Washington D.C., Apr 1, 2008 / 19:18 pm
Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign is reaching out to Catholics in hopes of winning their votes for the November presidential election, the Dallas Morning News reports.
Catholics, who compose about 25 percent of the electorate, were once overwhelmingly Democratic voters. In recent decades significant numbers of them have moved towards the Republican Party, turning the Catholic vote into a key swing vote constituency.
The McCain campaign has announced that it enjoys support from a group of 100 prominent Catholics, headed by former presidential candidate and Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas.
Rob Wasinger, Brownback’s former campaign manager, said Senator McCain was “a natural for Catholics.” Wasinger cited McCain’s pro-life stand and his position against homosexual marriage as reasons for his appeal to Catholics. Wasinger also said the Arizona senator’s opposition to torture, his moderate views on immigration, and his stand on the environment could help him win Catholics’ votes.