Posted on 08/14/2008 10:57:39 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Barack Obama has a Catholic problem. If he doesn’t do better than John Kerry did in 2004 with this quintessential swing voting bloc, he won’t be elected president. Obama’s campaign understands this — which is why they’re considering allowing a pro-life Democrat, Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, to speak at the Denver convention. Sen. Casey’s father, the late Governor of Pennsylvania Robert Casey Sr., was denied a speaking slot at the Democrats’ 1992 convention for fear of offending pro-choice Democrats. But simply allowing his son to speak at the convention won’t be enough to woo Catholics back.
Catholics are by no means a single-issue voting group. But for observant Catholics, those who attend Mass regularly and follow the Church’s teachings, a candidate’s position on abortion matters. Even among more broadly identified Catholics — those who call themselves Catholic, regardless of whether they are observant — 59 percent oppose abortion, according to a recent Time magazine poll. And Barack Obama’s record on this issue will cause pause for many of them.
Like most Democratic politicians, Barack Obama favors abortion rights for women, with few exceptions. He has recently said that he might support some limits on very late-term abortions, those that occur in the last trimester of pregnancy. But when it comes to actual legislative limits, he’s never found one yet he can vote for.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Casey ran as a pro-lifer. But he lied. Unlike his father, he voted pro-death with the party, once he got in.
The right-to-life organizations would show him up in a New York minute.
The polls I have seen recently suggest Obama is running worse amongst Catholics than Kerry did. If that holds, it spells disaster for him in Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
I want to believe that. But how come that’s not showing up in the polls?
“which is why they’re considering allowing a pro-life Democrat, Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania,”
THIS IS BOGUS! Casey is a complete and utter sellout. He endorsed pro-abortion Obama in April. Casey is all about gutting the prolife movement by throwing a few bones that ‘divide and conquer’ and end up giving victories to pro-aborts - like Obama. He is getting a speaking slot because Casey is a useful idiot for the left and Obama wants to win PA.
http://www.sbcbaptistpress.org/BPFirstPerson.asp?ID=27873
The National Right to Life Committee has given Obama a rating of 0 percent — the lowest pro-life rating possible. Although Casey only garners a 57 percent rating, Obama’s pro-abortion views could not be more opposed to Casey’s stated pro-life positions. Casey has said he favors the overturn of Roe v. Wade; opposes tax-funded abortions; and rejects stem cell research that harms a human embryo. Yet, Casey said Obama offers “to chart a new course” for America.
NOTE THAT REPLACING SANTORUM WITH CASEY WAS A VICTORY FOR NARAL, NOW, AND OTHER LEFTWING SPECIAL INTERESTS:
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/gaynor/060208
As I wrote in Rick Santorum (NOW’s Top Target): “[T]he only reason that Mr. Casey will get the Democrats’ nomination to challenge Senator Santorum is because pragmatic pro-abortion Democrats know he’s their best shot at beating Senator Santorum and far less of a problem to the secular extremism/pro-abortion on demand/far leftists than Mr. Casey ever will (or would) be.”
Because: “[I]f the Democrats take control of the Senate, expect the stream of strict constructionist judges (and even United States Supreme Court Justices) to be dammed up in a Senate Judiciary Committee controlled by the likes of Senators Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts and Patrick Leahy of Vermont.”
If McCain shoots himself in the foot by allowing a pro-abortion VP candidate on the ticket, many Catholics and pro-lifers will simply stay home and Obama will win.
Yours is a chilling, depressing, but accurate comment.
Ping to read & respond later
Look at this blog and video. Shocking and chilling Obama’s lack of concern for aborted infants born alive who are discarded in a dirty linen closet until they die.
http://www.dakotavoice.com/2008/08/barack-obama-supports-murder-of-newborn.html
Ohio especially, as the Dem heartland of the buckeye state is in the heavily Catholic northern part of the state (westside of Cleveland and its suburbs, Steubanville, Youngstown, Lorain, etc.). I expect McCain to clean house in Cincy and its suburbs and in the SE part of the state (Appalachia). The blacks in east Cleveland, Dayton, inner Columbus, and north Cincinatti will not be enough to take the state. He needs a solid turnout from blue collar and elderly Catholics in the northern part of the state, along with independents in the Columbus area (although I predict only a slight win in the city, with a loss in the suburban towns). Advantage: McCain.
