Religion & Law

"Reaganites for Obama"

By Rick Garnett

Thanks, Michael.  I was, I admit, surprised -- but, no surprise, not at all persuaded -- by Prof. Kmiec's essay.  Doug Kmiec has been a friend, and mentor, to me for a long time.  But, like they say, even Homer nodded.

Of course, if Doug is merely predicting that many Catholics will vote for Sen. Obama, then he is certainly right.  And, if Doug is merely observing that there are somethings about Obama, the "tone" of his campaign, and some of his policy positions that Catholics, as Catholics, could find attractive, then he is also certainly right.  But, one problem, it seems to me, is this:

"Beyond life issues, an audaciously hope-filled Democrat like Obama is a Catholic natural."

There's kind of an "other than that, Mrs. Lincoln . . . " vibe to this sentence.  In case we've forgotten, here is a "top ten list"-style collection of the various reasons Sen. Barack Obama -- who describes here, in his "Call to Renewal" address, the importance to him of his Christian faith -- has given for his vote against the Illinois Born Alive Infant Protection Act.

I also thought it was strange, in Kmiec's piece, that he said "there's something deeply hypocritical about being a nation of immigrants that won't welcome any more of them", in a piece whose main point seems to be that Catholics should prefer Obama to Sen. McCain.  Unlike Sen. Obama, though, Sen. McCain has taken actual political risks, and shown genuine political courage, in trying to move our immigration policies and conversation in the way that Doug, and I, think it should move.

Kmiec writes:

Anyone seeking "liberty and justice for all" really can't be satisfied with racially segregated public schools that don't teach.

Indeed not.  Nor can such a person be satisfied with signing over education policy to the teacher-unions.  Sen. Obama (unlike Sen. McCain) does not support school choice, and -- in effect -- prioritizes the needs of teacher-union members ("[who don't] teach"] over religious freedom and social justice for poor kids.  Such a person is not, and should not be regarded as -- even by those who decide that, all things considered, he's the better choice -- a "Catholic natural."

Full post as published by Mirror of Justice on February 15, 2008 (boomark / email).