOP has actually won the Catholic vote as recently as 2004 and in 5 of the last 10 11 presidential elections.

But Trump trails among Catholics by a huge margin. A new poll from the Public Religion Research Institute released this week shows him down 23 points, 55-32.
...
But Catholics have long been a swing vote in presidential elections, and right now they’re swinging hard for Clinton.
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The reasons for Trump’s struggles among this group are open to interpretation. Perhaps Pope Francis’s criticism of Trump and Trump’s surprisingly confrontational response have turned off Catholics to Trump’s candidacy.

“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian," the pope said in February when asked about Trump’s border wall.

As the Religion News Services’s John Gehring recently posited, it could also have something to do with Trump’s immigration policies:

Part of Catholics’ DNA is an appreciation for how Irish and other immigrants toiled and thrived in the shadow of a suspicious, fiercely anti-Catholic culture dominated by white Anglo-Saxon Protestants. ...​

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More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/.../donald-trump-has-a-massive-catholic-problem/

Note: Via WaPO, a neoconservative outlet.

 

[Brian4Liberty]

Related:

Pope Francis chats in person with Facebook CEO Zuckerberg

 

[hells_unicorn]

Hmm, this is tempting me to go back on my word of not voting for Trump, I'd place about 80% of America's decline over the past century or so on said voting block and what it represents.

 

[AuH20]

Not surprising at all. Speaking as a former Catholic, they are really messed up. Think Romans 13 on steroids if I had to describe the average Catholic stooge that I've encountered. The majority voted both times for Obama as well.

 

[Brian4Liberty]

Not surprising at all. Speaking as a former Catholic, they are really messed up. Think Romans 13 on steroids if I had to describe the average Catholic stooge that I've encountered. The majority voted both times for Obama as well.

We should keep in mind that there is nothing more collectivist or prone to manipulation than statistics.

I know three hard-core Trump supporters that are all Catholic (one Irish, two Hispanic). I also know two "never Hillary, Trump is lesser evil" Catholics, one Irish, one black. Then again, I know two other Catholics that are "Clinton's and Obama" should be made saints...

 

[AuH20]

We should keep in mind that there is nothing more collectivist or prone to manipulation than statistics.

I know three hard-core Trump supporters that are all Catholic (one Irish, two Hispanic). I also know two "never Hillary, Trump is lesser evil" Catholics, one Irish, one black. Then again, I know two other Catholics that are "Clinton's and Obama" should be made saints...

What state are you in? I live in the den of the beast, New York. So my experiences with Roman Catholics may be not entirely reflective.

 

[Brian4Liberty]

What state are you in? I live in the den of the beast, New York. So my experiences with Roman Catholics may be not entirely reflective.

Yeah, big city Catholics are probably much closer to their political leadership that pushes the agenda. Probably best indicator is whether a person is a Democrat or Republican Catholic. Democrat Catholics would tend to be much more in line politically with leadership such as the current Pope.

 

[Origanalist]

But Catholics have long been a swing vote in presidential elections, and right now they’re swinging hard for Clinton.

Because she represents their values more?? I can see them not supporting Trump but Hillary has to be even worse, aren't Catholics pro-life?

 

[juleswin]

What state are you in? I live in the den of the beast, New York. So my experiences with Roman Catholics may be not entirely reflective.

But New Yorkers just like Californians are more likely to be rabid liberal than anyone other state. Maybe the problem isn't that they are Catholics but the fact that they are New Yorkers. Just about every Catholic I know in Omaha are either republicans or for Trump. Only a very few would consider voting for Clinton. Also I have a couple of uncles (black) in Texas that are Catholics and pro Trump. But their support for Trump has nothing to do with their religion especially seeing as Trump has been pro choice all his life.

 

[liveandletlive]

Because she represents their values more?? I can see them not supporting Trump but Hillary has to be even worse, aren't Catholics pro-life?

No, while that is the staunch stance of the church, the average catholic isnt like your average evangelical on social issues. Catholicism also is a lot more diverse when it comes to its membership, ethnicity wise.

