When All the Candidates are "Pro Choice"

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Mattapoisett64

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This being Massachusetts, not only do the 3 Democratic candidates for governor support “abortion rights,” so does the “moderate” Republican candidate. While I am not a fan of single-issue politics, I draw the line here as I am strongly pro-life. I am struggling with this - part of me feels that I can’t vote for anyone, and part of me feels that I should look at a broader range of issues and positions. How have others who share the pro-life position handled this kind of decision?
 
Voting for a candidate does not mean that you assent to everything they stand for. Often it is necessary to hold one’s nose and vote the lesser of two evils. I live in Rhode Island and have the same problem.
 
A Priori,

Hello and welcome to the Catholic Answers Forums! I hope you have a blessed and fruitful time here. (If you’re rejoining after the recent blackout, well, welcome anyway!)

I think you have hit the nail on the head.
  • Liberian
 
It is a difficult decision when all candidates are pro-choice. I would vote for the Republican candidate at this time because GW has shown that he will nominate pro-life judges to the SC and one more such judge would certainly help. We know that if the Dems are in power and heading up committees and then having the majority vote on say, the Judiciary Committee, no pro-life judge stands a chance.
 
a_priori said:
Voting for a candidate does not mean that you assent to everything they stand for. Often it is necessary to hold one’s nose and vote the lesser of two evils. I live in Rhode Island and have the same problem.
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I wouldn’t necessarily agree with you. I agree that few people would agree with all policies of a candidate and that is not a problem if the issues do not involve grave matter. Voting for the lesser of two evils is not the way. If all candidates are pro-abortion (MURDER) then Catholics should not vote for any of them.
 
thistle said:
I wouldn’t necessarily agree with you. I agree that few people would agree with all policies of a candidate and that is not a problem if the issues do not involve grave matter. Voting for the lesser of two evils is not the way. If all candidates are pro-abortion (MURDER) then Catholics should not vote for any of them.
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AGREED!
 
Are there no 3rd party candidates you can vote for? If you are going to abstain from votin, I would at least write to the Republican Party in your area so that your voice is heard.
 
We all think in the United States that voting is some sacred practice. This is natural I suppose because it is very central to our culture and system of government. The fact is thought, casting a vote is just our way of influencing our leaders without resorting to violence. Voting for someone because they are Pro-Abortion would certainly be a sin. And voting for someone who is Pro-Abortion because on other important issues they are correct, could also be a sin. For what other issue can possibly compare to 4000 human deaths each day? That trumps the war in Iraq, Vietnam, Korea, heck every act of war the US has been engaged in since WWII in a matter of a few weeks!

But that being said, if you have no choice but to vote for someone who is Pro-Abortion or not to vote at all, I see nothing wrong with voting for the least evil option on the ballot. Casting your vote in this situation does nothing to support their Pro-Abortion stance. Not casting a vote in protest, takes your vote out of the pool, increasing the chance that the most evil option on the ballot will win.

So in summary, voting=lesser of 2 evils, not voting=increased odds of greater evil winning. In this light it could be asked whether failing to vote is morally right in this situation.
 
Pick the lesser of the two evils. Consider, among other things, which political party is more pro-life on a national basis and, as mentioned, which political party is more likely to support the appointment of pro-life judges.
 
Query, to chime in:
Rather than legislative branch officials, what about governor? In Florida, I only have a choice between the evil of two lessers (one of them is a standard-issue Democrat, and the Republican candidate played a negative role in the Schiavo case and is also decidedly mushy on life issues). Governors don’t really have power in Washington, at least in the way legislators do, so I can’t use that as a factor. Rawr. Help?
 
You could always spoil your ballot paper - saying that you feel disinfranchised on the issue

I have a question. are there any Church documents or teachings that deal with this specific quesiton - life issues over political issues

Christifidelis Laici 38 is the best I can find

Any advances on CL 38?
 
Write in “Donald Duck”. Seriously. It shows your disgust with the choices presented to you…that a cartoon character makes a better choice than the candidates offered.
 
rr1213 said:
Write in “Donald Duck”. Seriously. It shows your disgust with the choices presented to you…that a cartoon character makes a better choice than the candidates offered.
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Tempting. I might write in Jeb Bush to see what happens: I’d love to have Jeb be governor-for-life.
I’m also considering looking at their stances on other issues of interest to meand voting on those: dirty as it makes me feel, there’s got to be something slightly more supportive of the dignity of the human person on one’s platform as opposed to the other.
 
rr1213 said:
Write in “Donald Duck”. Seriously. It shows your disgust with the choices presented to you…that a cartoon character makes a better choice than the candidates offered.
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Just write on you ballot paper that you are disinfranchised on the issue of …
 
pilchard said:
Just write on you ballot paper that you are disinfranchised on the issue of …
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Can’t do that. Florida’s all-electronic (at least, my county is), and even if it wasn’t, I wouldn’t want to spoil my ballot because I care about the local offices.
 
When all the candidates are Pro-Abortion you should wite in the name of a prominent Pro-Lifer in your state to let the pollsters know you want change and the only candidates you will support are those who support the “Culture of Life”!
 
It’s tough being a Pro-Life democrat. In Maryland it is the same way. PLUS to make matters worse, the Republicans are pro-choice here also.

We need to start a Pro-Life democratic party.
 
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