I just understood this: Obama has trouble with Catholics, and Biden is Catholic. Brilliant! nt

[thereismore]

[Life Long Dem]

1. But nothing specific?

:shrug:

[RollWithIt]

2. They will carry suburban Akron Ohio in huge numbers because of that alone....

I'm originally from that region. Catholic candidates win that region in huge numbers whenever they've ran.

[hedgehog]

7. Cuyahoga Falls? My mom recalls the school board meeting

discussing adding kindergarten and a woman stood up to complain that all the Catholics would send their kids and overload it because the Catholic school didn't have one!

[RollWithIt]

9. There are three dozen Akron suburbs like that....

LOTS and LOTS of catholics there. Cuyahoga Falls would be one of those places. Incidentally, there are plenty of catholic run kindergarden programs in that region now.

[goodgd_yall]

3. YEAH!

I'm excited about that. Even I, a fallen away Catholic, like the idea of Catholic Joe on the ticket.

[my3boyz]

4. I thought Obama was ahead with Catholics and that he was only behind with Evangelicals? nt

[thereismore]

12. No it's the other way round. nt

[my3boyz]

14. Huh? I thought they kept saying the night of Saddlebrook that McCain had a huge

lead with Evangelicals? I'm all confused. LOL

[thereismore]

16. It's like this: of all people who voted for Clinton in the primaries,

Obama got the support of all the demographics except the Catholics. So I expect those Clinton Catholics to stick with the dem ticket.

[my3boyz]

17. Oh okay. Thanks. Hopefully, they will vote for the Dems now that Biden is on the ticket. Not

sure why they would not vote for Obama over McCain in the first place if they supported Hillary.

[saltpoint]

5. Yes. Several folks on his short list were Catholics --

Sebelius, Kaine, Biden, Clark (I think), Richardson.... etc.

[Czolgosz]

6. Obama's problem with Catholics stems from his pro-choice, pro-civil union views (and he loses some

support from Appalachian Catholics with regard to his views on the Second Amendment). A pro-choice, pro-civil union, pro-gun control Catholic does NOTHING to help Obama's weakness with Catholics (Kerry IS Catholic and lost the Catholic vote to Bush).

[thereismore]

13. Can't hurt! nt

[hedgehog]

8. These days, who counts as a Catholic? Someone who self-identifies as

Catholic, someone who attends Mass on Sunday, someone who agrees with the bishops, someone who disagrees? Irish Catholic, German Catholic, Italian, Polish, Latino?

[goodgd_yall]

10. There's also a cultural element to it

Having some common life experiences even if you've given up on your Catholicism can make a Catholic politician attractive.

[davidwparker]

11. Biden is a brilliant counterpoint to Obama. Check and mate.

[Patiod]

15. Hey - it had the desired effect in my parents' house

elderly white Catholics with a blue-collar upbringing (typical story - my dad pulled himself out of the working class using the GI Bill, and ended up in management.)

Both were voting McCain until......he picked Biden, who those of us from Southeast Pennsylvania consider a local (Lynnesin won't want me saying this, but Philadelphians consider Wilmington a suburb) Now they don't know what to do. Not knowing how many houses he had put them off McCain.

Biden is Catholic, raised working class, went to Catholic college - he feels, to my parents, like "one of us". They are in their 80's, and even though I know some great, progressive people in that age range, in general, a lot of them were raised with segregation, so they never worked or played with people who weren't white, and consider non-white people as "other". Sad, but political reality.