Catholic Appeal

[Person Man]

I concur with what others have said.

However, I think that part of why Trump over-performed with Roman Catholics in the primaries relative to Protestants is that his message that the system is broken (namely, that it disregards considerations of merit) resonated with these voters in particular. This is because most American Catholics are descended from populations (Irish, Italians, Poles, German Catholics) that really had to work hard in order to be accepted as legitimate Americans. That so many people today—illegals, people who refuse to learn or speak English, and so on—can violate the social contract that their ancestors had labored so hard to live up to, and without any great repercussions, grates on these voters.

Or that they aren't white. My dad's family spoke Italian at home until they moved to Tampa in the 60s. They immigrated in the 1880s.

[Person Man]

I concur with what others have said.

However, I think that part of why Trump over-performed with Roman Catholics in the primaries relative to Protestants is that his message that the system is broken (namely, that it disregards considerations of merit) resonated with these voters in particular. This is because most American Catholics are descended from populations (Irish, Italians, Poles, German Catholics) that really had to work hard in order to be accepted as legitimate Americans. That so many people today—illegals, people who refuse to learn or speak English, and so on—can violate the social contract that their ancestors had labored so hard to live up to, and without any great repercussions, grates on these voters.

Or that they aren't white. My dad's family spoke Italian at home until they moved to Tampa in the 60s. They immigrated in the 1880s.

Yes, that is definitely a factor as well—even if it will not be admitted.

In their defense, not every Trump supporter is racist. Though I am pretty sure most primary Trump supporters were. There were a few million racist Hillary voters, I'm sure.

[Person Man]

I concur with what others have said.

However, I think that part of why Trump over-performed with Roman Catholics in the primaries relative to Protestants is that his message that the system is broken (namely, that it disregards considerations of merit) resonated with these voters in particular. This is because most American Catholics are descended from populations (Irish, Italians, Poles, German Catholics) that really had to work hard in order to be accepted as legitimate Americans. That so many people today—illegals, people who refuse to learn or speak English, and so on—can violate the social contract that their ancestors had labored so hard to live up to, and without any great repercussions, grates on these voters.

I agree with this analysis.  It's very insightful.

When I was young and a Democratic Party activist, just about all priests and nuns were registered Democrats in Suffolk County, NY, where I grew up, even though the county was pretty Republican at the time.  At that time, there were many pro-life liberal Democrats.  Back then, the Massachusetts Congressional delegation, liberal to the core, were pretty reliable pro-lifers, even as they were liberal on other issues.  This type of legislative Northern Democrat has disappeared; pro-choice is pretty much a litmus test as to whether you are an acceptable Democrat or not today.  This has coincided with the Catholic clergy progressively registering and voting Republican.  They view themselves as having no stake in the Democratic Party AS CATHOLICS.  The Democrats can win the votes of lapsed Catholics and those who occasionally attend Mass, but I would suspect that regular Mass attenders are fairly reliably Republican nowadays.  

Maybe but not to the point that the next Democrat elected will actually lose the Catholic vote. Or...