(Daily Caller) President Barack Obama’s campaign to woo growing Hispanic communities in southern states being thwarted by his simultaneous campaign to regulate their neighborhood churches, both Catholic and evangelical.
The proposed regulation “has caused an incredible amount of consternation and angst in the Hispanic community. … It is un-American to tell my pastor, my minister, my priest that they have to violate what they believe in,” said Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference.
The conference represents 18,000 non-Catholic churches and 15 million Hispanic evangelicals, or roughly one third of Hispanics in the United States.
Evidence of a breach was released Feb. 8, when a Rasmussen poll showed that 65 percent of Catholics opposed the proposed regulation, which claims the federal government has the authority to fine religious groups that don’t offer their employees health-insurance with free contraception services.
That percentage is likely higher among white swing-voting Catholics in the must-win states of Pennsylvania and Ohio, and significantly lower among Hispanic voters in southern states.
However, Obama’s deputies are seeking to win 65 percent or more of the Hispanic vote, to offset losses among white voters. In 2008, Obama won 54 percent of all Catholics, and 67 percent of the Hispanic vote.
Rodriguez said the proposed regulation is changing Hispanic evangelicals’ friendly attitudes towards the Obama administration. “All of the sudden it was turned around,” he said. It is “a key moment for how the religious community will support the administration going forward,” he said.
“The federal government is coming after us. … It is an unprecedented level of intrusion into the free exercise of religion. … Across the board, our conversation is that is a line too far,” said Rodriquez, who has repeatedly clashed with Republicans on such issues as immigration rules.
Already, he said, “we are hearing Hispanic voters who supported Obama in 2008 saying ‘We cannot support Obama in 20012.’” (read more)
“Yes, We Can!” –> “¡Sí se puede!” –> Alinsky Radicals –> Lucifer
I discovered Real Catholic TV on You Tube that is a real eye opener. So nice to hear the plain truth. La VERDAD. So tired of anti-catholic politicians like Obama and Hillary Clinton. Latino/Hispanic Americans need to wake up to the reality that voting for Obama is like voting against the Catholic faith. Like voting for the devil. Like voting against everything you as a Latino Catholic believe in. Obama hates the Catholic church. His behavior shows it. Don’t believe his lies. The bible warns us evil people wear masks of kindness and friendship to lure you into their dark world. Obama tries hard to court the Hispanic vote with fancy tricky words and parties. It’s all a lie. He could care less about latinos, blacks, whites anybody. He is there for himself. Too many Latinos are thinking just about immigration issues instead of FAITH issues. Catholics can’t vote for a president that promotes abnormal and sinful gay behavior, killing unborn babies and allowing teens to get abortions without the parent’s knowledge.