Stephen Brainbridge quotes Arhchbishop Chaput’s post on Roman Catholics for Obama and adds:
The Archbishop’s standard—being able to explain your vote, “with a clean heart, to the victims of abortion when we meet them face to face in the next life” puts the problem for people like Andrew Sullivan and Doug Kmiec quite starkly.
I agree this is a problem for Catholic supporters of Obama. But on the flip side, Catholics supporting Republican candidates better be prepared to confront those impacted by the war. Here’s how that conversation might go…
Iraqi mother whose children were killed in the invasion: So, you voted for a candidate who pledged to continue the Iraqi invasion even after you recognized it as a failure.
GOP voter: Yup
Mother: Care to explain?
GOP voter: Well, the candidate who opposed the invasion supported legalized abortion.
Mother: Doesn’t your country already have legalized abortion?
GOP voter: Yes! And that’s the problem. It has to stop!
Mother: Doesn’t your current president oppose legalized abortion?
GOP voter: Yes, he does.
Mother: And your country still has legalized abortion?
GOP voter: Yes, but it’s not that simple. Legalized abortion was brought about by a Supreme Court Ruling that can only be changed by the Supreme Court or a constitutional amendment.
Mother: Oh — has your president proposed such an amendment?
GOP voter: Well, no.
Mother: So explain to me why electing a pro-life president is so crucial that it’s worth my two sons?
GOP voter: Well, the president appoints the Supreme Court Justices.
Mother: Oh, and has your candidate pledged to appoint justices who would overturn this decision?
GOP voter: No, not exactly.
Mother: When did this Supreme Court decision take place?
GOP voter: 1973
Mother: Oh, that’s 35 years ago; so I assume all those justices have since been replaced. For how many of those years have Republicans held the presidency?
GOP Voter: 22
Mother: Oh, so almost all the Supreme Court justices were appointed by presidents who professed opposition to legalized abortion, and still there’s no change?
GOP Voter: Well, you have to understand…
Mother: Well, I understand that your war has demolished my town and taken my sons. And that is a change form the previous president.
GOP Voter: Yes, but war is not an “intrinsic” evil like abortion is, so I must base my vote on abortion.
Mother: Well, it doesn’t make much difference to me whether my sons were killed by an intrinsically evil act or an incorrect prudential judgment. They’re just as dead. But you go ahead and vote on it being more important to keep electing presidents who make vague statements indicating they might end abortion, even though they have not done so for the previous 35 years. I do know they sure can wage war, though.
