Washington Post Opinion Piece Examines Growing Catholic Support For Obama

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 22 Oct 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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While it "has become commonplace in American politics" for Roman Catholic bishops to "declare that the faithful should cast their ballots on the basis of a limited number of 'nonnegotiable issues,' notably opposition to abortion," this election year has witnessed how "Catholics, who are quintessential swing voters and gave narrow but crucial support to President Bush in 2004, are drifting toward" Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), who supports abortion rights, Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne writes in a opinion piece. Dionne adds that "this time, some church leaders are suggesting that single-issue voting is by no means a Catholic commandment."

As an example, Dionne cites his interview with Gabino Zavala -- an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles who also is bishop president of Pax Christi USA. Zavala said his fellow bishops have long argued that issues other than abortion -- including racism, torture, genocide, immigration, war and the impact of the economy on "the most vulnerable" -- should play a role in Catholics' voting decisions. However, Zavala added, "What I believe, and what the church teaches, is that one abortion is too many. That's why I believe abortion is so important. But in light of this, there are many other issues we need to bring up, other issues we should consider, other issues that touch the reality of our lives." Dionne writes that although Zavala's views on abortion rights and the election are not shared by all Catholic leaders, his "desire to speak out with an alternative view is a sign of how much has changed" since the 2004 election. He adds that the "impact of the new Catholic politics could be substantial" because Catholics make up about one-fourth of the electorate and are heavily represented in several battleground states. In addition, Catholics comprise several diverse demographics, including Hispanics, blacks, and high-income and working-class whites.

According to Dionne, polls vary on whether Obama or Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) is winning the Catholic vote. A mid-October Pew Research Center survey showed Obama leading McCain among the demographic by 55% to 35%, but Post surveys have found more modest Catholic gains for Obama. A Post tracking poll released on Monday showed Obama and McCain splitting the Catholic vote at 48% each. Dionne writes that "Obama's Catholic share probably stands somewhere between the Pew and Post numbers," but that "even a split among Catholics could mark a sufficient improvement" over the demographic's support for 2004 Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry (Mass.).

Dionne writes, "In many respects, Catholics simply reflect the country as a whole in moving toward the Democrats because of frustrations with the economy and the Bush years. But the Catholic debate entails a very particular argument over what counts as a commitment to life," concluding, "To an unexpected degree, this election could hang on the struggle of Catholic voters with their priorities and their consciences" (Dionne, Washington Post, 10/21).

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