I know of no candidate who actually holds the Catholic position on abortion - Republican or Democrat. They all, at the least, make exceptions for incest and health of the mother. Further, there is the issue of what is the best way to end this scourge. I’m no longer convinced that criminalization of abortion is the best civil response with the current state of society. This is not to say that a woman has a “right” to an abortion - only that criminalizing an abortion is not the answer in this society. In much the same way that the Church holds adultery, fornication, sodomy, remarriage after divorce, etc., to be grave sins - it would be counterproductive to declare any or all of them crimes. Indeed, those that are still crimes in some states are not enforced, are ridiculed and promote a disrespect for the law and morality. So personally I continue to argue and oppose abortion - but not in the civil arena - I keep it personal hoping to change society and minds over time.
Marriage in the civil arena is mostly a matter of taxes (including benefits), property law, estates and inheritance. I agree the Church has already lost the battle on the hearts and minds of the west on the morality issue especially vis-a-vis divorce. It happened, IMHO, when marriage was bifurcated into a sacrament and a civil contract. Again, the battle on same-sex “marriage” is lost on this issue in the civil society - and I agree that we need to address it like we do with divorce, contraception, adultery, fornication, etc. We need to regroup and change hearts and minds and not try to use the civil authority to enforce such norms.
I know a lot of people on this board disagree with what I wrote above, but after some considerable thought, I have concluded that the use of the civil power to enforce morality in these areas is counterproductive. We need to take the long hard road of making our case and instilling morality in these areas in the individual - and use the state police power elsewhere. As to how that effects an election choice I submit: 1. Since no candidate fully supports the Catholic teaching on abortion, one can consider this issue as one among many. Even with that, the decision as to how best to stop abortion is a matter of prudence on which any number of options are possible; 2. tax policy, property rights and estates are matters in which the Church has no particular competence and the choice of the civil government to extend rights heretofore limited to married couples is a matter of prudence. While called “marriage” and potentially confusing, what often is called “marriage” today is not a sacramental marriage in any event. We do not need to let semantics drive our decisions. My suggestion is to vote for that person who you believe will best lead the country.