One Thing I've Noticed About Catholics During This Presidential Campaign ...
... is that there seem to be very few uncritical supporters of Sen. McCain among Catholics who may end up voting for him (in fact, some of us conservatives have have been so critical that we have refused to come out in support of his candidacy), but the support among Catholics who intend to vote for Sen. Obama seems to be completely lacking in any criticism whatsoever.
Conservative criticism of where McCain falls short of Catholic teaching runs rampant, and the support for his candidacy appears to be of the "hold-my-nose-and-cast-my-vote" variety. I haven't seen the same sort of criticism from Obama's Catholic supporters (with one exception) regarding where Obama falls short on Catholic teaching; in fact, I've seen Obama's Catholic supporters try to square Obama's position on abortion, for example, as a legitimate position that Catholics can and should support (see, e.g., Gerald Campbell, Morning's Minion, Doug Kmiec, etc.).
The argument from those Catholics supporting Obama instead focuses exclusively on where Republicans have fallen short on Catholic teaching. I won't argue with them in that regard (although I do believe their whole "Republicans have done nothing on abortion" meme falls flat and is easily rebuttable by the facts). But their argument rings hollow as long as they're willing to uncritically support a candidate who is so wholly lacking in some key areas of Catholic teaching.
At least be willing to vocally criticize your candidate - in no uncertain terms - where he falls short of Catholic teaching. Don't make excuses. Don't point fingers at the other side. Acknowledge that he is VERY BAD on issues like abortion and same-sex "marriage". Criticize him for it. Harshly. Obama and the Democrat Party have no incentive to change their anti-life policies if they can expect your uncritical support regardless of these shortcomings.
By the same token, those Catholics supporting McCain should continue to harp on ESCR and other areas where their candidate and his party are out-of-step with Catholic social teaching. But at least you've done a better job of it, to date, than those Catholics supporting Obama.
Labels: Culture of Death, Elections, McCain, Moloch Obamessiah, Pro-Life, The Catholic Vote, Voting Your Values
posted by Pro Ecclesia 11:47 AM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Republicans have been fighting diligently on abortion, so I have to disagree with you on your assessment of Republicans doing nothing about abortion. 1) Republicans continue to push for a ban on partial birth abortion. This is a step in the right direction. 2) George Bush has appointed 2 excellent Supreme Court justices in Judge Roberts and Sam Alito. I am sure we can count on John McCain to appoint an equally excellent judge as he has an excellent rating on Pro-Life. 3) The next 4 years are crucial to the Supreme Court, and not voting for John McCain will set the court back decades with 4 new Obama appointees.
Only when a conservative court is seated and an abortion case comes back will we be able to see the true fruits of the George Bush and potential John McCain appointees. There is way too much at risk this year to stay home on election day.
I am a Roman Catholic and I am voting for and Campaining for John McCain for President.
I think you need to go back and read my comment. It agrees with your assessment (i.e. I'm taking issue with the notion that Republicans have done nothing on abortion).
But I think you're fooling yourself if you think McCain will nominate (and then fight for) the same sort of Justices that Bush did.
Jay,
You may be right that McCain will not appoint justices in the mold of Alito or Roberts. However, it is a 100% certainly that Obama would not nominate any justice not completely committed to Roe v. Wade.
Regarding your main subject regarding Catholics during this election, I have to agree. I visited that site Vox Nova a few times and some are so in the bag for Obama that it is incredible. There are many things that voters (Catholic or not) should consider when deciding between candidates. However, the way some use moral relativism between the willful taking of innocent life and various policies and budgetary decisions to justify voting for Obama is beyond belief. I'd have more respect for some of them if they just came out and said they always vote Dem and the issues be damned they always will.
Republicans criticize everybody in government - they want a very different government but have a hard time figuring out how to get from here to there. So, they aren't happy with the options they are given, which mostly keep the same old same old.
Democrats just want more of the same. Much much more. So they have no reason to criticize anyone who isn't a roadblock to their boundless statism.
That any people can pretend to be Roman Catholic and Democratic; well, it mimics the catholicism of la Cosa Nostra, except with even less meaningful rituals.
Jay,
You are right - Republicans and Catholic Republicans need to rally around their candidate - NOW!
It's a very serious election and lives are at stake if Obama wins. Though perhaps we should lighten up a little. We are not going to win over the pro-abortion vote so we should try and persuade the independent vote as much as possible... on the other issues.
My vote goes to the war-hero... the Irish guy with the beer :)
I think it's important to remember the lesson of the Harriet Meiers appointment:
When the President picks someone inadequate, we have the power to make him pick someone else.
I think we might well have this sort of influence with McCain.
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