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PDF versionThe myth and reality of the Catholic vote
by Tom Gallagher on Feb. 20, 2012
For years, pollsters and political scientists have been stumped about Catholics.
Stephen S. Schneck, director of the Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies at The Catholic University of America, argues at CNN that there is no such thing as a single Catholic vote, but rather, there are three distinct Catholic voting blocs.
Professor Schneck argues that one particular voting bloc will likely determine the 2012 presidential election:
On one hand, it's been pretty clear that as American Catholics go, so goes the nation. George W. Bush narrowly won the Catholic vote in 2004 and won a second term. Barack Obama narrowly won the Catholic vote in 2008 and, with it, the White House.
It's easy to see why Catholics are sometimes seen as the swing voters whose shifting political preferences swing elections.
Nevertheless, the idea of a Catholic bloc is patently ridiculous. As voters, American Catholics mirror the electorate as a whole, divided into Democrats, independents, and Republicans at about the same percentages as all Americans. And it's hard to trace such political complexity to religious allegiance.
US BISHOPS AND VOTERS ....
US BISHOPS AND VOTERS .... Two points, please.
First, the difficulty in tracing the political complexity of religious affiliation does not mean religious affililiation isn't an important driver of some voters' choices--it is just difficult to quantify.
Second, material facts change, often significantly, between quadrennial presidential elections making yesterday's polls less predictive.
For example, since 2008, more Catholics now realize their bishops are mainly resistant to implementing effective measures, like independent audits of bishops and mandatory police reporting of abuse claims, to combat priest abuse of children, which in turn reduces the effectiveness of bishops' electioneering ploys like this year's "anti-contraception crusade".
While Prof. Schneck may see the idea of controlling the "Catholic vote" as patently ridiculous, the bishops who control CUA, his employer, suggest by their considerable election year efforts and expenditures that they disagree with him. Time will tell who is right, of course.
For more details on the bishops' election year efforts, please read the crosslinks and comment, "Santo Subito St. Santorum", readily accessible by clicking on at:
http://ncronline.org/blogs/distinctly-catholic/santorum-theologian-chief
"...there are three distinct
"...there are three distinct Catholic voting blocs."
LEFT, RIGHT, MIDDLE.
YES, NO, MAYBE.
Even CHINA has the same...
http://www.gppi.net/approach/research/human_rights_and_global_governance...
This is the stuff of THINK TANKS?
The Catholic vote [if there
The Catholic vote [if there is such a thing] is fairly diverse. Catholics include the Kennedys and recent immigrants from Mexico and Central America. I don't think that you can pidgeon hole all Catholics. Some of us can actually think critically, especially those of us trained by the Jesuits.
As in all things, President
As in all things, President Kennedy said it best, most often without Ted Sorenson, at the CYO dinner in Manhattan days before his public execution, standing at the head table in a ritzy hotel surrounded by black robed bishops, that he sure was happy to see some nuns outside the door coming in, because nuns are Democratic like himself, while these bishops Republican. Forgive me for not recalling the quote precisely, but you may find it in the great book: John F. Kennedy: Catholic and Humanist by Albert J. Menendez with Fr. Andrew Greeley
That Catholic Kerry, heir to Kennedy, lost to Catholics voting for Bush is a great crime against our Faith, victim of the deception of the false prophets, and the greater loss for our nation
It will be interesting no
It will be interesting no matter how Stephen Schneck likes to analize it! There are two Catholics in this race and the momentum seems to be with the stronger conservative who doesn't have a lot of political baggage. It looks pretty apparent that "character" really does matter in this primary and I believe it will carry over into November!
Peace
Andrew K
God Bless our most Catholic
God Bless our most Catholic candidate on any ticket, Joe Biden!
So sorry Andrew. The reality
So sorry Andrew. The reality is not what you define. The reailty is clearly
that the bishops have lost credibility and that will haunt the outcome of the
election. It could come out as you envision but there are other possibilities. It would do us all well to be open the the possibilities.
I am not at all impressed by Cardinal Dolans pitch for front and center. If
he thinks he has upstaged the president I believe his timing is very bad. I do not see any catholic woman struggling to raise a family in a depresssion
seriously considering that contraception [Humanae Vitae already rejected
canonically by the sensus fidelium] will garner more than a few votes. It will
of course be even worse if Rick Santorum winds up the Republican Choice. My
party is already dreading that possibility and in trouble because they do
not really believe they will be able to pull a credible candidate out of the hat in time. The convention should be a riot, consensus will be a none of the above and what can we do instead. Dolan has chosen a very bad time to show
his sacred authority and the peons all have votes. Lets see. Either way the
sex abuse scandal will not go away and the majority of catholics will stick
with their consciences.
My worry for the good cardinal is that he will get what he asks for only to find out it was not at all what he expected.
If you think theology iis devious in this regard try politics.
TomC
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