Faith Based Voters

I got a recent update telling me that this poll was posted. It details the Catholic Vote in the US... quite interesting...

WASHINGTON - Days after becoming his party’s presumptive nominee and receiving an endorsement from his chief rival, Hillary Clinton, Democrat Barack Obama has opened the general election campaign with a six-point edge over Republican John McCain, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

Obama leads McCain among registered voters, 47 to 41 percent, which is outside the poll’s margin of error. In the previous NBC/Journal survey, released in late April, Obama was ahead by three points, 46-43 percent.

“The poll clearly shows a post-primary bump for Barack Obama,” says Republican pollster Neil Newhouse, who conducted the survey with Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart.

But it also shows plenty of challenges for both Obama and McCain, which all add up right now to what may be a close contest this fall.

“We have a very competitive race for president,” Hart says, even though the overall political environment tilts strongly in the Democrats’ favor.

In the head-to-head matchup, Obama leads McCain among African Americans (83-7 percent), Hispanics (62-28), women (52-33), Catholics (47-40), independents (41-36) and even blue-collar workers (47-42). Obama is also ahead among those who said they voted for Clinton in the Democratic primaries (61-19).

The More Things Change, the More they Stay the Same

The following blog is from Janelle Lazzo of Roeland Park, Kansas as a response to the recent column by Archbishop Neumann.

The Catholic Church strongly endorses the separation of Church and state.

That is why it is very troubling to Catholics when a bishop uses his authority, which he possesses in great measure, to publicly excoriate one of those for whom he should be a pastor.

Governor Kathleen Sebelius has gone out of her way to proclaim herself as pro-life. But she is also a strong advocate for the rights of her constituents to make free choices. As an elected leader, the protection of these rights is her responsibility, as long as Roe v. Wade is the law of the land.

As a Catholic, I resent the Archbishop’s action in publicly suggesting that Governor Sebelius keep herself from reception of the Eucharist, the center of our faith. Just as he seems to be following his conscience, so should she be allowed to follow hers. John F. Kennedy said in 1960 that he was the “Democratic Party’s candidate for President who happens also to be a Catholic.”



Kathleen Sebelius is the elected leader of the state of Kansas who also happens to be a Catholic. No one should interfere with her practice of her Faith. Church and state should remain separate!

Janelle Lazzo is a Catholic member of the MAINstream Coalition. We encourage other Catholic Members of MAINstream to join Janell in posting his or her personal thoughts and feelings about this recent matter on the MAINstream Blog. Please email the office if interested.