Romney, Ryan woo Obama’s vulnerable Catholic supporters
The title of Mitt Romney’s August 9 campaign ad, “Be Not Afraid,” was obviously intentional, a tip of the hat to Pope John Paul II’s favored words of Jesus. The ad itself was aimed at the important Catholic voting bloc, which supported Barack Obama by a margin of 54-45% in 2008.
Romney’s choice of Catholic Paul Ryan as his running mate is also partially intended to woo Catholics. As a social and fiscal conservative, Ryan draws a sharp contrast to pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage, pro-Obamacare Catholic Vice President Joe Biden.
Politico goes in-depth today on Obama’s vulnerability among Catholics this go-around:
No one doubted the Roman Catholic vote would be up for grabs in November, even before Mitt Romney named Paul Ryan as his running mate.
Now, the selection of Ryan, the first Catholic ever nominated for national office by Republicans, all but guarantees a fierce election-year fight for the affections of Catholic voters – or more specifically, white Catholics, who form the bulk of the Catholic vote here in this corner of Iowa and across the Rust Belt.
Four years ago, there wasn’t much of a fight. President Barack Obama won Iowa Catholics, about a quarter of the electorate, by what the exit polls showed was an 18% margin.
Yet there are signs in Dubuque, an overwhelmingly Catholic and traditionally Democratic stronghold of 58,000 on the banks of the Mississippi River, that suggest the president’s support is much softer than last time.
In part, it’s a reflection of the general erosion in the president’s support, but it’s also because of tensions between the administration and the Catholic Church over a federal mandate, which went into effect Aug. 1, that forces employers, including the Church, to cover contraceptive services in health plans….
“In places like Dubuque, being Catholic is not just about religion,” [Catholic Sara Fagen, former political advisor to President George W. Bush] said. “It’s about their culture. For some, it’s an attack on their beliefs in pro-life issues. For some, it’s an attack on freedom of religion. Yet for many people in towns like Dubuque, it’s an attack on our culture.”…
The Romney campaign, however, has stepped up its national efforts to win over Catholics. The candidate visited the Pope John Paul II memorial while in Poland last month, and a clip of Romney quoting the late pope appears in an ad released Thursday that suggests Obama does not share the “values” of Catholics.
The administration still has some work to do to win over white Catholics nationally, though. While a Pew Research Center poll published last week showed Obama leading 51% to 42% among Catholics, that figure was inflated by Obama’s wide percentage among Latino Catholics in noncompetitive states. Among white Catholics, many of whom are clustered in the Rust Belt, Romney led Obama 49% to 44%.
Here’s that Romney ad, released in response to the recent slew of ads Obama has released attacking Romney on his pro-life stance and opposition to taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood…
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMv28sYQzCY[/youtube]
[Photo via The Daily Beast]
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
I do not understand why Catholics vote for Barrack Obama. How in good conscience can they or any one that calls themselves a Christian, or a God loving person vote for someone who kills. Makes no sense at all. Greed and selfishness have a lot to do with it.
I am just going to repeat Suzanne’s point:
I do not understand why Catholics vote for Barrack Obama. How in good conscience can they or any one that calls themselves a Christian, or a God loving person vote for someone who kills. Makes no sense at all. Greed and selfishness have a lot to do with it.
Wow, I did not know Lech Walesa had endorsed Romney. That will hold some weight with some Catholic friends I know. I got a chance to see Lech Walesa speak once. He is an amazing man.
While the bishops march in lockstep with the GOP on abortion and gay marriage, they weren’t too thrilled by the Ryan budget.
Catholics can not vote for Obama in good conscience.
“Are any of the candidates of either party, or independents, standing for something that is intrinsically evil, evil no matter what the circumstances? If that’s the case, a Catholic, regardless of his party affiliation, shouldn’t be voting for such a person.”
Archbishop William E. Lori
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/313468/baltimore-archbishop-catholic-voters-cant-vote-candidate-who-stands-intrinsic-evil-kat
CC,
The bishops’ dispute over the budget was not a condemnation of an intrinsic evil. Abortion, homosexual “marriage,” and violating the freedom of religion on the other hand…
“The ad itself was aimed at the important Catholic voting bloc, which supported Barack Obama by a margin of 54-45% in 2008.”
With shepherds like Dolan it is no wonder that the sheep are donating wool to the wolf.
