By Dan Gilgoff, God & Country
The past 12 months have been noteworthy for the number of Roman Catholics elected or appointed to top political posts, and yesterday's election results kept the streak going.
The winners of the two biggest races, gubernatorial contests in Virginia and New Jersey, are Catholic Republicans who appear to be committed to their faith. Virginia's governor-elect, Bob McDonnell, has talked about his Catholic upbringing shaping his political views. New Jersey's governor-elect, Chris Christie, and his wife send their kids to parochial schools.
The relatively new heads of the two major political parties are both Catholics whose lives have been deeply influenced by their faith. Michael Steele, the Republican National Committee chair, is a former seminarian. Tim Kaine, the Democratic National Committee chair, is a former missionary.
Last year, Joe Biden became the first Catholic vice president in American history.
In the summer, President Obama appointed Catholic Sonia Sotomayor as the first Latino to the Supreme Court.
Anyone have an explanation for this trend, other than it being a sign that the discrimination that Catholics faced in the United States for decades has mostly faded? Here's one: In an America that's increasingly polarized between the secular left and the religious right, Catholic political figures are well poised to appeal to the social-justice impulses of the former and the cultural conservatism of the latter.
Your theories?
- See President Obama's top faith leaders .
- Follow Dan Gilgoff on Twitter.
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Bypenear of AL 1:21PM December 13, 2009
T. Quillen of IN 8:57AM November 06, 2009
Tim from Illinois of IL 2:12AM November 06, 2009