With the two major parties’ nominees for president apparently decided and attention turning to their vice-presidential choices, an old question inevitably arises in certain circles — how to corral the “Catholic vote” in November.
But the topic is being met with increasing skepticism by some who believe American Catholics base their votes on nearly as many factors as there are American Catholics.
“Politicians and media people love to think there is” a Catholic vote, said John Farina, an associate professor of religious studies at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. “And the political parties are always able to find people who will tell them there is a Catholic vote and this is how you get it.”
But that does not make it so, added Farina, who believes that “most Catholics base their votes on reasons other than their Catholicism” — because they are blue-collar or white-collar, Hispanic or not Hispanic, white or black, military veterans or not.
I find it unfathomable that people go to mass every Sunday then vote for arch-abortionists or thrice married or both.
1- Have you never met a priest who always votes Democrat? I haven’t been Catholic for very long, and I know several.
And have you seen this website? http://www.romancatholicsforobama.com/
One never agrees 100% with any candidate, and one always votes for one candidate *in spite of* something.
When November arrives and people go to the polls to vote for the various candidates I will do just as I have when I first voted decades ago – vote a split ticket.
#1, unfortunately, yes, you’ll find regular Mass goers who will vote for a pro-abortion candidate (generally using the flawed ‘seamless garment’ rationale), but also many who would vote for a pro-torture candidate. Neither position ought to be acceptable for a faithful Christian.
GetReligion has done several pieces on what the media presents as “the Catholic Vote”. Here’s one with a useful taxonomy in the comments.
[blockquote]A wise DC-based Catholic priest once told me that there are actually four Catholic votes, defined by faith and practice, not politics.
* Ex-Catholic vote.
* Cultural Catholic/several Masses a year Catholic vote.
* Sunday only, I’m OK at the Catholic cafeteria vote.
* Catholics who sweat the details and go to confession vote.[/blockquote]
I wouldn’t line out things quite that way, since it doesn’t account for personal prayer or creedal belief, but it’s a start.
Search their site on “Catholic Vote” if interested for other entries.
I always wondered about this “catholic vote” thing ever since what I perceived as a large, blue collar catholic bloc of voters sending the ultra liberal, militantly pro-abortion Ted Kennedy back into office by a landslide every six years.
I do recognize that the Kennedy name is [or at least was] godlike in Massachusetts, but Teds politics seemed to be the opposite of what such a segment of the voting population would back.
I am not convinced Americans make very good Roman Catholics. They are too independent minded to really be brow beat into voting for so-and-so candidate(s) in large numbers.
Archer in the Forest,
As in any other religion or demonination, some people live their professed religion and others don’t. I would guess that it is a minority in all religions/demonimations that have much understanding or commitment to their beliefs. Being a modern American makes in worse.
I am not sure where the “brow-beating” comment came from except the usual prejudice that most Protestant Americans have about Roman Catholics. It is true that the Roman Catholic Church actually has clearly defined beliefs. It is equally true that many, many self-professed Roman Catholics don’t follow them. The true modern American religion seems to be “do your own thing” and “do not feel guilt.” That is the failing of American Roman Catholics.
If you are implying the Roman Catholics don’t think, perhaps you should visit a Catholic bookstore and take a look at the quality of thinking and writing that is available for the contemporary Catholic to read and to study. Catholics have a wide, deep and strong intellectual foundation for their beliefs.
Robroy, so who would you like the arch-abortionist or the twice married? Or do you plan to stay home in November?
As glib as this will sound, the situation is actually much more complicated for many of us. There are folks abroad in the land (many of them Catholic) who are pro-life and otherwise culturally conservative, but who dislike nearly everything else about the GOP (say waterboarding, the death penalty, the Iraq War that each Pope opposed, etc).
-They look at 7 years of George Bush, and see that Roe is still the settled law of the land. And all we’ve got is Roberts and Alito, and the chance that somehow, someday they just may be able to do something (at least when they’re not favoring hated policies such as those above), and that they won’t cave and become, say, a Souter or an O’Connor on the subject.
-Then they see John McCain and read articles such as this:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/06/prochoice_democrats_and_john_m.html
-They see organizations like Democrats-for-Life, proposals like the 95-10 initiative, and politicians such as Bob Casey, and dream of the albeit-slim possibility of taking down the Death Lobby from the inside.
-And lastly they see the Bishops’ directive that you can vote for a pro-Choice politician in spite of their beliefs if there are other reasons to do so.
-And they think to themselves, “Hmmm, why should I vote for the GOP with whom I agree on 10% of the issues and disagree on 90%, especially when they can’t seem to get the 10% done and we wonder whether or not they are really interested in doing so, or are just saying they are to win our vote.”
And that is how you get a faithful Catholic voting Democratic.
Yes, very true. Catholics have to balance unpleasant moral choices … like everyone else. And Roman Catholics are free to make their decisions … just like everyone else. It is just so difficult to make a decision between someone who is divorced and someone who supports abortion.
I have yet to read that the Catholic Church supports a tradeoff on the issue of abortion. Maybe I have missed it. Obama supported an Illinois bill (that did not pass) that would have denied medical treatment for a child who failed to die after an abortion procedure. Yep, a few of those babies just cling to life regardless of the rights of their poor mothers. I would just love to know how anyone could rationalize this one! (Babies do survive abortion procedures occasionally.)
And yes, I am sure that he will be our next president.
I do not post this to make anyone uncomfortable, but I am divorced and on my second marriage. For the record, I take my share of the blame. I do not justify myself, and I realize that I cannot hold a pastoral position. No problem.
However, abortion is multiple-or shall I better say, MASS murder[we’re up to how many millions now?]. Both are sin, but they cannot be equated. One is an unfortunate personal occurrence, which no one was banking on (people generally don’t marry with the thought that they will divorce). The other is a long term, deliberate, systematic slaughter of innocent human life.
And Observer-I wouldn’t count my chickens just yet. The Veeps have yet to be selected, and the debates haven’t been held.
#11 makes a good point. Trying to equivocate the evil of abortion with other things not on par with mass murder, such as minimum wage, or divorce (which are important issues, yes) is how we get our moral compasses skewed.
GSP98 …
Actually, we are on the same page. I was being sarcastic about divorce as compared to abortion. Sorry for not being clearer.
As far as Obama, I just think I am being realistic; I am not a supporter because of his stand on abortion.
But, even more, the issue is no longer abortion when a baby is actually born after a “botched” abortion… and then allowed to die by intentionally withholding medical attention. I assumed that no one in this country would have difficulty with this as a moral question … but I was wrong. Why is this not shocking to just about everyone? (To be clear, the legislation did not pass.)
Gotcha, Observer. I didn’t know you had your sarcasm hat on [!].
This mention of partial-birth abortion brought back some bad memories of the Clinton administration, as to a time when he shot down an effort to ban the procedure. It saddened and sickened me to watch whatever “news” outlet I was viewing paint such a sympathetic picture towards Pres. Clinton’s decision.