Obama and the Catholic Vote

Don't tell me that Barack Obama won the "Catholic vote," 54 percent to 45 percent.

According to exit polls, people who identified themselves as Catholic voted in larger numbers for Obama than John McCain. But that shouldn't be taken as an inroad for Obama among Catholics. I doubt the voter's faith played a factor in choosing Obama.

From the Associated Press:

In building a winning coalition of religious voters, Barack Obama cut into the so-called God gap that puts frequent worshippers in the Republican column, won Catholics, made inroads with younger evangelicals, and racked up huge numbers with minorities and people with no religious affiliation.

By some measures, the faith-based equivalent of the red and blue map didn't change that much: Large voting blocs like white Catholics and evangelical Protestants remained in the Republican camp, for example.

The early indications from exit polls don't suggest a fundamental reshaping of religion's role in electing presidents, but they do show Obama made progress on important fronts that hold promise for future Democratic religious coalitions that cross racial lines, analysts said.

"It really doesn't look to me like a realignment," said John Green, a senior fellow at the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. Rather, he said, Obama made religion work for him in a way other Democrats haven't.

The economy, meanwhile, dominated voters' priorities across religious lines, blunting the impact of issues like abortion and gay marriage that historically help move religious votes.

...Exit polls showed Obama winning big with black Protestants (94 percent backed him), Hispanic Catholics (72 percent), and Hispanic Protestants and other Christians (67 percent). Obama won the election handily even though white Catholics and white Protestants backed Republican John McCain.

"This is a coalition that includes white Christians," Green said of Obama's faith-based bloc. "It's just white Christians aren't the senior partners in this coalition."

...Again, Catholics proved to be a swing vote. Obama won the Catholic vote 54 percent to 45 percent, four years after Bush won Catholics 52 to 47 percent. Obama lost the white Catholic vote 52 percent to 47 percent, but that was still four points better than Kerry's showing. The candidates were evenly split among Catholics who go to Mass weekly.

Catholics, how can you justify voting for a Culture of Death extremist like Barack Obama?

Of course, there were economic issues at play in this election that probably swayed voters who identify themselves at Catholic.

I understand that. That's why it's not enough to say Obama won the "Catholic vote."

Democrat Obama didn't necessarily make inroads among Catholics. It's the economy, stupid. Voters who happened to be Catholic were more concerned about economic issues than the Culture of Life.

Obama is not a moderate Democrat. He's not even a liberal Dem, like the Catholic Joe Biden or the Catholic John Kerry, who claims to be personally against the murder of the unborn.

No, Obama is 100% liberal, 100% pro-abortion.

From Wisconsin Right to Life:

“Senator Barack Obama promised Planned Parenthood that he’d like to sign the Freedom of Choice Act as his first act as President,” stated Barbara L. Lyons, Executive Director of Wisconsin Right to Life. “Obama’s wish list includes taxpayer funding of abortion, partial-birth abortions, secret abortions for minors with no parental involvement, no required informed consent for women seeking abortions, and continued unfettered abortion on demand.

The Freedom of Choice Act would nullify almost all existing federal and state laws which restrict abortion....

“Obama is the most fervent pro-abortion candidate for President ever,” stated Lyons. “Under an Obama regime, if he fulfills his promise to Planned Parenthood, almost all federal and state laws enacted by the people over the past 30+ years will be mere words in the statues. It is vitally important that the public understand Obama’s intentions, and know that if he gets his way, abortions are certain to increase.”

Obama used to be the most fervent pro-abortion candidate ever. Now, he is the most fervent pro-abortion president-elect ever.

Come January 20, 2009, Obama will be the most fervent pro-abortion president ever.

This is a sad day for the Culture of Life.

Barbara Lyons writes:

Today, there is great sadness due to yesterday’s election outcomes. But, we at Wisconsin Right to Life will not allow more than one day of mourning as there is much work to do.

Here are the losses:

Barack Obama as the most pro-abortion president ever.

John Gard’s loss in the 8th Congressional District.

Extensive losses in the State Assembly which will now have pro-abortion leadership.

Loss of one right-to-life seat in the State Senate.

Legalization of assisted suicide in Washington State.

Defeat of right-to-life ballot measures in California, Michigan, South Dakota and Colorado.

What we face now is the real possibility that the new Congress will move quickly to enact the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA). In the state legislature, new efforts are expected to repeal our abortion ban and, perhaps, legalize assisted suicide. It is a formidable challenge.

The right-to-life movement survived eight years of President Clinton. We will return to the gritty and tenacious work done in those years. We will be up to the challenge.