If you are white and and evangelical Protestant, polls are showing that you are likely to be enthusiastic with John McCain's pick of Sarah Palin as Vice President. But other religious voters -- Catholics, Jews, Hispanics and African Americans -- have been either indifferent or negative to her selection as the Republican Vice Presidential candidate.
For Catholics, there are several likely reasons she is not moving Catholics voters. One is her well-publicized crack against Obama's work as a community organizer for a Catholic sponsored project (something that has done wonders for traffic to this blog, breaking 1,000 visit on Saturday, our highest ever!). Her line item veto cutting a government grant to a Catholic home for unwed mothers alienated other Catholics. Creationism is also an issue that may win Evangelical support but doesn't do much even for conservative Catholics.
Jewish Americans have reacted with caution towards her, helping the Obama campaign in Florida, a key battleground state. African Americans and Hispanics have been largely absent from her campaign rallies. This is likely more due to the general problem the Republican Party has with minorities rather than anything particular to Palin, but certainly the Evangelical appeal Palin has does not extend to the Black or Hispanic communities.
Overall, about half of Catholics tell pollsters they plan to vote for Obama. The McCain campaign still has not broken out of the limited outreach to only conservative Catholics. All of their Catholic outreach has been directed to this minority element of the Catholic community. Even strongly pro-life Catholics who share all of the Church's social concerns have not been approached by McCain/Palin.
13 comments:
Hi,
I'm scouring the web for bumper stickers that say "Catholics for Obama-Biden 2008" or something like that. No luck yet. I think it's important to say "Catholics" on it, to help me reach other Catholics.
Any suggestions?
Thanks.
I've been looking for the same thing, anon!
Maybe buy a Catholic Worker sticker and put your Obama directly next to it. :-)
(BTW, Kurt and Katherine, you got a direct link and logo at the new place-- I linked, so don't move the graphic!)
Pax
Thom
Thanks, Tom. Yesterday we had over 3,000 visits!
I think I saw some bumper stickers somewhere. I will look around.
What are all these "conservative Catholic" comments. WE SHOULD ALL BE CONSERVATIVE CATHOLICS. There is only one CATHOLIC faith, following God's word and the laws of the church, straight from God and the vatican, no one else. I will pray for you.
Anon.
"There is only one CATHOLIC faith, following God's word and the laws of the church, straight from God and the vatican, no one else. I will pray for you."
I always appreciate others' prayers. And you're right. There is only one Catholic faith; and we are all part of that Church. So it never ceases to amaze me Catholics representing one political persuasion or candidate could go into blog or discussion space of catholics representing another political persuasion or candidate and presume to challenge them on their "Catholic credentials."
I have not look, but I would put money on the table that the folks frequenting this blog are not going into pro-McCain Catholic blogs and telling folks over their they're not Catholic. I would further bet the comments would not be allowed to get published if they did.
No political party has a lock-down on the Catholic faith or on those of us who make up the Catholic community.
If one disagrees with another on a political matter or candidate, debate surrounding that disagreement is fair game. Presuming to challenge whether others are Catholic is not.
I still haven't found any bumper stickers that say "Catholics for Obama-Biden 2008." But I sure wish I could. Here's another reason why:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diane-tucker/palin-winning-over-twenty_b_124893.html
This blog is fantastic. We need to be visible not just to people who look for and find it.
Catholics for Obamba bumper stickers, etc.:
http://shop.cafepress.com/catholics-for-obama
Thank you, catholicsfordemocracy!
DEMO: "Presuming to challenge whether others are Catholic is not."
RUSTLER45: Demo, of course you're Catholic because of Baptism, but so are Protestants. Noboby is presuming. There are certain standards for a sincere practicing Catholic. If you don't meet them you just as well go join the local Jehovah Witness Church.
So far you're not looking too good.
"Demo, of course you're Catholic because of Baptism, but so are Protestants. Noboby is presuming. There are certain standards for a sincere practicing Catholic. If you don't meet them you just as well go join the local Jehovah Witness Church.
So far you're not looking too good."
I genuflect to you and kiss your episcopal ring.
"Thank you, catholicsfordemocracy!"
No problem.
The Catholic Church is pro-life. Obama supports the sin and abomination of abortion, while pretending to be a Christian. Any Catholic who takes their faith seriously - instead of just going to mass one hour a week and then living like the devil the rest of the time - should take this issue seriously. If a person wishes to be a so-called cafeteria Catholic, then that person is going to hell. There are no two ways about it. Obama is not only not qualified to be President, his far left views are not in accord with Catholic moral teaching. We don't need another Jimmy Carter. One failed Carter administration is more than enough.
Walker, are you SSPX? The Pope says being pro-choice does not mean a person is not a Christian. Why do you dissent from the Pope? Are you a schismatic?
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