Deal Hudson says Catholics don’t know the real Obama

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Washington D.C., Jun 26, 2008 / 04:22 am (CNA).- Deal W. Hudson, a Catholic political analyst, has criticized Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, for his stands on abortion and marriage. Hudson has also alleged that some Obama supporters are concealing aspects of the senator’s record which would negatively affect Catholics’ opinions of him.

“Barack Obama's stances on all life and marriage issues are antithetical to Catholic social teaching,” Hudson argued, writing in an article published on Tuesday on InsideCatholic.com. “Only with the departure of Clinton from the campaign has Obama picked up steam with Catholic voters,” he said.

Hudson said that, while there has been a 15 percent increase in the number of Republican-voting Catholics, in 2008 the Iraq War “has destabilized the dynamics of the Catholic vote” and has given Obama a “surprising” traction among Catholic voters.

In Hudson’s view, a “key breakthrough” for Obama came when he was endorsed by Prof. Doug Kmiec, a well-known Catholic pro-life professor of law who served under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush.

Hudson accused Catholic Obama supporters of exploiting Kmiec’s endorsement and creating a perception of moral equivalence between their positions on prudential matters and what he called “non-negotiable life issues.” The present Catholic political debate, Hudson wrote, concerns whether prudential considerations trump “the obligation taught by the Church toward protecting unborn life and families based upon the marriage of a man and a woman.”

Obama backers, Hudson wrote, are lobbying “very effectively” to distract attention from Obama’s support for abortion, which includes support for the procedure known as partial-birth abortion. “They are well-funded and led by people with extensive experience in the Democratic Party and in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops,” Hudson claimed. He also reported that pro-Obama e-mails are now regularly sent to the executive directors of several state Catholic conferences.

Among the negative developments that Obama has experienced with Catholics is the revelation that his Catholic advisory council has a high number of pro-abortion Catholic members. Hudson recounted how Catholic League president Bill Donohue’s call for the committee to disband made national news and was soon followed by the removal of all references to the committee from the Obama campaign’s website. The presence on the committee of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius could also have become an issue after Kansas City Archbishop Joseph Naumann warned her that her support for legal abortion contradicted Catholic morals and that she should not present herself for Holy Communion.

“The last thing the Obama campaign wants is a replay of 2004 when John Kerry was dogged by story after story of bishops who said they would deny communion to politicians who obstinately support abortion rights,” Hudson wrote.

Comments: 16

Subscriber comments:

Published by: Dan in Calgary
Calgary Alberta Canada 07/01/2008 04:18 PM EST

What? Barack Obama's "Catholic advisory council has a high number of pro-abortion Catholic members?"

False!

You can have "pro-abortion members" and you can have "Catholic members," but there is no such thing as a "pro-abortion Catholic member." If you are pro-abortion, you are not Catholic.

I would have a hard time trying to be a Catholic Democrat, let alone a pro-abortion Catholic.

Fake Catholics like
Mr. J love to accuse the Republicans of "slaughter of human beings in Iraq" (which in fact is something the U.S. is trying to STOP OTHERS from doing) and overlook the slaughter of human beings in their own neighborhood. It is sickening.

Published by: Eloy, Helder
Houston/TX 06/29/2008 11:22 PM EST

We will be facing a critical juncture about abortion and other Christian values in this upcoming election. Just think about this: every single day we have a 9/11 massacre in the US with abortions. Yes, about 1 million every year for the last 30 years. We cannot forget that. If only 1% of the total abortions today were considered “necessary”, for any given reason, we would still have 30 American deaths every single day. We fight against the war but we forget about this infanticide we face every single day in this country with help of Planned Parenthood and others who we all know prefer being in the White House.

Published by: Robert A
Charlotte/NC/USA 06/26/2008 07:41 PM EST

Thank you Mr Hudson,

Catholics who vote for Obama should remember that the shed blood of innocents cries out to God. Also, these voters, on Judgment Day, may see the faces of these innocents who were killed by the votes of those who put Obama in office.

Published by: Anne Murphy
Omaha NE, USA 06/26/2008 07:08 PM EST

I totally agree with Mr. Hudson. I can not understand how any Catholic or Christian could support Obama. He is a man who has no regard for human life. That is not the kind of person I want to run my country!