The shepherd has invited the head of the wolf pack to be the keynote speaker at the Al Smith Banquet and the sheep are providing the main course for the meal: roast lamb.
Do you know why you always been told not to discuss ‘politics and religion’?
Because you will soon discover there is little differecne between the two.
You work in order to have something of value to be taken from you.
Freely you have received, freely be robbed.
And if your enemy askes for your coat, then steal your neighbors shirt and give that to him too.
If your enemy strikes you on the cheek, beg his forgiveness for bruising his hand.
If your enemy demands you carry his butt one mile, when you part ways kiss it goodbye.
see ‘grovel’ and ‘snivel’. For excellent examples observe obamaphiles.
“The Catholic vote.” If only such a thing ever existed.
Cranky, lets start making a Catholic Vote. If the progressives can create an anti-Catholic vote, we can create a pro-Catholic vote.
http://www.catholicvote.org/index.php?/site
Kenthebirther
This one is my favorite:
“And if your enemy askes for your coat, then steal your neighbors shirt and give that to him too.”
“President Obama called Ryan an “articulate spokesman” for “a vision I fundamentally disagree with.”
Sounds to me like a ringing endorsement that Ryan is on the right track.
Many of my fellow parishioners voted for Obama because they thought that he was going to be so very helpful to the poor, that they could overlook his infanticide and feticide ways. So, how’s that workin’ out for you? I see poverty has not had a dent made in it. Jesus said, the poor you will always have with you. That’s not to say, we shouldn’t try to make other people’s lives better, but, look how many pro-aborts tell us that abortion is the solution to poverty. Since poverty hasn’t had a dent made in it in the 40 years since Roe v Wade, again, I ask, how’s that working out for you? People don’t need a minimum of material possessions to be happy. But they do need opportunity. I don’t see dead aborted children being granted much of an opportunity.
Jesus said that the poor would always be with us and that we could do good for them whenever we like. I say, let’s do just that, starting with allowing their children to be born, born just like all children deserve. Obama did nothing at all to help the poor. Creating a giant government beauracracy that’s going to rubber stamp DENIED everytime you need care is NOT going to help the poor.
But, it’s been a great weekend. Not only did I get to see the usual suspects get their dander all riled up, but I also viewed the funniest music video parody of the year: “The Obama That I Used to Know.” Hop over to youtube to check it out, I guarantee you’ll get a chuckle out of it.
CompletelyConfused: August 13, 2012 at 10:33 am “While the bishops march in lockstep with the GOP on abortion and gay marriage, they weren’t too thrilled by the Ryan budget.”
Congratulations.
You have discovered the inconsistencies of liberals.
But you have also missed the mark on the GOP and abortion on demand.
‘Lock step’ would be more appropriately applied to democRATs and the dead babies r us mob.
ninek: “Many of my fellow parishioners voted for Obama because they thought that he was going to be so very helpful to the poor…”
Naive do-gooders. They need to pay more attention to Milton Friedman. It’s impossible to shame such people enough. They stupidly — and I do mean stupidly — create the very scenarios that reinforce what they wish to extinguish.
They stupidly — and I do mean stupidly — fail to distinguish between the government and private individuals — as if an abstract bureaucracy, standing before the judgment seat, will one day hear the words “well done, thou good and faithful servant…”
No patience for these people. Seriously. None. Many are engaged in private works of charity, and that I respect. That they imagine a welfare nanny state reinforces their labors of love is insane. They’re just supporting job security for their good works.
Ryan calls himself pro-life, but how can he be so when he thinks its fun to shoot defenseless animals for sport? I saw him with a picture of a deer he had “bagged” and it made me ill. I saw a deer in my yard last night — a young doe. She was beautiful. To destroy something like that just for “recreation” is NOT prolife.
Phillymiss, are you serious, or was that intended to be satirical?
phillymiss, do you know what Ryan does with the deer he hunts? Do you know if he and his family eat them or donate them to the poor?
After my ex cleared out the accounts and I didn’t have enough to buy food, we were given free deer meat that local hunters had donated for the needy. I am very grateful that help was there when I most needed it.
We will be eating some deer sausage tonight from a doe my husband “bagged” last deer season. Does this mean I am not prolife either?
Oh, great. Now we need to add “vegetarian” to the list of requirements to be pro-life?
