Poll: 52% of Americans, 60% of Catholics, think Notre Dame made a mistake

Props to Rasmussen for polling this debate:

Fifty-two percent (52%) of Americans nationwide say the University of Notre Dame should have followed guidelines set by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and refrained from awarding an honorary degree to President Obama.

... By a 60% to 25% margin, U.S. Catholics say the university should not award an honorary degree to the president. Sixty-six percent (66%) of Evangelical Christians share that view along with 52% of other Protestants.

However, a plurality (45%) of those who do not have Christian affiliations say the university should give the president the honorary degree.

Especially interesting:

...It is also worth noting that the response is tied more closely to the violation of the bishops’ guidelines than to the policy issue concerning abortion. Those who describe themselves as pro-choice on abortion are evenly divided as to whether or not the university should award an honorary degree to the president. Pro-life adults strongly believe the university should have followed the bishops’ guidelines.

Pew Forum did polling on this topic last week, linking it to Mass attendance.