Published by: Dan Hogan
East Machias, Maine, USA 06/26/2008 06:18 PM EST

Support for a law which allows those who choose abortion to obtain decent medical care is not the same as support for abortion. I would really like someone of Deal Hudson's note to explain this more often. I do not support abortion - but I would not like to see those who choose it sent back to the days of back alleys and wire coat hangers!

Published by: Cathy Parker
New Orleans, La. 06/26/2008 03:47 PM EST

I truly hope you can get this message out about Mr. Obama's belief's on abortion and marriage. Catholics need to be aware of this. PLEASE KEEP WRITING ABOUT THIS.

Published by: Michael
Cape Cod, USA 06/26/2008 03:39 PM EST

Obama simply does not agree with the Catholic position on abortion and gay marriage and it is naive to try to believe otherwise. For voters who want abortion and marriage to compel their vote, it should be clear that Obama is not their person. If, on the other hand, the voter looks at additional issues as well, the picture might change. We need to realize we would have done no better with Senator Clinton and possible there are doubts with McCain as well.

Published by: Edward Moul
Norristown, Pa. USA 06/26/2008 03:37 PM EST

This is the kind of information that must be disseminated in churches, and in the liberal media to help derail the campaign stategies of this liberal in "sheeps clothing": Obama!!

Published by: Jim L.
Manchester, MO USA 06/26/2008 03:35 PM EST

Why do we never hear in the media about Obama's support for infanticide:

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=11799

Published by: Thomas
Houston/TX/USA 06/26/2008 03:11 PM EST

Deal wants to tell us what to think but what he will not say is that Catholics don't know the real McCain either. Both choices are non-choices for Catholics. If Deal really cared about the seriousness of the issues facing Catholics in America he would lead by example and stop advocating a false paradigm (left/right) that persistently claims error has rights and that we all should just be good Republicrats. Well, that age is over with.

Published by: Frank Niemiec
Phoenix,AZ, USA 06/26/2008 12:40 PM EST

How a practicing Catholic can support abortion is impossible for me to understand. If you are not a practicing Catholic, then don't call yourself Catholic. Be honest and join a denomination which supports your apostasy.

Published by: Lee Anders
Oswego, IL 06/26/2008 12:22 PM EST

I have great respect for Mr. Hudson but I think the real problem is how many "Catholics" today think that being pro-abortion is O.K. They present themselves for Communion when they go to Mass and think nothing of the sacrilege they are committing. These are the same "Catholics" that co-habitate but don't eat meat on Friday during Lent!! Catechism and what is taught by the Church, what is that?? This cancer of conscience is everywhere. Pray-Pray-Pray...

Published by: Joan L. Roccasalvo
Bronx, NY 06/26/2008 12:14 PM EST

Senator Obama thinks abortion ‘presents a profound moral challenge.’ Is infanticide another ‘profound moral challenge’? To wit: When he was in the Illinois state senate he led the fight to deny health care to babies born alive who survived an abortion.
Who will make this fact known to the public at large?

Published by: Jim
Michigan 06/26/2008 11:01 AM EST

Did I read your article right? Pro-abortion Catholics? Catholics supporting an pro-choice and euthanasia supporter? If I remember right, no "TRUE" Catholic would be in those positions. Are you sure they are Catholic and not some way out Communist group or Freemasons, or maybe Nazi, or just plain Satanic?

Published by: Anna Bartolomei
San Antonio, Texas 06/26/2008 10:19 AM EST

Greetings -

If Catholics were more informed about what their Church teaches, they would know better the "real" Obama. And then once they come to know what the Church teaches, it is a matter of wanting to believe this teaching, with their entire minds and hearts and beings. It's really not that difficult. The problem is that many Catholics live immoral life styles and they do not want to give up these immoral habits due to pride and hardness of hearts. It is a sad situation and we need to continue praying and fasting.

Published by: Mr. J
Tampa/FL 06/26/2008 09:33 AM EST

What is the greater evil? Fighting an unjust war costing thousands of lives or letting gays get married?

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