No Lrning, but I will say this: my “favorite” hypocrites are pro-choice vegans. Oh yea.
Think of it this way, Philly Miss:
It could be that it was legally Deer Hunting season in Wisconsin the day he took that picture.
So in a sense, he was enabling the deer population to survive by making sure they didn’t overpopulate and make life miserable for the rest of the ecosystem.
Or maybe he had it for dinner that night.
Just speculatin’…
True that Carder.
Very grateful for all of the hunters in my family that help control the WI deer population and provide us with dinner.
phillymiss – I understand the desire not to see beautiful animals like deer killed, really I do, but unless you are a vegetarian, as Lrning mentioned, that is a hypocritical statement.
I am a pescetarian (fish but no other meat) and enjoy fishing. My husband, a total carnivore, used to find it weird, even gross and mean, that I would be part of killing something to eat it. I mean, superficially, I see his point. But, of course, paying someone to kill an animal for you is no better than doing it yourself. In fact, I would be so bold as to say that if you couldn’t do it yourself, you shouldn’t ask someone else to do it. Absolving yourself of responsibility and/or not being able to look the truth in the eye is a product and cause of what is desensitizing us. The Native Americans held animals in high regard and still killed them for food – the two are actually very complementary. Eating meat isn’t wrong at all, but if someone has to turn off their heart or brain to do it happily, then maybe it’s not right for them.
Honestly, this is coming from a die hard vegetarian (I would be a vegan if I didn’t lose so much weight when I try to cut out dairy and eggs)… Hunting is kinda necessary since the predator populations in a lot of places have been decimated. If there aren’t enough predators, the prey’s population explodes and then they end up starving to death or dying of diseases. Which is horribly depressing. I would rather hunting licenses get issued and some deer die a quick death than watch tons of them die lingering terrible deaths. In the south, there is a huge problem with feral pigs. They don’t have natural predators, even the gators can’t fight them most of the time, and their populations keep growing. And they are really dangerous toward humans as well. Hunting them is honestly the lesser of two evils.
Anyway, my point is, the way that things are now make hunting pretty necessary. Much as I don’t like it.
Oh, and you don’t have to be anti-killing animals to be pro-life. Some people believe that we have the right to be on the top of the food chain. I don’t like it, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t sincere in their anti-abortion efforts.
Also, I do see the need for hunting, but I still have a lot of trouble having respect for anyone who hunts animals for “sport”. I think that’s sick. At least eat what you kill.
I was eating lunch at a cafe and the fellow at the table next to me was wearing a tee shirt with a something written on the back. When he got up to pay, I was able to read what it said: “Arise, kill and eat.” Acts 10:13.
On the front of his shirt was, ‘Joes Taxidermy Shop’ or something to that effect.
Jesus was raised in the Jewish culture and he celebrated the Passover meal with his disciples. They drank fermented wine and they ate lamb.
After Jesus crucifix and resurrection he shared a meal of cooked fish with his disciples.
I have no problem with folks who choose to be vegetarians, but I also agree with the apostle Paul when he wrote:
Colossians 2:16, 20-23
16 Therefore let no one sit in judgment on you in matters of food and drink, or with regard to a feast day or a New Moon or a Sabbath.
20 If then you have died with Christ to material ways of looking at things and have escaped from the world’s crude and elemental notions and teachings of externalism, why do you live as if you still belong to the world? [Why do you submit to rules and regulations?—such as]
21 Do not handle [this], Do not taste [that], Do not even touch [them],
22 Referring to things all of which perish with being used. To do this is to follow human precepts and doctrines.
23 Such [practices] have indeed the outward appearance [that popularly passes] for wisdom, in promoting self-imposed rigor of devotion and delight in self-humiliation and severity of discipline of the body, but they are of no value in checking the indulgence of the flesh (the lower nature). [Instead, they do not honor God but serve only to indulge the flesh.]
1 Timothy 4:4-5 4 For everything God has created is good, and nothing is to be thrown away or refused if it is received with thanksgiving. 5 For it is hallowed and consecrated by the Word of God and by prayer.
Another funny tee shirt story.
Same cafe, different time.
Lady was sitting at a table adjacent to mine but she was sitting at angle to me so i could not look directly at her back.
Her tee shirt seemed to say, ‘Massage the rapist.’
