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LCMS_No_More
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This is what I’m saying.
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Thomas_B
Guest
My philosophy about voting is research the issues and candidates- not everything is so black and white as they may appear, or as politicians may lead you to believe.
The Catholic Church does tell us not to support initiatives and candidates that promote abortion or other issues that are counter to life, and we should definitely support politicians and initiatives that do support life issues. But I don’t agree that this automatically translates into voting Republican. Yes, there are many Republican candidates that are pro-life, but there are also some Democrats as well that are pro-life, rare breed that they are (see the Democrats-for-Life website if you don’t believe me), and some Independent candidates as well. So I personally always look first to the candidate for what they stand for, and not ‘the party’.
I don’t vote for politicians that back abortion or other issues that are against life. But at the same time just because someone claims to be pro-life doesn’t mean I’m automatically going to vote for them. If they don’t have a track record on pro-life issues, how do I know they are going to do anything for the cause? And if there are candidates knowingly personally morally flawed- take kickbacks, cheat on their wives/husbands, or whose views could threaten the security of the nation, but claim to be pro-life- heck no, I’m not going to vote for them- I would rather write-in a candidate.
So, for me, I tend to look at the candidates themselves, and not the parties.
The Catholic Church does tell us not to support initiatives and candidates that promote abortion or other issues that are counter to life, and we should definitely support politicians and initiatives that do support life issues. But I don’t agree that this automatically translates into voting Republican. Yes, there are many Republican candidates that are pro-life, but there are also some Democrats as well that are pro-life, rare breed that they are (see the Democrats-for-Life website if you don’t believe me), and some Independent candidates as well. So I personally always look first to the candidate for what they stand for, and not ‘the party’.
I don’t vote for politicians that back abortion or other issues that are against life. But at the same time just because someone claims to be pro-life doesn’t mean I’m automatically going to vote for them. If they don’t have a track record on pro-life issues, how do I know they are going to do anything for the cause? And if there are candidates knowingly personally morally flawed- take kickbacks, cheat on their wives/husbands, or whose views could threaten the security of the nation, but claim to be pro-life- heck no, I’m not going to vote for them- I would rather write-in a candidate.
So, for me, I tend to look at the candidates themselves, and not the parties.
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LCMS_No_More
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gilliam
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I agree, however I find it hard to vote for a Democrat knowing they will vote to kill babies. Even Liberman says he will vote with the Democratic cacus. That translates to voting to kill babies.
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Jerome42
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This is the only way to go. We must however try to avoid getting carried away with the emotional issues. We must concentrate on the record.
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Julianna
Guest
:clapping: It’s what I have been saying all along and totally supports my reasoning for not ever voting a straight ticket. It seems in the last 22 yrs as you have pointed out…people have been pulling the R lever…because RvW would then be overturned. Wow! Who would have thought. I also do not TELL anyone WHO I voted for…that is my business and is not subject to “witnessing” with the congregation. Nosy, nosy, nosy… I do not post bumper stickers on my car, nor do I place signs in my yard. I read the websites, I read the literature that comes in the mail by the bucketload…I turn the volume down when I see mudslinging **** on TV…not worth my time. And no one human mortal tells me who I “have” to vote for. Each of us pulls our pants up one leg at a time, no one person is better, holier, more santicfied than another…I can always tell by the disposition of person who claims to be self righteous in his/her beliefs, they have a look on their face like they have been eating a bowl full of lemons all their life.
I will always be a “think for myself” type woman…an always an independent/moderate. Bandwagons are dangerous things, and extremism is what is going to put our politics into ruin.
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SeekerJen
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Democrats for Life
Again, one should always do one’s homework rather than vote straight-ticket based on common perceptions of the parties.
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Jerome42
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:clapping: :clapping: :clapping:
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Jerome42
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I see nothing on this web site which shows how the legislators voted on these key issues. Being Pro-life has suddenly become fashionable now.
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Ruthmary
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I don’t know how to say this, but I disagree with most of what has been said so far on this thread. I used to be Democrat, and believed all this stuff about the Republicans being evil, but I’ve totally turned around. I sometimes think that I have some understanding of an anti-Catholic who later converts to Catholicism. The Republican party is standing up for life, whether you admit it or not. Perhaps not all Republicans are on the band wagon, but the party as a whole is for now on the side of life, and it’s up to us to keep it that way. Parties are tools for us to use. Do you realize that less than half of Catholics are pro-life? Will you then leave the Church because so many Catholics, including Church leaders are on the wrong side?
Listen to Fr. Pavone of Priests for Life. It’s pretty clear what side he’s on, though he is careful how he says it, being a member of the clergy.
