Hispanic Catholic voters favor Obama; Evangelicals less enthusiastic
October 18, 2012
Hispanic voters lean heavily toward President Barack Obama in this year’s US presidential race, a new survey by the Pew Forum shows.
Hispanic Catholics favor Obama by an overwhelming 73- 19%. (Among Hispanic Catholics who attend Mass weekly, the survey shows a 61-38% edge for Obama.) Hispanics who have no affiliation are even more overwhelmingly attached to President Obama, by 82- 7%. Hispanics who are Evangelical Protestants choose the incumbent President by a less lopsided 50- 39%.
The Pew survey also finds a strong trend toward approval of same-sex marriage among Hispanic voters. For the first time the poll found a majority in favor of legal recognition for same-sex unions; the margin was 52- 34% . Those figures show a dramatic shift from a 2009 survey, in which only 34% of Hispanic respondents favored same-sex marriage, with 44% opposed.
The responses from Catholic Hispanics roughly matched the overall results, with 51% favoring legal recognition of same-sex marriage and 31% opposed. Among Hispanic Catholics who attend Mass weekly, a plurality still approved of same-sex marriage, although the results were closer, with 46% in favor and 37% opposed. Again Evangelical Hispanics showed more conservative views, with only 25% favoring same-sex marriage and 66% opposed.
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Posted by: richardols3892 -
Oct. 19, 2012 11:10 AM ET USA
Fred C, what ever does some Muslim practice have to do with how Catholic Hispanics vote? Are you aware that in Catholic churches a weekly collection is made, while in Jewish synagogues, that isn't done? That is just as irrelevant to the topic here as is some Islamic practice in the Middle East.
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Posted by: mgreen32234 -
Oct. 19, 2012 10:22 AM ET USA
The next generation of Hispanics will be engulfed by the secular version of the American dream. The price of this success is their unborn that will be dutifully offered into the Planned Parenthood woodchipper. The Church meanwhile admirably feeds their empty stomachs but fails to warn of the secular treachery.
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Posted by: FredC -
Oct. 18, 2012 7:49 PM ET USA
Our bishops and priests are not sufficiently alarmed and not sufficiently forceful. Obama is persecuting the Church, charging a fee (call the jizyah in Islam)from Catholics who want to practice their religion (by not paying for abortion-inducing drugs). If he is re-elected, he might well require hospitals and doctors to perform abortions if they are to remain certified. This election is crucial.
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Posted by: TheJournalist64 -
Oct. 18, 2012 7:40 PM ET USA
This is so sad. It means that Latinos are so enamored of American culture that they will toss aside everything that is really important to eternity in order to have the immediate feeling of inculturation and acceptance. And Dems like Julian Castro play to that.
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Posted by: Bobalouie -
Oct. 18, 2012 7:22 PM ET USA
Looks like the Hispanic population is as well catechized as the rest of us.