Palin Winning Over Twenty-Something Catholics

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Catholics are the ultimate swing voters. No other large group has switched sides so often -- or been so consistently aligned with election winners. Catholics have backed the winner of the national popular vote for the last nine presidential elections: they've helped elect five Republican presidents, three Democratic presidents, and the popular-vote-winning but presidency-losing Democrat Al Gore.

Not only because of their winning track record, but also because they make up nearly a quarter of all registered voters in the United States, Catholics could determine who wins the White House in 2008.

That's why I'm curious to hear what young, traditional Catholics -- Generations X and Y -- think of Sarah Barracuda. Is Palin winning their support?

Thomas N. Peters posted that question online at AmericanPapist.com, winner of "Best Political/Social Commentary Site" in the 2008 Catholic Blog Awards. Peters, 23, who runs the site, has appeared on CNN, BBC World News, and The Today Show. AmericanPapist.com attracts visitors who are disproportionally in their 20s, and disproportionally traditional in their religious beliefs.

"My poll saw a 19% net increase in support for Sen. John McCain because of his choice of Gov. Sarah Palin," Peters told OffTheBus. "Plenty of my Catholic friends got swept up in palinmania. Many had pro-Palin Facebook statuses the day of the announcement, and even more had pro-Palin Facebook statuses after her convention speech. It's nice to have an attractive figurehead for our ideals, as opposed to someone from our grandparents' generation."

With 605 votes tallied after Palin was chosen to be McCain's running mate, here is the breakdown among mostly 20-something Catholics who adhere to the moral teachings of the pope:

-- 68.4% continue to support McCain
-- 20.5% now support McCain
-- 6.3% continue to not support McCain
-- 3.3% remain undecided
-- 1.5% now do not support McCain

Here is a sampling of responses from that poll:

The hand that rocks the cradle can also rock the boat.

--elm | 08.29.08 - 11:10 am

I'm not worried about her lack of experience. Biden only emphasizes Obama's lack of experience.
--JennE inCA | 08.29.08 - 12:03 pm

Obama's big theme in the primaries was that he was going to "clean up Washington" and he's not "an insider" and it won't be "politics as usual" if he's elected. With this pick of Palin, I don't think Obama will be able to successfully run on that theme. This will be fun!
--Mark | Homepage | 08.29.08 - 1:29 pm

If Sen. McCain's selection of Gov. Palin inspires just one woman to choose life over abortion ... then the nomination of Gov. Palin will have been a thundering success.
--brassband | 08.30.08 - 7:22 am

Sarah would be doing far more good for the country by taking care of her kids! The work that she will be doing could be done better by a man -- or by a woman who has no small children to raise.
--AnUnSi | 08.30.08 - 8:14 am

A WOMAN? No thank you. Too radical for my tastes.
--JhN | 08.30.08 - 12:50 pm

Can you imagine the picture McCain and Palin are going to make? Like a father and a daughter. The strong father handing down a legacy and teaching a woman, instead of the usual "son."
--Vonda | 09.01.08 - 3:45 am

Palin Versus Biden

Palin was baptized a Catholic, but today she is an Evangelical Christian who agrees with the Catholic pope on three issues of major importance to Catholic social doctrine: she is pro-life, opposes gay-marriage, and supports school-choice. (Her parents left the Catholic church when she was very young.)

Like most self-identifying American Catholics, Biden is a cafeteria Catholic, meaning he picks and chooses which church doctrine to follow. Biden favors abortion on demand, advocates gay civil-unions, and opposes school-choice. He is not officially permitted to receive communion in a Catholic church, and some bishops have warned him not to present himself at the communion rail.

In 2004, a handful of Catholic bishops similarly denounced John Kerry for his pro-abortion-rights position. Kerry lost white Catholics -- who make up the vast majority of the Catholic community -- to Bush, 56 percent to 43 percent.

Nearly half of all Hispanic Catholics fall in the 20-something age group. They oppose abortion and same-sex marriage more strongly than other Catholics.

"I think it's fair to say that most traditional Catholics are wary of an America being shaped by poor or deficient public policy, and Palin is music to their ears," Peters told OffTheBus.

In a Zogby International poll conducted just after McCain announced Palin would join the ticket, McCain/Palin won 47.1 percent while Obama/Biden won 44.6 percent. Pollster John Zogby: "Clearly, Palin is helping the McCain ticket. She has high favorability numbers, and has unified the Republican Party. The striking thing here in this poll is that McCain has pulled ahead among Catholics by double-digits."

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Comments

[heraldoflord]

Governor Palin is predestinated by God to be President. She is the most important woman raised up by God since Joan Of Arc.Shortly, After being elected in November to Vice-president ,she will ascend to the Presidency and become our greatest President.

