Democrats Set Their Sights on Winning Back Catholics

[Maranatha]

Democrats Set Their Sights on Winning Back Catholics

A Roman Catholic nun who leads a social justice advocacy group called Network, Simone Campbell rarely got a phone call from Capitol Hill before the 2006 election. Campbell, based in Washington, D.C., says she “wore her knuckles bare” fruitlessly knocking on lawmakers’ doors, particularly those of Democrats who should have been natural allies on issues like raising the minimum wage and comprehensive immigration reform.

Then came last year’s midterm elections. Campbell joined a new Catholic voter-turnout operation working to reverse the wilting Catholic support Democrats had seen in 2004. After her efforts helped elect Democratic Sens. Sherrod Brown in Ohio and Bob Casey Jr. in Pennsylvania, her phone began ringing. Campbell’s group is now regularly invited to meetings with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. On a recent conference call about immigration with other religious activists, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York announced at the last minute that she wanted to jump on. Campbell was asked to give the closing prayer at a big Democratic National Committee meeting last winter. “I stopped being a pariah,” she says. “Now, I’m value added.”

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[Bennie_P]

Democrats Set Their Sights on Winning Back Catholics

A Roman Catholic nun who leads a social justice advocacy group called Network, Simone Campbell rarely got a phone call from Capitol Hill before the 2006 election. Campbell, based in Washington, D.C., says she “wore her knuckles bare” fruitlessly knocking on lawmakers’ doors, particularly those of Democrats who should have been natural allies on issues like raising the minimum wage and comprehensive immigration reform.

Then came last year’s midterm elections. Campbell joined a new Catholic voter-turnout operation working to reverse the wilting Catholic support Democrats had seen in 2004. After her efforts helped elect Democratic Sens. Sherrod Brown in Ohio and Bob Casey Jr. in Pennsylvania, her phone began ringing. Campbell’s group is now regularly invited to meetings with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. On a recent conference call about immigration with other religious activists, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York announced at the last minute that she wanted to jump on. Campbell was asked to give the closing prayer at a big Democratic National Committee meeting last winter. “I stopped being a pariah,” she says. “Now, I’m value added.”

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The only they will win me back is the party is going to have to make 180 on the abortion issue.

Myself I wish we had a multi-party system in the US - niether party represents my views as a Catholic. I have come to hate to vote, it always seems that we are just voting for the lesser of two evils and I hate voting fo evil.

 

[blessedtoo]

Of course the MSM has to put their uneducated “spin” on the issues and thus confuse the already misguided Catholic public. Here are some of my personal faves from the article:

*“Many Catholics are political centrists, unlike overwhelmingly conservative evangelical Christians. Catholics also tend to be less observant than evangelicals and so are less likely to **tow the church line politically.” ***

*“new liberal religious groups like Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good worked in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Kansas to **prevent a few conservative bishops and the GOP from defining the “values” debate.” ***

"One, cosponsored by Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, seeks to help prevent unwanted pregnancies through education and contraception (which is opposed by the Catholic Church) and to provide counseling and economic assistance to low-income, pregnant women to dissuade them from having abortions. DeLauro says Catholics who support abortion rights must stand up against what she considers the church’s attacks: “There are people who have used religion and the Eucharist as a political weapon, and we as Catholics have to speak out to define ourselves.” '

I bolded the parts that illustrate the language usually used by the secular press to paint the Church as some type of fractured government wherein the people struggle against the tryrannical hierarchy for some imaginary “rights”.

 

[c659smith]

when it comes to a democrat or republican the fact is that the issue of life and which party has the least evil voting record starting with how they vote on right to life issues such as abortion, embryotic stem cell research, etc… It is what the Church teaches and to be a practicing Catholic one must follow those teachings as the Apostles followed Christ.

 

[m134e5]

The only they will win me back is the party is going to have to make 180 on the abortion issue.

Myself I wish we had a multi-party system in the US - niether party represents my views as a Catholic. I have come to hate to vote, it always seems that we are just voting for the lesser of two evils and I hate voting fo evil.

 

[Bruno_esqueXXII]

Yea, and don’t forget about the Demoncrats and the whole gay marriage thing…

 

[Biblioassistant]

It will be a cold day in Hell before I ever vote for a Democrat. As long as they support abortion, gay marriage, high taxes and lax defense, they will never get my vote. Oh for the days of Harry Truman and Scoop Jackson.

