Comments for The Catholic Voter: An Overview at http://www.thecatholicthing.org , comment 1 to 9 out of 9 comments http://www.thecatholicthing.org Tue, 21 May 2013 12:27:21 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/the-catholic-voter-an-overview.html#comment-13297 I discussed the reasons for the Catholic preference for Democrats in general and Obama in particular, in my June 7 article here, "The 'Catholics for Obama' Syndrome." The key to Catholic apathy seems to hinge on the sea-change regarding authority in the Church, in the aftermath of Humanae vitae. If it were not for this disregard of authority, the HHS mandate would be the "straw that broke the camel's back." - Howard Kainz Wed, 05 Sep 2012 11:42:40 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/the-catholic-voter-an-overview.html#comment-13296 USA Today had a breakdown of Obama supporters on Tuesday. 60% of Catholics are Obama supporters. How can that be? - Dan Deeny Wed, 05 Sep 2012 06:11:03 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/the-catholic-voter-an-overview.html#comment-13295 Rob above has a point. One thing we really need to get a handle on is how much abortion is not a "religious" issue. It's one of natural law, and it hits at the very basic unit of society: the family. That has economic, social, and cultural consequences, particularly vis-a-vis the type of society and culture that respects women and human life that we say that we want. This is part of the price we pay for ignoring "Humanae Vitae" and it's not like we know "Rerum Novarum," either, and as such, we end up with a very truncated, and thus limited, idea of "social justice." - WSquared Wed, 05 Sep 2012 06:10:30 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/the-catholic-voter-an-overview.html#comment-13294 Re: Comment by Michael Paterson-Seymour. Readers who are concerned about voters' apathy will be interested in the analysis of Pierre Manent, whose article, "City, Empire, Church, Nation" appeared in City Journal. The article is at once a description of the situation in Europe and a warning for us as American citizens. - Bangwell Putt Wed, 05 Sep 2012 06:03:23 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/the-catholic-voter-an-overview.html#comment-13293 PS...mistake made in the 2004 result showing Gore with 52%. I'm pretty sure Bush carried the "Catholic vote" that year over John Kerry. - jsmitty Wed, 05 Sep 2012 05:04:35 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/the-catholic-voter-an-overview.html#comment-13292 It looks to me that Catholics are a pretty accurate reflection of the voting breakdown of the nation as a whole. In every election you cited Catholics supported the winner by almost the same margin as the electorate generally (I would allow that perhaps they "swing" a bit more heavily than the nation as a whole but not too much). Larger and more disturbing question here that Marlin doesn't address---does it really make any sense to speak of a Catholic vote at all anymore, since Catholics in aggregate are more than any other large voting bloc representative of the partisan makeup of the country as a whole? - jsmitty Wed, 05 Sep 2012 05:02:16 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/the-catholic-voter-an-overview.html#comment-13291 America ought to be a nation of individuals as once envisioned by the Founder but now more than ever it is defined by identity politics. The "Catholic vote" Mr. Marlin attempts to break down is anything but monolithic given the deep schisms within it he alludes to. Corporatism is nothing new. In 1881, Pope Leo XIII commissioned theologians and social thinkers to study corporatism and provide a definition for it. In 1884 in Freiburg, the commission declared that corporatism was a "system of social organization that has at its base the grouping of men according to the community of their natural interests and social functions, and as true and proper organs of the state they direct and coordinate labor and capital in matters of common interest." In the religious sphere alone, at least 12 groups have been identified including the so-called "Christian Right," which is said to vote en bloc, along with others. In other realms there are countless special interest groups lumped variously as "minorities," "gays," "the Jewish vote," "the Latino vote," "the Tea Party," "the African-American vote," ad nauseum. Historian Arthur Schlesinger sharply focused on identity politics in his book, "The Disuniting of America." As the nation continues to fracture and splinter into a array of self-interests, democracy's goal of finding a common basis for society and culture to function becomes ever more elusive. Perhaps even more instructive were the views of philosopher Eric Hoffer whose book, "The True Believer" shed much light on mass movements and the need of peoples to identify with others of similar beliefs for such things as self-esteem and the promise of a glorious future. Such systems worked very well in Nazi Germany for several years and in communism for much more, and now mass movements are shaping American political, social and economic life. Inevitably the result is increasing tribalism as groups become more insular yet compete with others for power. As the line between public and private spheres continues to blur, the idea of individualism -- stressing "the moral worth of the individual" -- further erodes. In ancient Sparta arguments were won simply by who shouted the loudest. Nothing has really changed in 2,500 years. One individual voice of reason cannot prevail against a chorus of dissonance and foolishness. - Joe Wed, 05 Sep 2012 04:21:56 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/the-catholic-voter-an-overview.html#comment-13287 You cannot be a faithful Catholic Christian and vote for Barack Obama. If you begin with just the two fundamental issues, 1). those matters involving abortion and those that defy natural law, God's law, when speaking of homosexual "marriage," an impossible thought despite what any judge might have ruled. That is enough for a faithful Catholic to say "NO" to Obama or for that matter, any Democrat. Their record precedes them. Further, I find it laughable, almost hysterical, that the circus in Charlotte would be so delusional to say "we are better off today that 4 years ago." The statistics are so stunning that only a professional KoolAid drinker could be in "sheep" mode beyond imagination. So, you can be a Catholic. You can be a Democrat. You just cannot be both. Anyone pretending otherwise is a fraud, a charlatan, Yes, in the same manner as the Great Narcissist, Barack Obama. - Rob Wed, 05 Sep 2012 02:29:14 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2012/the-catholic-voter-an-overview.html#comment-13286 There seems to be a growing disillusionment with electoral politics in all western democracies. Following the French presidential elections in April and May this year, there was much speculation in the media about the missing 205 - the one in five of the electorate who did not vote and who obviously felt he outcome of the election was irrelevant to their lives and their concerns. One can only speculate as to whether this pattern will be repeated in the US this November - Michael Paterson-Seymour Tue, 04 Sep 2012 23:11:16 +0100