What Catholics give, Catholics might just take away.
As you might remember a majority of self professed Catholics voted for Mr. Hopenchange. But now, just because Obama wants to take away a little teeny tiny thing called reliigous liberty, the Hill is reporting that Obama might could be a little worried.
Oh, you stupid Catholics with your hatred of free love might just cost Barack “the supplier of all things wonderful” Obama the presidency.
You’ve got to imagine how this disturbs the media and the Obama administration. Look how they went to the trouble of making this issue all about the “War on Women.” But sadly, it seems that didn’t take.
In fact, according to Powerline, Romney’s doing darn well among women and that Obama’s pushing the meme of the “War on women” has backfired and is actually hurting him.
Poor Barack “I won” Obama is so used to having his way with the American people and having gotten so used to winning every political battle with relative ease that he doesn’t actually know what to do with the bishops. Far from retreating, the bishops are ramping up their efforts against the administration.
The Hill reports:
Earlier this month, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called for two weeks of public protest in June and July against what it sees as growing government encroachment on religious freedom.
The protests are expected to include priests and nuns and thousands of Catholic parishioners. Some activists expect civil disobedience, which could lead to powerful images of priests and nuns being led away in hand restraints.
“This is the most dynamic situation I’ve ever seen since I’ve been involved in Catholics and politics,” said Deal Hudson, president of Catholic Advocate, who also headed Catholic outreach for the Bush-Cheney presidential campaign in 2000 and 2004. “I think civil disobedience is almost inevitable. I think that kind of protest is on the way.”
Republican strategists say the rallies and protests could become powerfully symbolic in the presidential election.
“These would be devastating images for the Obama administration,” said Ron Bonjean, a Republican strategist. “You have a very important religious demographic coming out in protest of Obama’s policies and being arrested for their expression. These images would be politically damaging for the president’s campaign.”
And the conference could go beyond protests — it has also discussed working with evangelical Christian groups on a broader public relations campaign that could include television and radio ads.
Steven Wagner, the president of QEV Analytics, a polling firm that recently conducted a survey for The Catholic Association, said religion could emerge as a sleeper issue in the election: “Everyone says this election is about the economy. I can see the issue of religious liberty being what decides the race. If Obama continues to lose Catholics by the margin the Pew poll suggests, that means he could lose the key swing states of Florida, Ohio, Colorado and Iowa.”
Losses in those states could cost Obama the White House, and the states are likely aware of that fact. Wagner noted the administration will likely try to be careful and avoid provoking Catholic activists before the election.
Obama has lost support among Catholic voters since the beginning of his term. A March 21 poll by the Pew Research Center found a “noticeable shift in opinions” among white Catholics in their views of the administration. Thirty-one percent of white Catholics now describe it as unfriendly to religion, compared to 17 percent in August of 2009.
Who would’ve thought just a few years ago that the bishops would be so unified and so effective in their opposition to the Obama administration? Let’s pray that it continues.
