The role of Catholics in American politics has undergone significant changes in the last hundred years. Catholics were able to make sufficient inroads that they could get a presidential candidate (Al Smith) nominated in 1928 and then enabling him to lose despite voting for him in large numbers, followed by being able to get a presidential candidate (John Kennedy) nominated in 1960 and then enabling him to win by voting for him in large numbers, followed by having a third presidential candidate (John Kerry) nominated in 2004 and enabling him to lose by voting for his opponent in large numbers.
The latter is explained by the ongoing decoupling of the American Catholic population from the Democratic Party and a change in its voting habits and priorities.
HOW MIGHT A NEW POPE INFLUENCE THAT?
EXCERPT:
George W. Bush was the first sitting president to attend a papal funeral. President Carter sent his mother to Pope John Paul I’s 1978 funeral. Such symbolic change speaks volumes about the evolution in Catholic America’s voting habits over the past quarter-century and about Pope John Paul II’s role in that conversion.
Careful Jimmy, we may yet find out that Kennedy won because large numbers of DEAD Catholics in Chigao voted for him…
Ed,
Kennedy won with 303 electoral votes to Nixon’s 219. Unless Illinois, which now has 21 electoral votes, had over twice that many in 1960, the dead Chicagoan vote at most gave Kennedy his popular vote victory.
In my view, the change is more due to the parties than to the Pope. Nixon hit pay dirt when he targeted the silent majority, and Reagan hit pay dirt when he targeted those people who became the Reagan Democrats. The younger Bush, who is politically more like Reagan than his father, effectively used the same strategy.
Another comment: those who thought Kennedy was too Catholic were Protestants. Those who thought Kerry was not Catholic enough were Catholics themselves.
Although he shared the NCCB’s antipathy to the free market, John Paul II also played a significant role in converting many conservative Catholics into reliable Republican voters.
Antipathy to the free market?
What?
Why is it necessary for liberals to believe John Paul II was a socialist?
“…For example, 60 percent of conservative Catholics believe in papal infallibility…”
What? Only 60 percent? It should be 100 percent. Where do these liberal “Catholics” get off picking and choosing which dogmas they will believe in and which ones they won’t? Whatever happened to adhering to the truth of the faith in its entirety? God help us, we have fallen so far…
Publius. Agreed. Still…
George W. Bush was the first sitting president to attend a papal funeral.
Yes, in the second row, the first row being reserved for royalty. Sweet music to the ears of this monarchist!
BillyHW writes:
Although he shared the NCCB’s antipathy to the free market, John Paul II also played a significant role in converting many conservative Catholics into reliable Republican voters.
Antipathy to the free market?
What?
Why is it necessary for liberals to believe John Paul II was a socialist?
Reason magazine is actually libertarian, not liberal. I was a subscriber at one time, but the last issue I read featured an article about the greatest champions of freedom in the last 25 years or so and included Madonna but not the pope. To me, that said enough about the magazine’s values.
I don’t think Basham is being fair in calling JPII antipathetic toward the free market either. JPII’s “Rerum Novarum,” which I first heard about from the Acton Institute, is strongly critical of the welfare state and is far more supportive of the free market than the NCCB. The enclyclical does point out problems and limitations of the free market (for example, in determining a fair wage), but seems to advocate economic freedom as a general rule.
Incidentally, this document actually piqued my curiosity enough to compel me to look further into the Church (I was a fallen-away Catholic) until I eventually came home.
JPII’s “Rerum Novarum,”
Rerum Novarum was written by Leo XIII. I think you were thinking of Centesimus Annus.
Correction — the encyclical I had in mind was “Centesimus Annus,” which was in part a reflection on Pope Leo XIII’s “Rerum Novarum,” which had been written 100 years earlier.
Incidentally, here’s a reflection on Pope John Paul II’s economic views from Fr. Sirico of the Acton Institute:
http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/sirico200504070809.asp
“However, his political contribution within the American context advanced those who advocate a greater role for the state in shepherding individuals all the way through their private lives.”
Don’t tell the libertarians, but post-communist Poland has had some pretty strict ant-porn laws. There was some controversy over this in the last few years, either because they were trying to implement or abolish them.
I think the guy’s trending analysis is too short-sighted. Traditionalist Catholics are not gaining in percentage? Heh, probably because he confines his analysis to the end of the Baby Boom bubble. Once the boomers pass, the percentage will significantly increase.
Don’t tell the libertarians, but post-communist Poland has had some pretty strict ant-porn laws. There was some controversy over this in the last few years, either because they were trying to implement or abolish them.
I think many libertarians hold two false assumptions — they assume that an individual has an unalienable right to do anything that is not directly coersive or harmful to others, and they assume that moral individuals are equally free to live moral lives in an environment replete with immorality. Unfortunately, the “near occasion of sin” is ever present in today’s culture.
Other libertarians simply question whether the government will do more harm then good in trying to regulate immorality out of existence. For example, how much money would it take to fight the battle against pornography in our society today, and what other functions might that money be used for instead? And, even if such laws existed, would they be effective?
Personally, I think many people underestimate the harm done by pornography today.
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