End of Catholic vote in Pa?

Timothy McNulty | October 29, 2008

From Tim Rutten at the LA Times, another look at the Catholic vote, which he says does not seem to be reliably flipping votes in Pa:

That approach isn't working for John McCain, particularly in Pennsylvania, where strategists in both parties seem to agree the Republican nominee's chances will rise or fall.

That's interesting because if there's any place in America where the traditional blue-collar, ethnic white Catholics who voted in such numbers for Reagan and Bush continue to make their electoral clout felt, it's in the Keystone State. Western Pennsylvania, where both McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin, have campaigned so hard, is a citadel of family-minded, working-class, white ethnic Catholics.

In fact, nearly one-third of all Pennsylvanians are Catholics, and in recent weeks, McCain's candidacy has received a major boost from their clerical leaders. Last week, Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia wrote in his archdiocesan newspaper: "The transcending issue of our day is the intentional destruction of innocent human life, as in abortion ... [and] no intrinsic evil can ever be supported in any way."

Yet Barack Obama continues to lead McCain by double figures in every reliable Pennsylvania poll.

Backing up Rutten's thesis, Catholics support Obama over McCain 49 to 39 in the F&M Pa poll released today.

In related news, Biden's Catholic former bishop in Wilmington, Del., was among those placing pressure on Catholic voters, and due to Biden's support of abortion rights said the senator would be barred from speaking in Catholic schools, even if he becomes VP. (Catholic Exchange) His new bishop, W. Francis Malooly, has also blasted him. (Catholic Culture)

Here's our earlier report on another Catholic church dustup, over a well-known Duquesne professor's endorsement of Obama.

Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik is among those calling on Catholics to have abortion stances guide their vote, but is not endorsing specific candidates. More on bishops here at the essential Whispers In The Loggia blog.