A Big Catholic Shift to Kerry?

[BUSHOUT]

This is undated, sorry if it's old...but Google had it penned 15 minutes ago.

A Big Catholic Shift to Kerry?

Two new polls show a sudden shift of undecided Catholics toward Kerry.
Two new polls show a massive shift of white Catholics to John Kerry - which, if it holds up, could be a decisive development in the election.

A Pew Research Center poll released Wednesday has Kerry winning among white Catholics 50%-43% --a huge change from the October 3 poll which had Bush leading 49% to 33%.

By comparison, George Bush beat Al Gore among white Catholics by about seven points.

read the rest here

Yah for Catholics!
O8)

[patrice]

1. I've been trying to get this Catholic language out there . . .

Jonah Goldberg reveals his ignorance of Catholicism in “God’s Place in Politics” (KC Star October 20) and he demonstrates the very picking and choosing with which he faults John Kerry. Dogma comes to Catholics in two ways, ex cathedra direct teachings from a pope, and in the magisterium ordinarium amongst other church leaders. What the public hears of the magisterium is usually characterized as being about abortion exclusively. In fact, it is about the malice of taking any innocent human life, not just abortion. That is innocent life in the womb, in the World Trade Center, or in Iraq today.

There has been nothing ex cathedra exclusively on abortion. What Pope John Paul II has spoken of is that Bush’s War is not a “just war”; it is not morally justified. Jonah Goldberg and others of his cult want John Kerry to ignore that declaration in favor of the global abortion known as war.

[aden_nak]

2. Words without deeds.

I'm glad the religious amongst us are finally waking up to the fact that saying the name Jesus once every twenty minutes does not equate to ethical, Christian behavior.

[4_Legs_Good]

3. My Mom who is Catholic & a conservative Democrat really liked Kerry's

responses in the debates to the abortion issue as well as his faith issues, and she's been known to be a kinda one issue voter. She would never vote for George Jr. (she's promised me), but has had a hard time deciding to vote for Kerry. I think the debates did him a lot of good in this area.

I myself am a practicing Catholic, but one who interprets Catholicism and Christianity as a very liberal doctrine. Kerry, on that note, is way too conservative for my liking, but HEY, he's 100,000x better than George Jr.

david

[alcuno]

29. Kerry is one of the family. People don't get it.

My mom has said that she would never not vote for a Catholic. End of story. Most of us don't see this as a faith that we chose, but just as something that is.

[xxqqqzme]

4. suddenly every little tiny demographic voting

element could be 'a decisive development in the election.' The whorporate media R milking these stories 4 all their worth.

[ProfessorGAC]

14. But, The Catholics Are Hardly A Tiny Demographic

There's 10's of millions of catholics. A sea change in a voting block that big, of only 1% can, indeed, change the outcome.
The Professor

[sandnsea]

19. 25% of America

Not hardly a tiny demographic. Could very easily turn this election, especially in states like Missouri, as well as AZ & NM.

[WilliamPitt]

27. PA, OH, MI, IL will turn on the Catholic vote

No small thing.

[liberalnurse]

31. I'm a Catholic from Pittsburgh, Pa.

I do live in Ohio but all my family live in Pittsburgh. The Catholic support there is tremendous.

[yardwork]

5. Vote in the "who's a better Christian poll" at the link!

[BUSHOUT]

7. Done! n/t

[callous taoboy]

20. Thanks, Yard. Done!

[GreenGreenLimaBean]

6. i saw several pundits ridicule him

for saying he was an alterboy, but that is probably what shifted alot of voters.

[Mz Pip]

8. Catholics

are probably starting to realize that having this crackpot fundie in the WH is not in their best interests. A lot of fundamentalists consider Catholicism a cult. If I were still a practicing Catholic I sure would want these fundies setting public policy for me.

MzPip
:dem:

[smiley_glad_hands]

25. I consider the Evangelicals a cult.

Especially after hearing all that talk about "code words" and the Dred Scott thing.

[Iceburg]

26. Good link to stats re: Top 20 religous groups in USA

http://www.adherents.com/rel_USA.html#religions

Karl chose the wrong relgion for postboy georgie.

