Any Catholics here?

[TexasBushwhacker]

I know that Catholics used to be staunch Democrats, but many started to move to the right in the 70s. In the last couple of presidential elections, the Catholic vote has pretty much been 50/50.

With Bernie's stand on climate change and income inequality, do you think there's any chance that Catholics might support him? There's a pretty big "Republicans for Bernie" movement, with many members that are active or former military.

[ion_theory]

1. The pope's message is going

to significantly fracture the Republican party I think. Even more so than people have been discussing. For decades they've been using people's religious beliefs to push their fundamentalist capitalist agenda, but this new "Marxist" pope has seen the pit that those economic policies produce, i.e. the US involvement in South America. The GOP Catholics are going to have to end up choosing between their political affiliates and their religious leaders. I just hope they choose right.

[sabrina 1]

2. I think you are right about the 50/50 Catholic vote. I am certain that many Catholics

from both parties will support Bernie, who is thrilled with Pope Francis' stand on the Enviroment, Repub Catholics will have to rethink what Fox has been telling them now, coming from the Pope, they will have to start questioning their own party. Not to mention his stand on looking out for the poor, rather than the Rich.

In fact the Pope's message on poverty, Money and the Rich, and the Environment are very much in tune with Bernie's. Raised a Catholic here and see Bernie as far more close to REAL Christianity than ANY of the others as he is talking more like the leader Republicans Christians claim to follow, than any of them do.

Iow, this Pope is helping Bernie's campaign.

[TexasBushwhacker]

4. It seems like there was a big swing to the right

after abortion became legal. Was that what caused the shift?

[DebJ]

6. I am a lapsed Catholic, but that was the gist of what I read in news stories and

interviews.

And I think the Latino/Hispanic (excuse me I'm uncertain which term is the correct one to use?)
voters, which are a large percentage of Catholics, were very much in this vein. So watching their
vote will be interesting from this angle as well........

[MisterP]

10. I think the shift began a little in the 60s with Bishop Sheen okaying Vietnam (for a while)

and a general shift in the 70s, though this was more to an economically Nixon-style Republicanism with less of the bilious White resentment the non-WASP/New Englander President rode on

BUT while abortion was what pushed the USCCB rightwards, they never greenlit the grinning gold-toothed Reaganomics that was based on windfall oil and pure speculation; in fact it was the Catholic bishops that were the first and loudest to condemn Reagan's Central America policy (I think, like, ONE prelate was okay with it): the WH was really pissed; abortion kept the bishops further right on that issue in the 90s (Clinton didn't see two dozen dead priests and *applaud* like Reagone did) but again not really part of the GOP's shifting alliances: even if it's used against abortion and LGBT in the worst ways you can't really call Thomism *right-wing*

[sabrina 1]

11. I don't think so. I know a lot of moderate Republicans who are not opposed to abortion at all.

They USE that as a wedge issue but most Republicans I have ever known are Repubs because of Economics. They think the Repub Party is better on economics. In the end everything comes down to money.

Those same Republicans like their pot, their 'free sex' etc and in every way, other than finance, they could be liberals, and with the extremism in their party right now, many have left the party, their membership is down to 29% of registered voters. Bernie could get some of those former Repubs.

In fact I saw a few of them on Huffpo talking about Bernie. One of them stated that he had always voted Republican, but that he was finding Bernie very interesting. He agreed with him on the direction in which this country was going, didn't agree with him on some issues, but said 'the guy is HONEST, he's a straight talker, tells the truth and he has convictions, I like that, you have to respect that'. He said he was going to vote for him because there was no one in his party he could support and the country 'needs a new direction'.

Then another guy who said he was a Southern Conservative agreed, he said he liked Bernie, he liked people who were honest and didn't lie or avoid questions just to get himself elected. He said 'I don't agree with him on some issues, but I'm going to vote for him also'.

We are led to believe that all Republicans are rabid, crazy, Fox viewers who have no brains. That is not the way it is in the real world. But it suits those in power to keep people divided.

What is happening now, where people on all sides are beginning to realize this and find that there are things we all know must be changed for the sake of this country, that is what those in power fear the most, that the people will unite against their policies.

I've noticed eg, that people don't react to the old 'oh, did you see what Ann Coulter said today' routine that would get 300 recs on Dem forums. People realize now that that was all a distraction from the real issues that affect their lives.

Things are changing, but those in power are very out of touch with the people so I think they are stunned at how successful Bernie is, not understanding WHY.

[TexasBushwhacker]

13. I remember the days when Repubs and Dems could

talk to each other. Growing up in the 60s and 70s, the wedge issue was Vietnam. The GOP were hawks and the Dems were doves. Once the war was over, inflation, the economy and taxation became the big issues. Then Reagan came along in 1980 and beat Carter by a landslide electorally. The funny thing is, he only got 50.7% of the popular vote.

The thing that get's me is how "conservatives" think they are more fiscally responsible. What's conservative about spending more and more on the DOD during PEACETIME? What's conservative about starting wars and cutting taxes at the same time? What's conservative about letting oil & gas companies pump cracking fluids underground that contain carcinogenic compounds that could taint our drinking and farming water (and that's just counting the chemicals they admit to)? The "conservatives spend lots of money. They just spend it on different things than the Dems and they won't raise taxes to cover the costs. That's not conservative. It's reckless.

[sabrina 1]

14. Yes, it is hard to understand why they think Repubs are fiscally Conservative, but

propaganda works I guess. I think the younger generation has access to far more information so they are a lot more informed about the facts than the older generation who depended on the MSM.

When you consider that only 29% of registered voters are Republicans, that isn't a majority by any means. Dems now down to 32%. People are leaving both major parties and either dropping out of the system or registering as Independents, which is now the largest voting bloc in the country.

[historylovr]

3. I am.

Granted, I haven't been to church in a while, but I think his chances with Catholics are as good as anyone's. The hard right ones won't vote for him of course. That's to be expected. But there are still liberals out here in the laity who will support him, I think.

[swilton]

5. Liberation Theology

is the merger of Christianity with Marxism....

Seemed to be at work in Latin America....I see the Catholics having their own revolution.

[ALBliberal]

7. Catholic here. We will never get the single issue anti-abortion voters but I expect a bigger split

. Pope Francis will pull more to our side. Bernie being an independent will help us here. I think it will be 60/40 our favor.

[Gman]

8. American Catholics will examine, then pick and choose

The pronouncement against birth control being the most noteworthy. So it's difficult at best to say. They are not monolithic. I think, as a Catholic, people will weigh Francis' message against their own conservatism/liberalism/middleism in general and decide how much weight to give to it. It's not like what Francis said is dogma.

[raouldukelives]

9. Only the ones who actually feel what the Pope says carries weight.

I'm not a Catholic myself so I don't know how seriously he is regarded, at least, in this country.

I'm pretty sure Italy would be on board.

[mmonk]

12. Actually, the most I work with are not Moral Majority types,

but Moral Monday types.

[restorefreedom]

15. not anymore but was for a long time

catholic church seem to pride itself on fighting for the poor and supporting a living wage. frances is tapping into that. so is bernie. i see a nice meeting of minds that could sway many catholics. and as much as the hierarchy tries to push catholics into voting prolife (so usually r), most catholics i know are multi issue voters. i am hopeful