Kerry too slow to woo Catholics, activist says

http://www.toledoblade.com ^ | November 19, 2004 | DAVID YONKE

[Diago]

Kerry too slow to woo Catholics, activist says
Leader of Catholics for Kerry says he was frustrated by the senator's reluctance

By DAVID YONKE
BLADE RELIGION EDITOR

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Sen. John Kerry waited too long to talk about religion and when he finally did, it was too late to try to win the Catholic vote, according to William D'Antonio, head of Catholics for Kerry.

An author and adjunct research professor at Catholic University in Washington, Mr. D'Antonio said yesterday at a conference on religion and the presidency that Senator Kerry hurt his presidential chances by insisting until the l1th hour that religion should not be an issue in the campaign.

He said the Democratic challenger's advisers "were afraid to speak out about religion" until Mike McCurry and Joe Lockhart joined the Democratic candidate's staff a little more than two months before the election.

Mr. D'Antonio said the Catholics for Kerry organization didn't even get off the ground until July and its organizers were "nave" in thinking they could compete with Karl Rove...

His speech was part of a two-day conference with 25 presidential scholars and authors at Grand Valley State University here and in Allendale, Mich.

Mr. D'Antonio said after he agreed to head Catholics for Kerry, he was frustrated by the Massachusetts senator's reluctance to woo the Catholic vote.

He said, for example, that he made arrangements for Bishop Anthony M. Pilla of the Cleveland Catholic Archdiocese and the Rev. Edward Glynn, president of John Carroll University, a Jesuit college in Cleveland, to appear at a rally for Mr. Kerry in the pivotal state of Ohio, but the senator passed.

***

"It seemed wrong," he said, for Catholics to support President Bush solely on the basis on his opposition to abortion rights..

[Diago]

He said, for example, that he made arrangements for Bishop Anthony M. Pilla of the Cleveland Catholic Archdiocese and the Rev. Edward Glynn, president of John Carroll University, a Jesuit college in Cleveland, to appear at a rally for Mr. Kerry in the pivotal state of Ohio, but the senator passed.

Wow!

[SolutionsOnly]

If Kerry could woo a Catholic, they really aren't much of Catholic then, are they?

[brewcrew]

Pro-abortion.

Pro-partial-birth-abortion.

Pro-gay-marriage.

Hmmm....I don't think it mattered what speed he was going. Not a lot of Catholics gonna jump on board this slow boat to hell.

[digger48]

3 and a half weeks and they're STILL trying to figure a way to not admit that Kerry was just a plainly BAD candidate.

[thoughtomator]

The advocacy of sodomy and child murder might have had something to do with it?

[Diago]

If Kerry could woo a Catholic, they really aren't much of Catholic then, are they?

I agree. And that goes for these two:

"...he made arrangements for Bishop Anthony M. Pilla of the Cleveland Catholic Archdiocese and the Rev. Edward Glynn, president of John Carroll University, a Jesuit college in Cleveland, to appear at a rally for Mr. Kerry..."

[Mr. Lucky]

...and a plainly BAD Catholic.

[lindor]

Just as Gore could not win his home state, Kerry couldn't win his own church. Gore really isn't a Tennessean and Kerry really isn't a Catholic.

[Soul Seeker]

Kerry repeatedly talked about religion. The majority of the time it centered around bashing our President for his Faith. The rest of the time he muttered nonsense about how we could never know God's will and twisted scripture to attack the Prez and supposedly build himself up.

Yeah, I would say Catholics that take their Faith seriously got this message loud and clear:

The Senator is not a Christian.

[JustAnotherOkie]

Take all the single reasons I've heard he lost the election, put them together and you have a small part of the reason he lost.

He was incompetent made way too many mistakes, many before he was 30 years old.

[PMCarey]

I suspect that part of Kerry's problem was that, if elected, he would become the most prominent Catholic in the United States and thus would be seen as a representative of the Church in a temporal sense. While some Catholics could vote for someone like Clinton who takes stances that conflict with Church teaching, they might be less inclined to grant that kind of imprimatur for someone who has betrayed that teaching.

[Diago]

The advocacy of sodomy and child murder might have had something to do with it?

I guess this Rainbow Gay Pride Flag which files on Bishop Pilla's explains his support for Kerry.

http://www.dioceseofcleveland.org/gayandlesbianfamilyministry/images/rnbwtile.gif

[sitetest]

Dear Diago,

I think that as long as Mr. Kerry continued to quote from "Pope Pius XXIII" and other illustrious sources, and quoting Bible "clauses," he would have been hard-put to gain significantly with that portion of Catholics who are reasonably knowledgeable about their faith.


sitetest

[smonk]

I believe this is the 9th iteration of the "Biggest Reason Kerry Lost" apologia.

[hellinahandcart]

He urged Senator Kerry to "test the pro-life spirit" of the Republicans by challenging them to guarantee health care to everyone under the age of 18, saying that would be a true "pro-life" policy.

Now, see, this is the very reason I call myself "anti-abortion" instead of "pro-life". It indemnifies me from such socialist silliness.

But, they can't get away with mere word-games anymore, as this "guaranteed health care" he proposes would no doubt include birth control and abortion for teens. They are insisting the Catholic Church cover these things for their employees; think they'll let the FedGov get away with less?

He also said he urged Democrats to change the language of the debate by saying they are "sustaining the Constitution," rather than supporting abortion rights.

They are running out of ways to lie about this.

[GMMAC]

... yeah, and if Custer had called in air support at the Little Big Horn.

Nothing to see (or take seriously) here folks.

[TASMANIANRED]

Kerry didn't wait too long to woo Catholics, he just didn't succeed in deceiving them.

[sgtbono2002]

Hard to believe a Jesuit would back Kerry.

I guess the Jesuits need an overhaul.

[hellinahandcart]

Yes, but I'm really surprised he passed on Pilla.

[Temple Owl]

I understand he got the Hollywood Catholic.