Bishops Prove Key to Mobilizing Catholic Vote

It has been reported that the president's huge gains among Catholic voters played a major role in capturing both Florida and Ohio, but little has been said about the role of Catholic voters in Colorado and Massachusetts.

President Bush increased his share of the Catholic vote in Colorado by 10 points over his 2000 performance. Exit polling shows that his share of the Catholic vote in Colorado jumped from 42 percent in 2000 to 52 percent in 2004.

In Massachusetts, a state that Bush was bound to lose, he actually increased his share of the Catholic vote by 17 points - to 49 percent - despite the fact that his opponent was a favorite son.