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The American Catholic Vote

The Dominion Post today opines that while the healthcare reforms undertaken by Obama recently are a laudable goal, that American voters are far more interested in him fixing the economy and that interest was reflected in the recent elections.
But as the shellac dries, it is apparent that Mr Obama allowed his dream of reforming healthcare to obscure the more pressing concerns of those who elected him in 2008.

At another time, fairer and more accessible healthcare might have been exactly the issue middle America wanted the president to spend his political capital advancing.

But during the past few years millions of Americans have lost their homes and their jobs as a result of the financial crisis. The issue they want to see the president wholeheartedly addressing is the economy.
However, what the Dominion Post does not take into consideration is the Catholic vote. Over the last couple of days, I've been reading online about a massive Catholic swing against the Democrats. And now that swing has translated into a change of the political landscape.
Pushed, in part, by concern about the health care bill, Catholic voters across the nation returned to the GOP in numbers resembling the presidential victory of George W. Bush in 2004. CNN exit polls record 55 percent of Catholics voted for the GOP while AP polling showed a whopping 58 percent, a twenty point increase since 2008. Either way, the 2008 Catholic support for Obama has completely reversed itself, perhaps with a vengeance.

In all, over 17 pro-life Catholics will be added to the Congress, while roughly 26 pro-abortion Catholics will be departing.
A large part of that concern by Catholics on the health care bill relates to potential federal abortion funding. America is becoming more and more pro-life, and this growing desire to restrict abortion is translating to votes at the polling booth.

Now, it may be that the economy has lead to the "biggest midterm rout since 1948." But having kept track of the pro-life news for years now, this purely financial view of the world that NZ has may have quite missed the point of what actually occurred in the US during their recent elections.

Related links:The Return of the Catholic Vote ~ American Spectator

It's the Economy, Mr Obama ~ Dominion Post Editorial

Comments

  1. So, Catholics tend to be single-issue voters, and on a fairly peripheral issue at that? They must be so proud...

    ReplyDelete
  2. PM,

    The right to life is fundamental to all other rights and concerns. Any society that condones the murder of unborn babies will eventually destroy itself.

    I know you can't see this, but fortunately there are many of us that can.

    ReplyDelete
  3. And, a politician who gets it right on abortion, is far more likely to get it right on other matters.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm surprised only 58% of them voted against obongo. Don't the other 42% know they're supposed to be uncomfortable with a fellow who gets excited at the thought of killing the unborn.

    Seriously i don't know how any who identify themselves as Christians can vote for the left when all they've brought is depravity, destruction and death upon society.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Catholic Knight has a few posts covering this topic. One right here

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  6. Would we call someone who worked politically against slavery a single issue politician? I doubt it. Being pro-life is an issue that covers many bases.

    In fact I would like to be a bit rude and toot my own horn here. I attended the All for Life 2010 conference in Nelson and it has inspired me to start my own pro-life blog. Would you please pass this around and maybe come and comment yourself - thank you so much.

    http://prolifeprolove.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  7. Excellent Muerk, I'll have a gander over the week end.

    A clickable link for the lazy: ProLIFE ProLOVE

    ReplyDelete
  8. I see the GOP has widened its support across many other groups.
    A Big Tent will work best.

    ReplyDelete

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