Monthly Archives: February 2012

I’ll have more to say on this next week but I couldn’t help noticing today’s Globe story, Brown tries to win over ‘Reagan’ Democrats – meaning, working-class Catholics. If Brown is so confident about this he may be polling a religious variable. I’ve suggested several times that public pollsters should pass on some of the more esoteric questions and add a few telling demographic questions, specifically: religion (and how often respondents attend services); income; and education. That would correct a major weakness in public polls and enrich the public commentary.

Here’s a good topic to interject into the Brown campaign’s effort to appeal to Catholic voters – the existence of an electorally significant religious left with roots in Catholic doctrine. Here’s a quote from a recent academic study:

When asked whether “avoiding sin” or “helping others” was more important to being a good Christian, evangelical Protestants surveyed were more likely than mainline Protestants or Catholics to answer “avoiding sin,” Wald said. For Roman Catholics, about two-thirds selected “helping others” over “avoiding sin,” he said.