The Catholic Vote Today & Tomorrow | National Catholic Reporter

The Catholic Vote Today & Tomorrow | National Catholic Reporter by MSW. MGB: There was not so much a monolithic Catholic vote as an ethnic vote - or rather several ethnic votes.  Indeed, in places like Cascade, Iowa there were separate Catholic communities, each with a parish - in this case, one Irish and one German,  Young people of each parish could not date those of the other - it was considered a mixed marriage (no thought of interracial or inter-religious dating was even consideed). This is no longer the case.  The Catholic ghetto and the Catholic vote have assimilated.  Even in Iowa, although the St. Josephs day events in Cedar Rapids are well known among the Czech community. Still, the Catholics vote like the mainstream because they are out of the ghetto, now assimilated into the mainstream.  Of course, this means that they are no longer reliable left wing voters, but the Democratic Party is only mildly left wing.  On abortion politics, the Catholics are the same - and have been ignoring the Church on this (sadly, including actually having abortions) since Humanae Vitae. The hierarchy is trying to get them to listen, but women will not hear the gospel of life from a male voice - especially when it is fairly clear that mail voice is captured by the Republican Party.  If the hierarchy wants its moral authority, it needs to step away from the ambo at election time.  It is associating with a movement that has not visible end game - which is a great way to fundraise and get out the vote - but it is a bit of a fraud - which is what liberal Catholics know.