That seemed odd to me.
but when she got up to leave and turned where her back was directly facing me I could see her tee shirt really said, ‘Massage therapist.’
Just a matter of perspective, changed the whole message/massage.
Oh, and you don’t have to be anti-killing animals to be pro-life. Some people believe that we have the right to be on the top of the food chain. I don’t like it, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t sincere in their anti-abortion efforts.
I am one of those. Our superior position in the world on the food chain due to our intellect is the SAME reason I am Pro-Life. We are intelligent enough to also have reason, logic, and a conscience. That gives us the obligation to our children so that we’re not just eating our young like rodents, but that also gives us an obligation to those same rodents who don’t have things like medical technology to take care of themselves like we can take care of them and know that deliberately harming them for no reason is wrong. There’s no reason we shouldn’t acknowledge our ingrained biological longing for meat (we are omnivores, scientifically-speaking, which is evident in our traits like sharp teeth for cutting meat and forward eye placement for depth perception to aid in hunting) while still maintaining care and respect for the animals we eat. I say this with every drop of Cherokee blood my dad gave me.
And yes, Jack, trophy hunters who discard the meat make me sick.
I remember when Palin was interviewed in front of a guy killing a turkey, and Huffington Post was all over it as if she were insane. It’s a weird disconnect suffered by the effete and indulgent in our decadent civilization, that as long as things are out of sight and out of mind, one may carry on imagining all kind of inconsequential vunderful truths about one’s place in the world. To be faced with something that implies that your own consumption of meat involves the slaughter of animals isn’t so much something one wishes to refute as false, it’s just something one doesn’t wish to think about as true.
Such attitudes, I’d say, are indicative of worse things true of our fellows in these times. We separate ourselves from everything that permits us to live. Our children cannot imagine what it would mean to grow their own food (including meat). An urban civilization lives on a thin veneer of others’ provision, looking down on the very folk who harvest their lettuce and raise their beef.
I’ve posted it before; time to do it again:
“The villainy of the Skimpole Syndrome does not consist in its choice of goods: papers, conversation, music, mutton, coffee, landscape, fruit, a little claret—few of us would argue that such things are inherently unwholesome. Nor is genial tolerance—“Go your several ways in peace! . . . go after any object you prefer!”—a bad thing in itself. The problem with Skimpolism is that it ignores, and refuses to acknowledge, the sources and causes of its own good fortune: the enormous human enterprise of toil, commerce, and distribution, the attendant fatigue, risk, worry, and vexation, the requisite virtues of foresight, prudence, honesty, and diligence—all of which are necessary for something as ordinary as a peach or a glove to end up in Skimpole’s dining room. For the Skimpoles of this world, the ultimate source of bread is the baker’s van, and there is no need to concern oneself with plowing, sowing, weeding, dunging, cutting, threshing, milling, and baking—not to mention the thousands of mercantile transactions, from mortgages to tire rotations—that must be in place, and continually attended to, so that Skimpole might have his honey on toast.” http://goo.gl/FoTlQ
Primitive activities like hunting will seem as weird to such folk as soldering SMDs on a circuit board would seem to someone who’s never thought about what makes their highly abstract pieces of engineering work to deliver sound to their ears or texts to their friends.
The folks who tap into the roots of nature to subsist or support others who do are not out of touch or odd. To the contrary, those who live on the thin rind of civilization and hold these producers in contempt, are both out of touch and odd.
I’ve thought about following a vegan diet but I’m O positive and we’re the only blood group that has to have meat or at least that’s what I read. When I eat meat I actually feel better I have more energy. Countries who consume a lot of meat actually have higher tests results they attribute that to the zinc certain meats contain. Zinc is very good for you. The vegan diet for those who are able to follow it is an excellent diet I’ve read that it actually slows down the aging process and is just good for you. So while I probably want ever practice a completely vegan diet I’ll probably eventually incorporate more veggies in my diet than meat. That’s the plan anyway.
I don’t think most people have to eat meat regardless of their blood type, myrtle. I am O negative, haven’t eaten meat since I was like twelve or so, and I am healthy and pretty athletic, no problems with energy or anything. But yeah if you don’t want to go full on vegetarian or vegan you should definitely put more veggies in your diet. Americans tend to eat way, way too much meat and not nearly enough fruits and veggies.