We lost PA from 92-04 only due to the collapse of the GOP vote in the mainline suburbs (Montgomery and Delaware Counties) to say nothing of Bucks and a subpar performance in Chester Counties. Although the black population has increased in both Montgomery and Delaware Counties over the past 15 years, McCain can bring these back in the GOP column provided the "ladies who lunch" don't stay home (I DON'T see them voting for Obama due to the rather coarse racial politics of the Philadelphia area).
Michigan is in many ways a replay of Pennsylvania, with a huge black population in the largest city of the state, but with suburbs largely the product of white flight and affected by racial tension. See Oakland County as Montgomery County and Macomb County as Delaware County and you'll see my point. I see McCain bring Macomb into the GOP column for the first time since 88, with Oakland going narrowly for McCain due to the large black populations in Southfield and Pontiac.
Clemenza, I agree with your predictions.
In Michigan, Obama will win huge margins in Detroit and its heavily black suburbs, as well as in college towns such as Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and East Lansing, but will run poorly in traditionally Democrat blue-collar white areas such as the “Downriver” towns south of Detroit (including losing big in Monroe County) and in the formerly blue-collar, now middle-class Macomb County suburbs; John McCain should also win huge margins in the Thumb and run about even in the Flint-Saginaw-Bay City corridor. The white rural areas in the northern half of the Mitten, where Gore and Kerry ran surprisingly strongly, will not vote for Obama, nor will the UP. If things go as they appear to be going, I think McCain will turn President Bush’s 48% near-miss into a 52% victory.
Ohio should be an even bigger win for McCain. Obama may not do as poorly in SE and East OH as he did in the RAT primary, but he certainly won’t win the types of margins that he would need in order to have a chance statewide. Right now, I’d say that McCain will win it 54%-45%.
In Pennsylvania, Obama will win hellacious margins in Philly (although maybe not so much in the NE part of the city nor the white ethnic parts of South Philly) and in black parts of Delco, but McCain will carry Bucks and maybe even Montco (Jewish voters will not turn out for Obama, and McCain has affirmative strength among liberal Republicans) and should win big in the Chester-Berks area and the Lehigh Valley (as well as, it goes without saying, the Lancaster area). The Coal Country around Scranton/Wilkes-Barre won’t give Obama the margins he needs, and the “T” should vote as heavily Republican as ever. In Western PA (the Pittsburgh, Beaver and Erie areas), I think that the movement towards President Bush that we saw in 2000 and 2004 would have continued even had Hillary been the Democrat nominee, but with Obama as the candidate it should give McCain a comfortable margin of victory. Overall, I think that Senator McCain will carry PA by a 53%-46% margin unless something changes between now and November.
If John McCain carries OH, PA and MI, Obama would be able to get to 270 EVs only if he (i) holds all of the remaining Kerry states (including NH, WI, MN, NJ and OR), which would be very difficult for him, and (ii) carries each of FL, NV, NM, IA, CO and either VA or MO, which is not going to happen. I think John McCain will defeat Obama with over 300 electoral votes unless he picks a liberal runningmate and screws up royally the rest of the way.
Now...if Hillary pulls out the nomination, PA will go for Clinton. Period.
John McCain tried to score points with Pennsylvanians by touring with Tom Ridge and implying that Ridge is a serious contender to be McCain’s running mate. I’m not expecting that McCain will actually choose him, but he is trying to score points with both Pennsylvania voters and the press. Not a good idea, IMHO.
Catholics on FR may have some observations on this.