[Zorra]

9. Are fanatical nutbag fundies actually eroding Bu$h support?

The crazy anti-choicers may be turning off intelligent Christians.

Another demographic on the (D) side.

Bu$h is toast

[smiley_glad_hands]

24. I hope so. eom

[MISSDem]

10. Maybe they have been reading this excellent piece.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2002068378_jeakle21.html

[happynewyear]

12. maybe they can actually think

:think:

I'm a Catholic and my views are very close to those of Kerry's. I also happen to have a lot of strong respect for pope John Paul II.

:think: about that ....

:kick:

[AngryOldDem]

21. That makes two of us

[NewYorkerfromMass]

11. I've been saying this forever. Real Catholics aren't abortion fixated

and they have a strong tolerance for respecting other people's beliefs and choices even if in conflict with their own. Geez, it's not as if Kerry actually ever performed an abortion.

[calimary]

17. REAL Catholics will also remember that bush kept His Holiness waiting

for - what was it - 15 minutes? He was late to his meeting with THE POPE. Then he tried to give the Pope some medal, hoping to get his endorsement. Forgetting, of course, how vocal JP2 was AGAINST THE WAR, BEFORE the war started. Real Catholics know that respecting life means more than what the anti-choicers would like - it applies to capital punishment and - uh - ahem - a little thing like a reckless, unnecessary war that we were all LIED about.

[liberalnurse]

32. Catholic educated voters know the difference

and will separate church and state. _bush is a "newbie Christian of convience"....he uses the Reborn Christian followers to his own suiting.....thats blasphemy.

[TankLV]

13. The Pope just "gave" them "permission" to vote for Kerry

when the vatican issued the statement about the nutjob repuke lawyer who WAS trying to excommunicate Kerry.

BACKFIRE BIG TIME!

A lot of catholics read the church literature that is in all the vestibules - so this one is a blessing from on high for Kerry's camp!

Praise be to God or the Pope.

Every little bit helps.

[DaveSZ]

15. Say what you want,

but all that Jesus talk in the 3rd debate helped Kerry among Catholics.

:P

[sidpleasant]

16. I think I convinced my devoutly Catholic aunt to vote Kerry

At a family reunion in St. Louis last weekend one of my aunts said that she usually voted entirely on the basis of opposition to abortion but this ellection was different. She went on to say that she wasn't just concerned about "all the dead babies" (as she put) but also about "all the dead Iraqis we've killed." I replied that JK was a Catholic himself who regularly attends Mass while Bush, despite all his pretense of deep faith, rarely goes to church. Further, did she know that one of the candidates got his girlfriend an illegal abortion in the early 70s? She was flabbergasted at this news so I filled her in on the abortion story from Bush's "lost years." By the end of the conversation she was thanking me for helping her make her mind up to vote for Kerry. One more vote in our column in a battleground state.

[BlueNomad]

18. A couple of great reasons why that is...

1. His comment on his faith and being an altar boy
2. His comments on you shall be known by your deeds (my boy got that good and right --the ole dorothy day social justice stuff...)
3. His comments on abortion (obviously not a fan but not willing to legislate his morality on others...most US Catholics do not believe in overturning Roe v. Wade)

[robbedvoter]

22. A gift from Bob Jones, Pat Robertson and the whole fundie BS

Many catholics in this country feel treated as a minority by the wingnuts (non-catholics too). The moore W caters to Christian right, the more he'll ulose others.
Poppy made these mistakes in 92 as well, treating "electorates" piecemeal - and angering each in turn.

[smiley_glad_hands]

23. Catholic voting for Kerry. eom

[Zorra]

28. kick

[goforit]

30. Way to wake up to reality that Bush is Satan.

And he will sell all the Catholics down the river too!!!

[wysiwyg]

35. I figured he's closer to being the anti-Christ...

what with him professing faith while convincing the true believers to do evil acts and all.

[chelaque liberal]

33. I think all of the "Bush was chosen by God" stuff is a red flag

to Catholics. I was raised by devote Catholics. My grandparents and my mother would have been horrified by all of this.

The First Commandment "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."


(not to mention #5. "Thou shalt not kill.")

[davhill]

34. I am a Catholic

Most Catholics I talk to are anti-Bush as much as they are anti-abortion.