For a week after Obama Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius delivered her bombshell pronouncement that religiously affiliated institutions would be required under ObamaCare to provide contraceptive coverage for their employees, the left sang in unison. The tune’s lyrics, which could be heard emanating from White House spokespersons and liberal pundits alike, went something like this: It’s not about religious freedom (you ninnies); it’s about reproductive rights.
The intended audience—which, duly chastened, was expected to slink away with its collective tail between its legs—was of course “clingers” to religion, especially Catholics.
It turns out that this group has a voice of its own. A new Rasmussen poll finds:
59% of likely Catholic voters nationwide at least somewhat disapprove of the president’s job performance, while 40% at least somewhat approve. But the passion’s on the side of those who don’t like the job he’s doing: 44% Strongly Disapprove versus 19% who Strongly Approve.
According to exit polling from 2008. Obama received 54% of the Catholic vote as opposed to 45% who went for McCain. The new poll, however, shows Mitt Romney out in front of Obama among Catholics by a margin of 17 percentage points—52% to 35%.
The negativity toward Obama over the contraception mandate is not limited to Catholics:
Sixty-one percent (61%) of Evangelical Christians and 52% of other Protestants also at least somewhat disapprove of the job Obama is doing in the White House.
The president alienated members of another key religious bloc, the powerful New York Jewish lobby, when he voiced support in May of 2011 for restoring Israel to its pre-1967 borders. The furor died down, but not before his approval rating among Jewish voters nationwide leveled out at 54%, down 14 points.
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