John and Cindy had dinner and stayed overnite at the home of Tom and Michelle Ridge earlier this week. They toured the Erie area the next day...I think I commented (on another thread) that I hoped John was asking Tom about northern PA wines, and how about dem Stillerz? I, as well, think Ridge would be a bad choice for VP.
I fear Hillary doing that - she WOULD win PA, but I think with Obama, it’s McCain by a hair.
The late Cardinal Bernandin of Chicago said Catholics should not be single issue voters. Abortion is just one of many issues Catholics should consider. Catholics must uphold a constant seamless garment of pro-life issues - global warming, poverty, civil rights, anti-death penalty, and abortion.
The seamless garment arguement is used by Catholics to justify voting for liberal Dems. Lately, I seen young Evangelicals use the seamless garment arguement to justify supporting Obama.
If Catholics voted like Mormons, the Upper Midwest and New England would solid Red States.
Linda Chavez: Obama’s Catholic problem
Catholic Voters and 2008
Barack Obama Supports the Murder of Newborn Infants
Obama Lied About Abortion Record
What Barack Obama defended three times: Live Birth Abortion
[OPEN] Supreme K of C Calls for Real "Change" on Abortion and Catholic Revolt against Obama Nation
Obama's Catholic Problem ( Linda Chavez )
Obama’s View on Abortion May Divide Catholics ( "May Divide?" )
Obama loses 26 points among Catholics
Barack Obama's Wife Michelle to Join Hillary Clinton at Pro-Abortion Dinner
OPINION: Senator Obama and the Wall of the Womb
Barack Obama's Pledge to Overturn Every Pro-Life Abortion Law One Year Old
Obama Worse than Clintons on Abortion Says National Right to Life Leader Interview-SCOTUS Critical
Roman Catholics for Obama '08
OBAMA TO CATHOLICS: NO VOUCHERS
How can Catholics for Obama rationalize their support for the pro-choice candidate?
Obama’s director of Catholic Outreach ‘dodges’ opportunity to reach Catholics
Barack Obama Slams John McCain For Opposing Abortion, Activist Judges
Catholics and Obama
COMMENTARY: Quandry for Catholics At Election Time
The Latest Refinement (Obama on Abortion)
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Jill Stanek: Obama's biggest lie about supporting infanticide
The Battle for Catholic Voters
New Report Indicates Voters Most Interested in Barack Obama’s Position on Abortion
Deal Hudson: Obama and Infanticide?
Ad asks Obama: ‘If fatherhood begins at conception, when does life begin?’
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Catholics should not vote for Obama
Catholic Caucus: It is a sin to vote/support Obama/DNC [abortion]
More Catholics leaning towards Democrats, poll reports (really not Catholics)
The Catholic-Obama Problem (Pope Benedict XVI instructs Catholics about pro-abortion candidates)
Obama's Abortion Bombshell: Unrestricted Abortion....
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Editorial: Disagreeing with Doug Kmiec One More Time
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McCain Meets Privately with Fr. Pavone - Says Constitutional Right to Life Applies to Unborn
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Has Obama dissolved his Catholic advisory council?
Commentary: Faithful Citizenship and the Formed Conscience
Catholic League: Where's Obama's 'Catholic Advisory Council'? [Not to be found!]
Right-wing Christians beginning to lean left (Misleading headline)
Catholics Debate Obama Vote
US Bishops Urge Voters to Give Priority to Life [Ecumenical]
Corralling the Catholic vote: Political necessity or pipe dream?
DOUG KMIEC: Catholic Reasons for Hope in the General Election
EDITORIAL: Why This Catholic Dreads the Campaign
The Catholic-Obama Problem (Pope Benedict XVI instructs Catholics about pro-abortion candidates)
Thoughts On ‘Roman Catholics For Obama’
How Obama's Catholics Will Dodge the Infanticide Question
Catholic Pro-Life Leader Feuds With Barack Obama's "Catholic" Backers
McCain and the Pope: McCain cannot win in November without the Catholic vote (Reagan re-visited?)
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