We’re in the course of one other election season and in full mud-slinging mode.
Elections are an annual occurrence, to 1 degree or one other, however the vote that can dominate this Nov. 8 are generally known as the midterms. It’s when a majority of seats in each the House and Senate are up for grabs, allowing for the party within the minority (on this case the Republicans in each chambers) to potentially becoming the bulk. Midterm elections are also traditionally viewed as referendums on presidents.
This takes us to the Catholic vote and its impact on the end result. This can be a topic that’s receiving little or no mainstream press coverage. As we are saying here at GetReligion: “Hold that thought.”
While inflation and crime will definitely be on the minds of most as they forged ballots, “culture war” issues are very much alive and well. Abortion, especially after this June’s Supreme Court decision that when again made it a state issue after Roe v. Wade was rolled back, will definitely be a difficulty.
There have been many, many news stories about how the abortion issue will motivate those on the political left to return out and vote following the Dobbs decision. The Washington Post, on Oct. 8, reported on the problem in a news feature that appeared under the headline, “Women powered Democrats within the 2018 midterms. Will they again in 2022?”
After opening with two Colorado women, Robin Kupernik and Elizabeta Stacishin, who had joined forces in 2016 to combat Donald Trump, who was elected to the presidency that yr. That is the feature’s thesis:
Within the 2018 midterm elections, women like Kupernik and Stacishin were a part of a women-led army that modified politics. Women who had never been particularly lively politically worked phone banks, wrote postcards and sent text messages to voters. They were repulsed by Trump and determined to do something about it.
They met in small groups, marched within the streets and went door-to-door to encourage people to vote for Democrats. Their passions were palpable. Lots of the congressional candidates they were supporting flipped Republican-held seats, all a part of a political tide strong enough to flush the GOP from control of the House, dealing Trump a serious defeat. The Pew Research Center has estimated that 62 percent of White women with college degrees backed Democrats for the House 4 years ago.
That has change into the main press-coverage storyline of the midterms. Conservatives, after claiming a serious victory within the Dobbs decision, aren’t energized any longer by the problem. Those on the left, nevertheless, are and are poised to stem the bleeding that typically occurs when the president’s party is within the White House.
However the story continues with this:
For much of this yr, the political dynamics gave the impression to be the reverse of 2018 — a insurrection against Biden poised to eliminate Democrats’ slim majorities within the Senate and House. History alone suggested that. However the crosscurrents are more varied than they were 4 years ago. Earlier predictions of sweeping Republican gains have been tempered by the changing political climate, thanks largely to the Dobbs decision, though the GOP stays favored to take control of the House. In the ultimate weeks, with concerns in regards to the economy still dominant, elections could activate how much sustaining energy the Dobbs decision provides for Democrats or whether it fades within the face of bread-and-butter concerns.
Biden’s approval rankings remain well below 50 percent, though his average rating will not be as little as it was a couple of months ago. Inflation continues at decades-high levels. Crime in major cities and a few suburban areas is up. The influx of undocumented immigrants gnaws at many citizens. All that continues to push toward Republican victories.
It then goes on to make a difficulty of Trump and the Jan. 6 riot on the U.S. Capitol.
But what about faith voters and Catholics particularly?
For instance, note that the Washington Post feature, over 6,000 words in length, goes on to discover 4 voter blocs which can be crucial — Blacks, Latinos, working-class white voters and girls with college degrees.
This story, like many within the mainstream press this season, have touched upon social issues that can drive voters to the polls — on each side of the political spectrum — but religion has once more been largely ignored.
The underside line: Whether it’s on issues like abortion or same-sex marriage, transgenderism and college curriculums, faith voters will play their part. If the recent past is any guide, Catholics will play an outsized role within the outcomes depending on the state, especially within the so-called “swing” states.
