Posted on 11/04/2006 1:26:21 AM PST by Aussie Dasher
Democrats across the nation are succeeding in splitting the conservative Catholic vote, which could deprive Republicans of a vital voting bloc heading into Election Day.
George Marlin, an experienced author and election analyst, says reliably Republican voters are now being enticed to jump parties because of strong feelings on key social issues such as abortion.
In an exclusive interview with NewsMax.com, Marlin said these so-called "Reagan Democrats" have been voting Republican in recent years, but are now being peeled away by successful Democratic Party efforts to win key races.
"In races around the country the Democratic Party has effectively split the Catholic vote, and a prime example is Pennsylvania, where [Republican Senator] Rick Santorum may go down," Marlin said.
"Pennsylvania is the most pro-life state in the nation and those pro-lifers are, for the most part, Democrats who for years have been looking for a reason to come back home," he continued. "They found one in [Democratic challenger] Bob Casey, who is also pro-life. As a result I think you are going to see a split in the Catholic vote there, which is the base vote for Santorum and will be a contributing factor to his probable defeat next Tuesday."
Marlin says the fact that Casey is also "pro-gun," which is uncommon among many Democratic candidates, also helps in Pennsylvania.
Turning to the national election picture, Marlin says there are races around the country where "they [Democrats] are trying to co-opt the Catholic vote by putting up people that appear to be pro-life and are edging away that vote, and in very close elections that will matter."
Marlin, a former executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, recalled what happened in New York in 1976 when Senator Jim Buckley was elected as a Conservative Party candidate. When Buckley was up for re-election, he ran against Democrat Patrick Moynahan. Buckley lost.
"It was the same thing [as in Pennsylvania this year]; the Catholic vote split," Marlin said. "Moynahan appeared to be more Irish than Buckley and [implied] that he was more Catholic as well, and he won."
Marlin said the Casey-Santorum race is exactly like that.
"When you split the Catholic vote, the Democrats win," he said. "The Democratic Party is effectively chipping away at the more conservative Catholic vote by putting up candidates like Bob Casey who are either pro-life or [imply] they're pro-life. ... [The Democrats] just chip away, and in tightly contested races they will rule the day."
Wait till these 'pro-life Democrats' start to vote against pro-life SCOTUS judges.
I don't see how any pro-life person could possibly vote for anyone in the Democrat Party. Don't they understand what this evil party stands for: Abortion on demand.
I think Catholics have always pushed America to the left since they became a large group here, if we can't figure out a way to get them to support conservatives, then we are doomed as a country.
With immigration as it is, the path of the Catholic voter is the path of America, I hope we can win them over.
My recollection is more Catholics voted for Dubya than F'n in 2004.
The foundations are already laid.
Jim, the problem, it seems to me, is that too many people don't understand how Congress works.
Bob Casey may be pro-life, but if he gets elected, he will vote for Harry Reid to be Senate Majority Leader and enable Patrick Leahy to be the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
It's not so much being Catholic as being an immigrant; the Dems were practically right down there at the docks signing them (Irish and Italians) up to vote, and kept these groups as their own private property for years. Many of the children of these immigrants worked in union jobs, so of course that helped, too.
If anything, the headline should read "GOP Splitting Catholic Vote," because that vote used to be solidly Dem but in recent years more Catholics have cut free from the Dems.
Don't they remember what happens any time a Catholic is considered for a Supreme Court spot or any judgeship anywhere? The Democrats are all against the person and virtually say this in unison: "We can't have so-and-so as a Justice/judge. So-and-so is a Catholic which means he is controlled by the Pope and it is a violation of the separation of church and state to allow a practicing Catholic to participate in government." The left is blatantly anti-Catholic and the Democrat party is controlled by the moonbat left.
"If anything, the headline should read "GOP Splitting Catholic Vote," because that vote used to be solidly Dem but in recent years more Catholics have cut free from the Dems."
That really is the story.
Justice Affiliation
Stephen G. Breyer Jewish
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Jewish
John Roberts
(Chief Justice) Catholic
Anthony M. Kennedy Catholic
Antonin Scalia Catholic
Clarence Thomas Catholic
Samuel Alito Catholic
David H. Souter Episcopalian
John Paul Stevens Protestant
I just got that feeling the people that are voting with the dem,(at least the ones who claim to be pro life) are very few and far between in the Dem party.
Ditto!!!!
Voting for the party of run and hide. I doubt it.
A Reagan democrat voting for tax increases. I doubt it.
More desperate propaganda from the MSM
The Democrats have succeeded in splitting the country in half, now they are working on religions.
Sadly, my pro-life, church going Catholic relatives in Pennsylvania are voting for Rendell and Casey because of "the war" and their strong dislike of Bush personally. Oddly enough, my secular, pro-choice uncle is voting for Santorum and Swann. That's the way it goes in my family (my sister attends Church and votes Dem, I never attend and vote the other way, for example), weird, I know.
I have seen far too many "good Catholics" who are nothing but "Going-Thru-the-Motions" Christians.
They have no use for Jesus Christ. To them, they sit in Mass once in a while, time the homily on their wrist watches, and check off that square.
They never read their bible, nor do they care what it says.
They believe they have salvation because they have received some sacraments, and they were baptized when they were 10 days old.
The vote Democrat because their parents did, and they feel uncomfortable with Republicans because they see them as the party of evangelicals, and they are uncomfortable with evangelicals. They don't see them as Christian brothers and sisters.
It is no wonder to me why they do not have the discernment of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
John 3: 5-8
I'm a Catholic and a conservative. I haven't been to Mass for three months. Our Parish Priest managed to get through his sermon on Life Sunday without mentioning abortion or euthanasia even once. I'm disgusted and on the verge of giving it away.
The evangelicals seem to be far more representative of what the Good Lord wants us to be.
I know the Catholic Church is the "one true Church", but I'd really like it to act like it.
Very, very sad.
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