Well.....
JFK didn't get elected without political catholics, namely the surge of Catholic immigrants coming over mid-19th century: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_C ... ted_States
As for Catholics being political in general....go back, wayyyyy back.... that term "Roman Catholic" had nothing to do with a holiday:
"The emperor Constantine published the Edict of Milan in 313, giving Christianity legal status. By the end of the century it had become the state religion. Alliance with the imperial power gave the church great authority, and from that day forward it persecuted its enemies relentlessly in an effort to maintain and enhance its position.
As early as the 3rd century the popes were claiming for themselves a primacy over other churches in matters of doctrine. By the 5th century this claim had been transformed into complete legal jurisdiction over the churches." via Some Website Found Through Google