Catholics have become key Clinton base: analyst

By Ed Stoddard - Reuters
Tuesday, May 06, 2008 - Web Link
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May 5, 2008

KEY WEST, Florida (Reuters) - White Roman Catholics have become a key base for Sen. Hillary Clinton in her quest for the Democratic presidential nomination and one she needs to win by huge margin, a conference on faith and politics heard on Monday.

William Galston of the Brookings Institution presented one of the most detailed portraits to date of the Catholic vote in last month's Pennsylvania primary, which the New York senator won to keep her battle with Illinois Sen. Barack Obama alive.

It is a portrait that has relevance as she campaigns before crucial primaries on Tuesday in North Carolina and Indiana.

"Catholics have emerged in the course of this primary season as part of Clinton's base that she not only has to win but win with a strong majority," Galston said.

About a quarter of Americans consider themselves Catholic.

Galston said that, while Indiana was less Catholic than many other states, 18 percent of people there still claimed membership in that faith and the percentage of Catholic Democratic primary voters there would probably be even higher.

"So doing well (with Catholics) will give her an edge over Sen. Obama in Indiana," he told Reuters after presenting his analysis at "The Faith Angle" conference in Key West, Florida, organized by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

The share of Catholic voters drops to about 9 percent in North Carolina, making it unlikely the constituency will give Clinton a significant boost there.