Former Vatican ambassador (and former Boston mayor) Ray Flynn criticized the Democrat Party for ignoring Catholicvoters. Flynn says that the Democratic candidates have been pandering to feminists and organized labor and minorities, but not Catholics, who traditionally voted Democrat, but starting in the 1980s with Reagan have drifted toward the Republican Party. Flynn said the Nine Dwarves are ducking the “real issues” of abortion and gay marriage and government aid to parochial schools.
I like Ray Flynn, but I think as a politician he’s clueless. Face it, Ray, the Democrat Party won’t address those issues, because it will just make faithful Catholics realize that the party doesn’t represent them any more. The door closed on the Democrat Party that Ray is trying to resurrect back in 1992 when Gov. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania was refused a spot at the party’s national convention to speak because he was pro-life.
The big problem is that most Catholics don’t vote their faith, they don’t vote as a bloc. Massachusetts, with 50 percent of the population nominally Catholic, is a prime example. We consistently elect statewide and national officeholders who explicitly reject the most basic Christian beliefs.
Why should the Dems pay any attention to Catholics when Catholics are so willing to vote Democrat whatever baloney they throw at us.
Even at the state and local level fewer and fewer Democrats, Catholic or not, are pro-life. Some remain in positions of power, like Tom Finneran and (??) Rogers of Norwood, but the rank-and-file are not. And seeing how the radical angry fringe is taking over the Democrat Party I wonder if anything can save it.
Oh and to get an interesting idea of cultural voting patterns, I attended St. Patrick’s Church here in Portland, ME, for the feast day today. One of the stained glass windows depicted John and Bobby Kennedy with the presidential seal and Capitol Building. Talk about inappropriate liturgical art: They were far from saints.