Mexicans are catholics, but sure as hell wont be supporting Trump just because the guy is pro-life.

 

[jmdrake]

Because she represents their values more?? I can see them not supporting Trump but Hillary has to be even worse, aren't Catholics pro-life?

But Trump is pro-choice. He's on record as having at one time supported even late term abortions. That would make him as pro choice as Hillary. Sure he has back peddled somewhat, but now he's pushing the GOP to liberalize it's stance on abortion. So there's a pro life vote has less reason to vote for Trump over Clinton than he/she had to vote MCain or Romney over Obama.

 

[Origanalist]

But Trump is pro-choice. He's on record as having at one time supported even late term abortions. That would make him as pro choice as Hillary. Sure he has back peddled somewhat, but now he's pushing the GOP to liberalize it's stance on abortion. So there's a pro life vote has less reason to vote for Trump over Clinton than he/she had to vote MCain or Romney over Obama.

I'm aware of Trumps transformation, it covers plenty of issues. But Hillary is so adamantly pro abortion, I guess it's like liveandletlive stated, Catholics aren't as pro-life as one would think.

 

[AuH20]

I'm aware of Trumps transformation, it covers plenty of issues. But Hillary is so adamantly pro abortion, I guess it's like liveandletlive stated, Catholics aren't as pro-life as one would think.

Catholics have almost transformed into cosmopolitan Jews in terms of adherence to faith. It's just a 'feel good' label that remains from the prior episode of their life.

 

[hells_unicorn]

Because she represents their values more?? I can see them not supporting Trump but Hillary has to be even worse, aren't Catholics pro-life?

The Jesuits are fine with abortion provided it's happening in non-Romanist households, and most left-leaning Papists are heavily informed by their political viewpoints. There is a reason why Nancy Pelosi and the Kennedy family bred like rabbits while pushing the so-called "sexual revolution" on the rest of the country. There is a more conservative contingent represented by people like Pat Buchanan and Thomas DiLorenzo (among a few others), but they are not representative of said church as a voting block. Papists in general love them some socialism and economic collectivism, as can be readily observed in just about every country in South America where the church has total political control.

 

[PierzStyx]

Catholics, Mormons, and Jews. People with strong religious and moral sensibilities seem to dislike Trump. No surprise there.

 

[Brian4Liberty]

No, while that is the staunch stance of the church, the average catholic isnt like your average evangelical on social issues. Catholicism also is a lot more diverse when it comes to its membership, ethnicity wise.

Mexicans are catholics, but sure as hell wont be supporting Trump just because the guy is pro-life.

Some Hispanics are Trump supporters specifically because of his hard stance on immigration. But it's a percentages game, and they are the minority, and usually third generation or longer in the US.

It's always possible that the poll in the OP intentionally focused on Catholics that would be more likely to oppose Trump. A mix of specific ethnic groups and locations.

 

[hells_unicorn]

Catholics, Mormons, and Jews. People with strong religious and moral sensibilities seem to dislike Trump. No surprise there.

Two of these groups have been actively trying to destroy the country culturally, and the middle one is a masonic cult off-shoot that has been trying to slowly take over the U.S. government via infiltration. Forgive me if I'm not impressed by their religious sensibilities and am highly skeptical about how strong their moral ones are when nobody else is watching. I've known too many Jews and Romanists over the years to take their professions of moral uprightness on faith.

 

[Origanalist]

Catholics, Mormons, and Jews. People with strong religious and moral sensibilities seem to dislike Trump. No surprise there.

Yet probably excluding Mormons they favor Hillary. There is some strong religious and moral sensibilities, lol.

 

[NotAnIllegalImmigrant]

Catholics, Mormons, and Jews. People with strong religious and moral sensibilities seem to dislike Trump. No surprise there.

Except the vast majority of self-identified Catholics and Jews are not religious.

 

[JK/SEA]

lame negative trump spin.

i have many catholics in my extended family, and most support Trump for his pro-life position.

so...FAIL.