I’m not all that enamoured with the Republicans either, but if it came down to a choice between the Stupid Party (R) or the Evil Party (D), I will go with the Stupids.

 

[deb1]

I wish that we could all start a third party.

I dislike both parties but I normally vote Republican because abortion, and preventing embroyonic stem research is that important to me.

 

[b_justb]

I wish that we could all start a third party.

I dislike both parties but I normally vote Republican because abortion, and preventing embroyonic stem research is that important to me.

 

[GregoryPalamas]

The Economist has an interesting review of a book (article?) I’ve not read which seems to speak to one problem we all face when trying to make some sense of American politics and why the Dems efforts are so cynical. I believe all of the politicians are cynical and they may have to be. Bryan Caplan, “The Myth of the the Rational Voter” is summarized here:

“he identifies four biases that prompt voters systematically to demand policies that make them worse off. First, people do not understand how the pursuit of private profits often yields public benefits: they have an anti-market bias. Second, they underestimate the benefits of interactions with foreigners: they have an anti-foreign bias. Third, they equate prosperity with employment rather than production: Mr Caplan calls this the “make-work bias”. Finally, they tend to think economic conditions are worse than they are, a bias towards pessimism.”

economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9340166

Given our political culture would even a third party make any difference?

CDL

 

[lucybeebee]

Most countries that involve multiple parties usually have two big parties and one or two smaller, but influential parties. So in Germany, for example, the two big parties are the Socialists and the Christian Democrats. There are also the Green Party and the Free Democratic Party. These two smaller parties act as “kingmakers” because if they decide to form a coalition with one of the big parties the balance of power shifts. Without the coalitions, the political process would be too fractured and nothing would get done. So essentially, you end up with a two-party system by default. I figure that even if we had a viable traditional values party that could cut across ethnic and denominational lines, it would still end up forming a coalition with the Republican party.

 

[mary_bobo]

when it comes to a democrat or republican the fact is that the issue of life and which party has the least evil voting record starting with how they vote on right to life issues such as abortion, embryotic stem cell research, etc… It is what the Church teaches and to be a practicing Catholic one must follow those teachings as the Apostles followed Christ.

I agree with you. But it seems far too many Catholics, quite a few on this forum, have decided that they will do what is gratifying for them rather than to obey Mother Church. And the rationales they give for their misguided stances are beyond belief.

 

[bones_IV]

Of course the MSM has to put their uneducated “spin” on the issues and thus confuse the already misguided Catholic public. Here are some of my personal faves from the article:

*“Many Catholics are political centrists, unlike overwhelmingly conservative evangelical Christians. Catholics also tend to be less observant than evangelicals and so are less likely to **tow the church line politically.” ***

Translation: The Church needs to move forward.

blessedtoo:

*“new liberal religious groups like Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good worked in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Kansas to **prevent a few conservative bishops and the GOP from defining the “values” debate.” ***

Tranlsation: “I was a victim of that sexist racist, bigoted Hierarchy.”

blessedtoo:

"One, cosponsored by Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, seeks to help prevent unwanted pregnancies through education and contraception (which is opposed by the Catholic Church) and to provide counseling and economic assistance to low-income, pregnant women to dissuade them from having abortions. DeLauro says Catholics who support abortion rights must stand up against what she considers the church’s attacks: “There are people who have used religion and the Eucharist as a political weapon, and we as Catholics have to speak out to define ourselves.” '

Translation: Devout Catholics are ‘unthinking, simple minded peasants’ who are a bunch of right wing bigots.

 

[bones_IV]

Pray for the Church. Remember Paul blasphemed the Church before he became a Christian. What this nation needs is an evangelizing of the Catholic faith. The Church needs reform.

 

[Brian_C]

We need another Bishop Sheen. A moralist with integrity to back up what he’s saying

But we need people willing to listen and give him airtime. With even such “moral” people as Sean Hannity denying the Church’s teachings on birth control, I fear it would take something substantial to wake us from our immoral slumber.

Someone like Cardinal Pell, who’s not afraid to ruffle political feathers, would be good.