I don’t know what the poster meant who said the Republicans have only made token pro-life moves, but I believe putting pro-life Catholics on the Supreme Court counts as quite a positive move. I understand feeling frustrated that things aren’t moving faster, but remember that if all Catholics were strongly pro-life this country would have turned around a long time ago. There are a lot of pro-abortion Catholics that we have to fight against, so don’t go laying all the blame at the Republicans’ feet. The parties are tools that we use to do our bidding, and right now we’re in the fight for life of our children and our country. We do have to line up on one side or the other. It’s quite pc to say you vote the candidate, but the fact is that an individual who is part of a party that has an abortion plank in its platform is on the wrong side, no matter his personal opinion .
Listen to Fr. Pavone of Priests for Life. It’s pretty clear what side he’s on, though he is careful how he says it, being a member of the clergy.
I don’t know what the poster meant who said the Republicans have only made token pro-life moves, but I believe putting pro-life Catholics on the Supreme Court counts as quite a positive move. I understand feeling frustrated that things aren’t moving faster, but remember that if all Catholics were strongly pro-life this country would have turned around a long time ago. There are a lot of pro-abortion Catholics that we have to fight against, so don’t go laying all the blame at the Republicans’ feet. The parties are tools that we use to do our bidding, and right now we’re in the fight for life of our children and our country. We do have to line up on one side or the other. It’s quite pc to say you vote the candidate, but the fact is that an individual who is part of a party that has an abortion plank in its platform is on the wrong side, no matter his personal opinion .
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gilliam
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And they have a picture of the three of them on the page too!
Sorry, there is just not that many of them. Most of the Democrats abide by the party like and vote to kill babies. After all, their party platform specifically supports abortion.
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Jerome42
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Bravo!
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SeekerJen
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Hmm, I wasn’t attempting to post a tally sheet of who voted for what. I am a supporter of neither party and am a registered Independent voter. My point in posting that link was to refute the claim that all Democrats are baby-killers.
And so what if Pro-Life is fashionable, as you say? Maybe that’s what it will take to get some real action on the issue and some positive change in government and society. It’s obvious that the old “just vote Republican” way of doing things isn’t working, the abortion rates aren’t changing much and now we have legal chemical abortifacients to make it even easier and less clinical to kill one’s baby in utero. “Fashionable” isn’t always a bad thing, not if it gets things done.
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SeekerJen
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Is this directed at me? PC or not, I will not solely support one party or the other. I have no loyalty to either party. Neither is inherently good or evil IMO, both have good politicians and corrupt politicians. My point is that we can say “Republicans good, Democrats evil” until we’re blue in the face, but that does not change the fact that Republicans have held the Oval Office for 67% of the time since Roe v. Wade. Obviously solely supporting the Republicans is not enough.
And as for pro-life Democrats, unless there are pro-life Democrats to start with, how will the party ever change? Yes, they are fighting against a lot of opposition, but maybe instead of making fun of them we should support them. If we support them, there will be others. It seems simple to me.
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SeekerJen
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Why would you not support the ones who DO stand against abortion? It would be more constructive than making fun of them.And they have a picture of the three of them on the page too!
Sorry, there is just not that many of them. Most of the Democrats abide by the party like and vote to kill babies. After all, their party platform specifically supports abortion.
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Jerome42
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My only fear is that they did not support these issues when it counted. To jump on the bandwagon only after loosing the last two elections looks a bit suspicious to me. We all know how Our Lord felt about “whitened sepulchres”.
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gilliam
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gilliam
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I would if they ran out here. I would put them up against Republicans and compare their other positions. Weigh them and see which person to vote for.
The trouble is, their party doesn’t like them. At least they didn’t in 2004. They were ostracized at the convention. If your party doesn’t like you, you don’t get anything done in Washington. So you have to weigh their possible ineffectiveness as well. But I would definately give them a shot.
Any of them running in your district?
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LCMS_No_More
Guest
For now, sure. They pass laws that are symbolic of being “pro-life,” they put “pro-life” commercials on the radio and TV, their surrogates on Fox News and talk radio will talk up the “pro-life” talking points of the Republican party because they know that you will vote for them without question. Never mind that abortions have not gone down by even a single unborn child since the Republicans have had control over the government.
If the Republican leadership thought for a moment that they would win elections by becoming pro-choice, they’d do it in under a New York minute. That’s the truth.
I’m not saying don’t vote for Republicans, I’m saying ask questions and dont’ be blindly loyal to a single party. Political parties are made up of deeply flawed and sinful men who WILL betray us pro-life people one day. Best to face that fact NOW so the shock won’t be so harsh.
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