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Catholic voters help boost Clinton campaign
Top Headlines The support has propelled Clinton, D-N.Y., to comfortable victories over Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., in states with large Catholic populations. Clinton received 63 percent of the Catholic vote in Ohio and more than 60 percent in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York and California. Political observers say Catholic voters are ignoring her stand on social issues such as abortion and are backing her for a number of other reasons, many having to do with economics. Ray Flynn, the former mayor of Boston and ambassador to the Vatican, said Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, have always enjoyed good support from Catholics because they are identified so closely with issues involving "social and economic justice." Flynn said the Clintons back the kind of policies on health care, job creation, taxes and law enforcement appreciated by working class people, including Catholics. A supporter of Hillary Clinton, Flynn said he has been campaigning for her in Pennsylvania, where there are large pockets of Irish and Polish Catholics, making the state fertile ground for her candidacy. "Most Catholics see her as someone they can identify with," he said. When Rhode Islanders went to the polls March 4, they overwhelmingly supported Clinton - and Catholics were a key to her victory. Outside St. Theresa's Church in Pawtucket, Mike Newman said he voted for Clinton because of the economic record of her husband. He said he is a Catholic and an officer in the Knights of Columbus, but he supported Hillary Clinton because she has a similar attitude as the church when it comes to caring for the less fortunate. "You have to take care of the people, and that is what the church does," he said. Flynn said Catholics like him disagree strongly with the Clintons on issues such as abortion, but support them on other issues. Charles Dunn, dean of the school of government at Regents College, said Hillary Clinton is putting together the same type of political coalition that gained Franklin D. Roosevelt the presidency four times. The coalition included minorities, unions and Catholics. He also said Clinton is doing well among Catholics because her competition in the Democratic primaries is Obama, who is less attractive to Catholics. "They have nothing to gain by going with Obama on moral issues of deep concern to Roman Catholics," said Dunn, who specializes on the role of religion in politics. There are also other demographics at work in the Catholic support for Clinton. She is getting the majority of the votes from Hispanics, and Hispanics tend to be Catholic. Clinton's strongest demographic is older white women, and Catholics are disproportionately older women. Dunn warns, however, that if Clinton wins the Democratic nomination, Catholic support for her could evaporate in the general election against Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona. He said McCain has the ability to pull together President Ronald Reagan's coalition of independents, moderates, blue-collar workers and Catholics to go with traditional conservative Republicans. McCain's moderate politics and his "pro-life, anti-abortion" record could "peel off Catholic votes" if he stresses the social issues, dooming Clinton's candidacy, Dunn said. JIM HAND covers politics for The Sun Chronicle. He can be reached at 508-236-0399 or at jhand@thesunchronicle.com.
Post Your Comments Judygold wrote on Mar 17, 2008 8:12 PM: " Would anyone support a presidential candidate who was "correct" on all issues except his/her support for terrorism?
I am appalled that Ray Flynn and many other Catholics are supporting Hillary Clinton, a strong supporter of terrorism in the womb. " redroses wrote on Mar 17, 2008 4:05 PM: " You just rejected my post, saying that it
had 296 words. Your Current Word Count said it had 238. " Nancy wrote on Mar 17, 2008 10:55 AM: " There's a big difference between BEING a Catholic and Calling oneself a Catholic. Abortion is an intrinisic evil, period, and must come before all "social issues."
Any Catholic who can vote for a women who PRIDES herself on "pro choice", supports same sex marriage, and ESC research, is only living in denial (and possibly serious sin), if they think that social issues overrule the right to human life. It life isn't respected in the womb, it's not respected anywhere else, regardless of the rhetoric. I can understand being a "Democrat", but I myself left the part over the abortoin issue. If all Democrats would follow the no pro life no vote mentality, we could get a pro life democrate. To support Hillary or any pro choice candidate is to be part of the evil, of which we will all be accountable before God. "Calling" yourself a Catholic and supporting Hillary is moreal relativism at it's worst. CATHOLICS WAKE UP. There are 60-70 million of us in AMerica. If we lived the faith, we could get ANYONE into office. Instead, Catholic supporters for Hillary are taken this country into the gutter. " Realist wrote on Mar 13, 2008 2:01 PM: " Obviously I made an editing error. It should have been good "Catholic" people. " jose21 wrote on Mar 13, 2008 1:57 PM: " "but how can good people support someone who's stands have been anti-Catholic"
so only catholics are good people? " skeptic wrote on Mar 13, 2008 9:56 AM: " Maybe it's because she played the victim card so well. "My man cheated but I stuck with him"
It's a typical Democrat attitude of "I'll vote for X because X supports my pet cause. " Realist wrote on Mar 13, 2008 9:48 AM: " I suppose just typing this is being judgmental therefore unchristian, but how can good people support someone who's stands have been anti-Catholic?
Pro-abortion Pro-gay marriage Out right lying to get votes How can you vote for such a person just because she will throw a crumbs your way? " or
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