The Catholic Vote and Obama

The Washington Post has an article by Fr. Thomas J. Reese. He is talking about the Catholic votes for Obama.

Catholic voters ignored the instructions of a group of vocal bishops and delivered 54% of their vote for Barack Obama as president of the United States.

For Catholics, as for other Americans, the economy became the dominant issue in the election. Few said that abortion was the most important issue. In addition, the anti-immigrant rhetoric from the Republican base chased Hispanics away from the Republican Party.

The abortion debate was significantly altered during this election by the presence of prominent pro-life Catholics, like Douglas Kmiec, supporting Obama. These lay persons countered the claims of the vocal bishops by arguing that Democratic educational, social and economic programs would do more to reduce the number of abortions than Republican calls for legal restrictions.

Also helpful was the willingness of Obama to talk about abortion as a moral issue and about programs to reduce the number of abortions.

A closer look at the exit polls should be as discouraging for left-wing Catholics as for right-wing Catholics. Catholic voters did not embrace either the conservative non-negotiables or the church’s preferential option for the poor. They were concerned about themselves and their families.

Will the abortion debate rise up again in four years at the next presidential election?…..If they push through the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), then they will have betrayed their pro-life Catholic supporters….. If they make a priority the enactment of an abortion reduction bill, then it will be more difficult for the bishops and the Republicans to portray the Democrats as the pro-abortion party.

My favorite part is Catholics believing that "Democratic educational, social and economic programs would do more to reduce…..". How anyone can think that is beyond me!

This argument has been used for well over a century. I even wrote about it back in April. Over 100 years of failure is a sure test of time that has proven it won’t work - a change does need to be made, and that starts with our hearts and not our greed or government.

The education they want includes acceptance of Gay marriage along with Transgender and transsexual lifestyles. Exactly how is this following our faith? The social and economic programs include tax money going for all forms of abortion, including medical. How does this reduce the numbers? Other programs also include dropping parental notification laws for not only abortion but for oral contraception. Again, I ask, how is this following our faith?

The Catholics have lied to themselves. Obama never met an anti-life bill he didn’t like. That’s never going to change.

1.2 Million lives lost every year and people were more concerned about themselves. Pathetic.