Washington D.C., Jun 24, 2008 / 23:23 pm
A new survey from Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) indicates that Catholics may lean towards voting for the Democratic candidate for president in the 2008 election.
The CARA polling shows that only 21 percent of all Catholics are either strongly or weakly affiliated with the Republican Party in 2008, compared to 31 percent in 2004. Fewer Catholics identify themselves as Republicans than in any year since 2000.
Among all adult Catholics, 38 percent identify as a weak or strong Democrat, while 22 percent lean Democratic.
Republicans are found to be more numerous among the general electorate Catholic population, with 28 percent identifying themselves as Republicans and 17 percent saying they lean Republican. However, Catholics who attend Mass weekly are still more likely to be Democrats, with 37 percent self-identifying with the party and another 18 percent saying they lean Democrat.