[livius]

That’s a strange rationale. We can’t do anything about it? Yet he wants to vote for a guy who voted for killing newborns - when everybody else was voting for a law that would stop this? Of course abortion is not going to end overnight, and it will be a step by step thing (such as a law protecting children born alive).

But with Barry, Mr. Death himself, you’ve guaranteed that there will be absolutely no changes and in fact things will probably get worse (I’m expecting the removal of conscience clauses that protect Catholic (and other) health professionals).

[bdeaner]

Cafardi fails to understand that, ethically, one's stance on abortion and pro-life issues are foundational for any ethical system. Therefore, anyone who is opposed to the pro-life ethical position is, by default, living a morally corrupt ethical system which is intrinsically opposed to everything the Catholic Church stands for. Voting for a pro-abortion candidate is not an option for a true Catholic. He would be better off writing in a candidate, or staying home, rather than vote for someone who has a history of supporting something that is intrinsically evil.

THe other issues he mentions, such as the war, are not intrinsic evils, according to the ethics of the Church, although there is a good case that the war in the Middle East is not a just war, ethically. But that is debatable and not foundation for one's who ethical system.

As for the issue of poverty, there is a good conservative argument, of course, that the liberal welfare system has done far more harm than good for poor people, and that conservative initiatives, like No Child Left Behind, has done far more good for minorities and the poor. These issues, from within Catholic ethics, are debatable, but do not hinge on an act of murder that is, without question, intrinsically wrong and evil -- that is, never justified by its ends, ever.