UPDATE ELECTION 2012: TRACKING THE CATHOLIC VOTE - IS IT TOO CLOSE TO CALL ??............

The Center for the Research of the Apostolate, (CARA) at Georgetown University, on it's, "1964 Blog", has a posting surveying the preference by religious affiliation in the 2012 Presidential Election, and posing the question whether the Catholic Vote between Governor Romney and President Obama is Too Close To Call.     Blog editor Mark Gray, shares that up until beyond the Republican National Convention, the preference of Catholic registered voters as determined by an aggregation of polls with a Catholic subgroup section such as the Gallup, and Pew, Polls; showed a very tight race between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, with only a two percent difference between them.  As of then it stood at Obama 47%;  Romney 45%;.  Like with most of the polls taken including a Catholic subgroup, the difference was  within the margin of error.  The registered voters polled in the subgroup, are self identified Catholics.  The blog survey reports that twice this year President Obama has had a lead of as much as 9%, which occurred in March and April.  Governor Romney has held leads of 4-5%, twice this year, once in April and again right after the Republican National Convention.  From January to now, the average percentage of support breaks down, 47%; for Obama; 46%; for Romney.  Neither candidate has reached 50%; or more preference of registered Catholic Voters yet in 2012.  The floor for Governor Romney has been no lower than 42%; and for President Obama no lower than a 44%; floor of support this year's Presidential Election.  The 1964 Blog also reports that following the Democratic National Convention the 2% differential between the two Presidential Standardbearers has increased among Catholic registered Voters, to ten percentage points,  52%; for President Obama, and 42%; for Governor Romney.  However Editor Mark Gray expresses the expectation that the race will tighten among Catholics again once the ramifications of the Middle East crises and the 47% of Americans dependent on government claims, are factored into the polling preference of the subgroup.  As I have been saying myself for most of the summer, the outcome of the Presidential Debates are most likely to play a pivotal role in determining the preference of all undecided voters, including Catholics.  By comparison to Catholics, Protestant-Christians preference until early September was : Romney 51%;  Obama 40%;.  More on this topic as the Update Election 2012 proceeds...........Fr.  Troy