[patianneb]

LOL.... too funny....bless your heart!

[HeidiRenee]

What needs to be brought into the light here is that Sarah Palin's denomination really doesn't believe that Catholics will be in heaven. People need to understand that her faith is very exclusive - only the few "frozen chosen" will make it into those pearly gates.

She's not really "one of you" - and in her book, you're "not really one of her club" either.

This is exclusive evangelicalism at it's worst.

[NewArtz]

The concern of electing evangelical dominion-theistic women to public service is that in their minds their husband has dominion over them. For these women, their decisions will always be subject to the headship of their husband as dictated specifically by their role as women. This puts Todd Palin in a stronger relationship to controlling the direction of our government than any woman had as first lady, including Hillary Clinton. This can be no small concern because as a slave to Christ, she is also a slave to her beliefs. Her ideology has usurped elected authority already in her consideration of economic cuts in the state of Alaska. It was a decision minutely orchestrated with her head...Todd.

If you think this is not an issue, then you have little faith in Sarah's faith...Her Lord is Christ and Todd is her head. Ask her.

[lainey]

Here is some information for Catholics-- I grew up in the church and Catholic schools, and for some time attended a non-denominational evangelical church--the evangelicals think that you belong to a cult and aren't really Christian. When I first attended this church and was in a Women's Group, they asked me "So, when did you become a Christian?'. My response "I was always Christian. I was raised Catholic." They all laughed and said "Catholics aren't Christians." Furthermore, because of the Catholic belief in Saints and praying to Mary, the mother of Jesus, this makes them you cult. So, as far as you all backing her because she is "pro-life", remember, she belongs to the stream of Christianity that thinks you are a cult member. Furthermore, check her record on abortion reform...
God is love. Torture, as approved by McCain, is not love. "Thou shall not lie" is a Commandment that the McCain/Palin seem to ignore. God is love. Anything else is not of Him.

[kellygrrrl]

Here's a thought:

We a Nation should be so fortunate some day soon to focus on and decide elections based on Social Issues such as abortion, racism and sexism

Today is most definitely NOT that day

Economy
War
Last 8 years

Please, for the love of God and Nation, People, Focus!

[northcan]

Republicans only see Honor and duty....as a military career. This is far from what Jesus taught or God demands of us. Most people I associate with, honor comes first in your household, then community, then in your everyday life ....with a good heart, respecting others belief's, sacrificing for the vulnerable in society, nursing home, school, church, donating to the homeless or poor......so many ways anyone can be honorable with integrity.­compassion­..

I think McCain truly does have good attributes, but his philosophy in life is terribley twisted and disturbing. Along comes Obama.....­........wh­at happens. Knowone sure how to treat him. He's got great characte, integrity, honesty, compassion, intelligence, culture. They throw everything out there hoping something sticks, pounding away.

What they all did to Obama, .....for 19 month's straight, each and every night.....­..........­..........­I, and I bet you, could never, ever handle. McCain only needs his ego fed and he's roaring to break every straight talk talking point he ever promised. His message is a cheap, irrisponsible, reckless, shallow, anti-social, with ton's of dirt and no character. A lonely man with no substance. An agenda but no goal. That my friends, as he often says, is a loser. He will never convince the American people that he is trustworthy and ready to WORK for the American people.

[northcan]

Babylon the Great; should know all about that. I would not know what tell these women. Yes, they have something in common....their gender, but, I must say, this is how shallow a major part of society is. Forget the issues, the global issues....­..........­.they vote for gender. Tacky, frightening and frankly stupid.

[naturans]

Today the Pope ENDORSED the separation of church and state in France, and emphasized the need to focus on the widening gap between rich and poor for Catholics--not the right wing culture war crap that these self-selectedly conservative catholic students are buying.

They better check with the Pontiff before they go voting for another theocrat--he seems to be against what Palin represents qua government.

[way out left in san francisco]

I was raised Catholic. Catholic girls have rhythm: the ones that don't have birth control. If and when these methods failed the mother's in my neighborhood scheduled and appointment at the women's health center for their daughter. Teenage pregnancy out of wedlock is looked down upon by Catholics, especially Latino Catholics. Unwed pregnant Catholic girls are shunned at church. There are a lot of secret abortions. I don't have enough fingers to count the ones I know about. All the Catholic mothers I know want their daughters to be able to choose their future. Shotgun weddings are few. I cannot believe Catholics approve of Sarah Palin's views and family example.

[luckyt]

Hypocrisy has become a commandment of the Republican Party. Christianity and Patriotism are just banners they wave every four years four their Intellectually challenged base. As a Catholic it is revolting how these nominal Catholics,you know who I'm talking about, the ones who show up at Church on Christmas and Easter, vote for just as phony Christian Republicans.

