Obama lost big among Indiana Catholics last night, but not nearly as big as in Pennsylvania and Ohio, where Catholics were probably more responsible than any other voters in giving Hillary Clinton a second wind over the last month. Catholics accounted for one in five Hoosier voters, and they broke for Clinton 59 to 41, according to exit polls. Compare that to Pennsylvania, where Clinton took Catholics 69 to 31, or Ohio, where Clinton won them 63 to 36.
The Obama camp had focused intensely on Indiana Catholics, but God-o-Meter is unsure whether that’s responsible for his better showing among them. It’s just as likely that he performed better among Catholics for the same reasons he improved among other voters, for calling Clinton’s proposed summer gas tax holiday a political ploy and for denouncing Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Obama still has his work cut out among Catholics in the general election, but his modest improvements among them will help his campaign battle the argument that he’s unelectable, and unpopular among the white working class.

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