Can Biden Help Obama Win Catholic Voters?

They could be a key swing vote, but there has never been a Catholic vice president

August 26, 2008 RSS Feed Print

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At the University of Notre Dame, political scientist David Campbell thinks Biden's riches-to-rags background is a key part of the narrative. "The image of the working-class Catholic is part of the American ethos, featured in movies and literature," Campbell says. "People can relate to this an as archetype. Obama's biography doesn't fit into any categories. We don't have a half-Hawaiian, half-Kenyan, has-lived-all-over-the-world category."

Tags:: Christianity,; 2008 presidential election,; religion,; Joe Biden,; voters,; Barack Obama

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Oh yes...there is a catholic vote it has just been neutralized by events and personalities in recent years...It is also made more complex by the Irish component of the catholic vote...this year and in the future, the latino catholic subset is making a bit of a difference. While Irish catholics still vote democrat, Italian catholics have differentiated themselves and tend to vote Republican
Reagan dislogeed a big chumck of Irish catholics for his two terms as they his Irish ancestory provedm a stronger pull.
In 2000 although catholic vote went to Gore by a slim margin, the catholic vote was effectivly neutralized with some uneasiness linked to monica Lowinsky scandal.
In 2004the vote was neutralized by discovery that kerry was actually of Jewish not Irish ancestory and it was also revealed tht his wife had and abortion in the 70's...i'm sure that did not go over well with a chunk of catholic voters.
Obamaa has Biden and irish catholic and he himself has Irish ancestry.

james of UT 3:26PM November 07, 2008

I see a major problem with the argument "I would never have an abortion but I don't want to tell anyone else that they cannot have one". This is a perfect example of moral relativism, or the idea that each person can pick and choose his/her own morals and that there is no objective Truth - no objectivity in what is right and wrong. If you were about to drink a glass of poisionous liquid, but you didn't know it, the loving thing for me to do would be to tell you, "Hey, don't drink that, it's going to hurt you." Hopefully, your response wouldn't be "Don't impose your morals on me." It doesn't matter if you believe me or not - if it's harmful, it's harmful. Truth cannot be negotiated and it is not based on opinion. There's an old saying that goes "Truth is truth even if nobody believes it, error is error even if everybody believes it." Both faith and reason tell us that taking a human life is wrong. And, research tells us that abortion often causes depression in women. It's a no-win situation. So how could we ever want that for someone? We're making it okay for women and children to be harmed. If we do not protect the moral fiber of our society and strive for what is objectively, morally right - we will never have peace. Mother Teresa often affirmed this in some of her most famous statements.
When Pope Benedict XVI was Cardinal Ratzinger, he explicity said that abortion was the most grave issue because of the fact that the sheer volume of lives lost vastly outnumbers and other social issue. We have to prioritize our issues and vote to protect the most innocent lives among us. If we do not do that, we our not protecting our unborn brothers and sisters and their mothers. Women and children need to be protected by law. They deserve it.

Lauren of OH 8:22AM October 13, 2008

The very center of Kmiec’s argument is that AS A CATHOLIC you can support Obama. His arguments are aimed to justify support for that Candidate. However, his rationale and choice counter the Teachings of the Catholic Church. So I ask: Is Kmiec qualified (morally or otherwise) to explain the Teachings of the Catholic Church?
If he is not qualified, then this house of cards falls to the floor: Kmiec’s opinion is just an opinion and it should NOT be considered a guide to Catholics. Opinions, can be right or wrong, true or false. Who is to tell?
Scientific facts unlike opinions are rigorously tested in a laboratory. So, in this case -as decisions are to be made with your vote- Catholics and Non-Catholics must learn about the Human Embryo, because this is not about social conditions, or women’s rights, is about Human individuals.
Science teaches that the embryo (from implantation onwards) is an individual of the human species. S/he will remain the same individual until his or her death (natural or otherwise). Development doesn’t end in the delivery room and it does not make an embryo more Human, it makes him/her more developed.
So, it is with the facts at hand that we can put in context what the word ‘Choice’ in ‘Pro-Choice’ mean: it is the willful killing of an individual of the Human Species. It is only then that politicians can argue and justify (if possible) the killing of millions. It is only then that Citizens, Catholic or not, can look at the ballot box and ask: What at am I doing with this vote?
There are only two candidates: One is Pro-Life. Kmiec says Obama is at best Pro-Choice (he believes that to kill a defenseless individual is a valid personal choice).
In reality Obama’s actions in the legislature show him as a radical activist committed to supporting abortion in ways that should shock any Citizen.
For instance, Obama voted against the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act (S.403), a bill designed to prevent minors from being taken across state lines without the consent of the parents to have an abortion; Obama voted against the banning of partial birth abortions, and voted "No" on the Born Alive Infant Protection Package (SB 1661), a bill which would have provided medical care for the surviving fetus (thus denying a merciful death to the baby).
Kmiec has a misguided sense of compassion. Because my parents worked for the poor, and because I helped them work for the poor, I can tell you that there are other evils in the world (other than abortion). However, politicians' promises to solve those evils does not justify our support for him (or her) if that candidate doesn’t believe that all individuals are equal. The end doesn’t justify the means.
I believe Kmiec opinion is just his opinion and should NOT be considered as a guide to Catholics. If Catholics wish to seek Guidance as Catholics I suggest they ask those empowered by Christ to Teach in His Name: The Bishops of the Catholic Church.

Dr. Ed of NJ 4:59PM September 30, 2008

Can Biden Help Obama Win Catholic Voters?

They could be a key swing vote, but there has never been a Catholic vice president

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Can Biden Help Obama Win Catholic Voters?

They could be a key swing vote, but there has never been a Catholic vice president

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