[diogeron]

I've seen the future of 20 somethings living in a university town and it sure as hell isn't McCain-Palin.

[4gloria]

I'm a just-past-­20somethin­g Catholic and I'd be ashamed to call myself the devout person of my faith that I am if I planned to vote for McCain and Palin. Apart from the "single-issue" people of faith, Catholics by and large respect the life and well being of all. I'd be an irresponsible Christian if I put the power to govern in the hands of McCain and especially Palin. I normally don't personally bash the GOP ticket because Obama and Biden's policy proposals speak for themselves as reasons to vote for them. But the GOP sees suffering as weakness and a burden to society. They see the environment as an inconvenient wrench in their wheels of greed. They see the sanctity of life only applying to the unborn and not to the elderly, the sick or those on death row. They see the dollar signs they are losing when they look at programs we rely on and they seek to make everything for profit. Makes me sick in my heart.

Catholics are sensitive and compassionate people. The GOP has never struck me as either.

[MIVOTE]

Very well said 4gloria! Very well said. Thank you.

[ltva]

I don't get it; S Palin says she is a christian and the right wing nuts go crazy. Forget the fact that she nor her family have been living by the standards that I find in the bible. Everything that is now coming out concerning her and her children show just the opposite--Ms. Palin is being investigated for abuse of power, her daughter is fornicating and pregnant, her children use drugs and drink, they kill animals for sport, they swindle the government by taking money from the state to pay you for time at home--the list goes on. Just because she chose to have a baby with downs syndrome does not make her a saint; there are hundrends of woman in the U.S. who made the same choice. What I find most offensive about people who claim to be conservative christian is that they do the same things as every one else but they condemn and judge others. They have no more connection with God then you or me so they should get over themselves. If these young catholics are attracted to Palin based on her views regarding abortion, then they have put blinders on and chose to ignore her other 'less holy' views.

[BenMajor]

In the name of God and Country, I am calling on Obama supporters to come together and express their frustration and concerns about the disgusting gutter politics the McCain team has adopted. I suggest specifically targeting offices of the media, who are not sufficiently taking McCain to task for distracting the nation from his Bush, and now far-right policies with boldfaced lies and personal attacks.

If the Election Commission cannot find the will or means to create an Truth-in-A­dvertising review board, we will have to respond ourselves. What's the alternative? To sit back and watch more horror unfold and do nothing? We are then complicit in the horrors.

I will try and organize a local protest in NYC. I ask that others join me or start your own.

And rather than be flip about the stakes, Gail, I choose to recognize that there too many lives and livelihoods at stake to do otherwise. As we speak, people are dying and being maimed, are starving and being denies rights, because of the Bush-McCain policies. I cannot live with myself in good conscience to be part of the passive masses.

God helps those who help themselves. God help us.

[pinktshirts]

Hi,

I'm Catholic, 23 year old female AND I CANT STAND SARAH PALIN. Not only am I terrified that she'll be president for a for years during my lifetime, but the only thing she has in common with me is a vagina. Frankly, I don't know what people see in her. What's so appealing about someone who plans on taking away your right to choose and who, on a side note, REALLY needs a stylist.

[Michele Swenson - Huffpost Blogger]

I was raised Catholic, but knew nothing of the history of the Church until doing research for my book. Catholic doctrine surrounding abortion has varied over time. Palin's opposition contraception is not well known.

Some excerpts:

"The highest abortion rates are reported among Catholics and fundamentalist Protestants, those churches most vocally opposed to contraception." (The Janus Report on Sexual Behavior..., Samuel S. Janus, PhD, Cynthia L. Janus, M.D., 1993)

"...women...for thousands of years had served as the physicians of the people and the primary repositories of knowledge about healing. When such knowledge became a perceived threat to the patriarchal church, the Inquisition announced that no one did more harm to the Catholic Church than midwives because they eased the pain of labor ('God’s punishment for Eve’s sin') and interfered with 'God’s will' by use of birth control and abortion......"

"The historic Catholic theory of 'ensoulment,' traceable to the Middle Ages, also served to reinforce women’s subordinate status, holding that a male fetus attained human form, and therefore a soul, about forty days after conception, a process half as long for a female. From the thirteenth century until 1869, when demographic alarms were raised, the Church accepted abortion until 'quickening,' or prior to 'ensoulment'...."

"Jesuit scholar John Connery: 'If anyone expects to find an explicit condemnation of abortion in the New Testament, he will be disappointed. The silence of the New Testament regarding abortion surpasses even that of the Old Testament.'"

[Diogenis]

Perhaps it is time to refer to other theologians, or..scholars..as you put it.