JFK's Catholicism was controversial all over the South, among other places, that is why his victory in the West Virginia primary was so signifigant, until he won there even many prominent Catholic politicians such as Pat Brown, the very catholic governor of California, would not support him because they were almost certain a catholic could not be elected President. When Kennedy won WV they all came around with great enthusiasm.

The similarity between this and the number of black leaders today who seem chary of Obama for almost identical reasons is quite striking.