This recent poll confirms that President Bush won the majority of the Catholic vote in November, and increased his share of the Hispanic Protestant vote dramatically over the year 2000. Not surprisingly, the Catholic voters who sided with Bush were more devout or “middle of the road”, while those siding with Kerry tended to be “liberal” Catholics not bothered by Kerry’s stand on social issues. None of this bodes well for the Democratic Party as Catholics and Hispanic Protestants are continuing to come to the realization that the Democratics do not look out for their interests.
John Kerry managed the best showing in decades for a Democratic presidential candidate among mainline Protestants, but his failure to capture a majority of Roman Catholics  people of his own faith  gave President Bush an important advantage in last November’s election, according to a new survey.
Bush’s showing also improved dramatically among Hispanic Protestants, 63 percent of whom supported him in 2004  a 31 percent gain over 2000.
The postelection phone survey of 2,730 people, conducted by the University of Akron and sponsored by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, is a close study of voting behavior and religious faith.
Among non-Hispanic Catholics, Kerry won the support of 69 percent with those with liberal or “modernist” beliefs, while 72 percent of “traditionalists” favored Bush. But importantly, 55 percent of the key swing group of “centrists” picked Bush over Kerry, who was criticized by bishops for his support of abortion rights.
The upshot: A one-time Democratic mainstay, Catholics gave Bush an overall edge of 53 percent to Kerry’s 47 percent.
