Catholics split over Obama and Clinton

SOUTH BEND, Ind., May 5 (UPI) -- Analysts say exit polls from recent U.S. primaries indicate the Democratic Party is splitting along religious lines as well as class, race, gender and age.

The latest division us among Catholic voters who have been shown in the polls to be part of the electoral base of New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, The Boston Globe reported Monday.

Catholics account for 18 percent of the population in Indiana where Clinton and presidential opponent Sen. Barack Obama compete in Tuesday's primary.

South Bend, home of the University of Notre Dame, is heavily Catholic but it also has a large black population that favors Obama.

The newspaper said a gathering of Catholics-for-Obama near Notre Dame last week reinforced the perception that if Obama has a weakness among Catholic voters, it is those who fit into other demographic divisions.

Catholics favoring Obama tend to be more educated, affluent and younger.

Clinton is favored by Catholic women and older, less educated and lower-income voters.