 

[estesbob]

I agree with you. But it seems far too many Catholics, quite a few on this forum, have decided that they will do what is gratifying for them rather than to obey Mother Church. And the rationales they give for their misguided stances are beyond belief.

The question one should ask themseves is “does my politics form my faith or does my faith form my politics?”’. For way to many Catholics the former is true. You only have to surf CAF to see the multitude of supposedly devout catholics who will give you all sorts of excuses as to why it OK to vote for thoise who support killing our children,

One of the most specious arguments is the assetion that in their opiono pro-life politicians are lying when they say they will support life therefore it is just fine to vote for those who flat out tell you they support killing our children.!

 

[Wolseley]

A Roman Catholic nun who leads a social justice advocacy group called Network

(flashing red lights, warning bells, sirens)

It will be a cold day in Hell before I ever vote for a Democrat. As long as they support abortion, gay marriage, high taxes and lax defense, they will never get my vote.

And leave us not forget stem-cell research and assisted suicide.

Oh for the days of Harry Truman and Scoop Jackson.

No kidding. The party of Pelosi, Kerry, and Ted Kennedy bears about as much resemblance to the party of Roosevelt, Truman, and John Kennedy as night does to day. If the latter three gentlemen could come back and see what their party has devolved into, they would be utterly appalled.

I’m not all that enamoured with the Republicans either, but if it came down to a choice between the Stupid Party (R) or the Evil Party (D), I will go with the Stupids.

LOL!!!

 

[bones_IV]

We need another Bishop Sheen. A moralist with integrity to back up what he’s saying

But we need people willing to listen and give him airtime. With even such “moral” people as Sean Hannity denying the Church’s teachings on birth control, I fear it would take something substantial to wake us from our immoral slumber.

Someone like Cardinal Pell, who’s not afraid to ruffle political feathers, would be good.

What are you talking about?! We have Bishop Burke, Bishop Chaput, Bishop Bruskewitz as examples.

 

[MJE]

I know all too many Catholics who are absolutely indifferent to the issue of abortion or actually pro abort. who vote Democrat. I have thought, in my parish, that those of us who are pro life, if a vote were taken, would be in the clear minority.

 

[Ridgerunner]

As a “cradle democrat” who never votes for democrats anymore, I only have a few problems with the party.

1. Gender politics is the main democrat objective, including:
   a. Abortion, of which embryonic stem cell research is a subset.
   b. Gay preferences, including “gay rights”, gay “marriage”.
   c. Radical feminism. If they cared about women, they would not be so supportive of abortion, and would provide incentives for women to have and raise children.
   d. Sexual permissiveness. If Clinton’s Ruth Bader Ginzburg’s appointment was replicated four more times by democrat presidents, the legal age of consent to sex would be age 12.
2. Increasing taxes. Few people seem to realize the middle class, particularly the self-employed, are the main targets of democrat tax increases. “The rich” can avoid taxes, and the democrats make no move at all to correct that because, of course, “the rich” fund democrat candidacies even more than they fund republican candidacies.
3. Accommodation with terrorist movements. This certainly includes pushing for citizen rights for terrorist combatants overseas.
4. Excessive worship of “diversity”, meaning whatever is alien to the culture is favored over what isn’t, particularly if it is anti-Christian and anti-western.

Some democrats, it is granted, do not actively promote all of the above. But virtually all, and certainly the party as an organization, support the first abovementioned. That, alone, would alienate me from the party, and did.

The republican party has fallen into disarray, and can hardly be accused of being more honest than the democrat party.

Anti-war democrat party supporters are going to be very disappointed if Hillary wins the White House. If she was in the White House right now, we would still be in Iraq. The only difference would be that the leftist media wouldn’t attack her for it quite so often as they do Bush, and many would support her because of her dedication to #1 above. That’s precisely why we’ll still be in Iraq at the end of 2008.

The biggest myth, though, in all of the party politics, is that somehow democrats are more socially conscious. They do no more for the poor than do the republicans. They talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk. 'They’re just as busy putting tax dollars into the pockets of their usually wealthy supporters as are the republicans.

It’s a sad business nowadays. But when it comes to killing the unborn, I don’t want to have voting democrat on my conscience. One can debate social and foreign policies forever, but on killing the unborn, there is really nothing to be decided, and there’s no issue more serious.