The Catholic Vote

Of all the things influencing her politics, Teresa McArthur's faith comes in first.

"My being Catholic affects everything I do, including how I vote," the Augusta native and mother of five said.

So far, she is leaning toward U.S. Sen. John McCain because he has the more conservative stance on abortion.

Fewer than half of Catholics have made the same decision. They are divided almost evenly, with 42 percent favoring Mr. McCain and 47 percent supporting U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, according to the Pew Forum 2008 Religion and Public Life Survey telephone poll of nearly 3,000 adults in July and August.

Historically, Catholics have been fluid with their support of political candidates. The group - roughly 27 percent of the electorate - has been a key voting bloc since the 1970s.

Before Election Day, analysts busy themselves determining how this swing group will vote: Will it vote Republican in an attempt to preserve the church's anti-abortion teachings? Or will it vote Democratic in support of programs that care for the poor and the environment?

Catholics are largely urged to make up their own minds, said the Rev. Jerry Ragan, the pastor of St. Mary on the Hill Catholic Church.

"We do not authorize the distribution of partisan political materials on parish property," he wrote in an e-mail explaining the church's nonpartisan approach.

He directs his parishioners toward a Web site created by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, www.faithfulcitizenship.org.

"The bishops strongly urge all parishioners to register, to become informed on key issues, and to vote," he wrote. "The Church does not support or oppose any candidate, but seeks to focus attention on the moral and human dimensions of issues."

He says those issues include reverence for life from conception to natural death, a concern for the common good and the poor, and stewardship of the Earth.

Opinions among U.S. Catholics vary widely, on abortion, a fact that gives the group its reputation as a dominant swing vote.

About half, 49 percent, say abortion should be kept legal, and 47 percent counter that it should not be, according to the Pew Forum 2008 Religious Landscape Survey, which polled 35,000 adults from May through August.

Mrs. McArthur, a member of the Church of the Most Holy Trinity, says she is adamantly against abortion.

"It's at the top of my list," said Mrs. McArthur, who converted to Catholicism 26 years ago. "It means respect for all human life, including not supporting capital punishment, and giving care to the poor so they have everything they need to live."

Mr. McCain's vice presidential pick, Sarah Palin, bolstered her support for the candidate. The Alaska governor is known for her outspoken stance against abortion, and she made headlines this week with the news that her unmarried 17-year-old daughter is pregnant and has chosen to keep the child.

"She seems sincere," Mrs. McArthur said. "She'll be a pretty good pick because she represents pro-life interests."

Though half of Catholics are against abortion, not nearly as many are Republican. A June survey from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate found that 21 percent of Catholic voters identify themselves as Republicans, compared with 31 percent in 2004.

Catholics are increasingly identifying as Democrats. About 48 percent lean Democratic or are strongly Democratic.

Despite gains among Catholics, Mr. Obama isn't gaining votes or faring any better against Mr. McCain than Sen. John Kerry did against President Bush in 2004. Four years ago, at this point in the campaign, Catholics gave Mr. Kerry a slight edge over Mr. Bush, but he lost that lead by the election, coming in 5 percentage points behind Mr. Bush.

The Massachusetts candidate's Catholic faith didn't influence Joe Jackson's vote.

"Just because John Kerry is a Catholic didn't mean I was going to vote for him. I'm not going to judge another man, but there are a lot of cafeteria Catholics out there, and they're not conservative," said Mr. Jackson, Augusta Commission's 6th District member and a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church.

Neither Mr. Jackson nor Mrs. McArthur said Mr. Obama's vice presidential pick, Joe Biden - a son of Irish Catholics who has said he once considered the priesthood - had any influence on their vote.

"When I look at somebody saying they're Catholic, I want to know how they're living that out," Mrs. McArthur said. "It's a balancing act. No party offers everything to us Catholics."

Mr. Jackson said he can appreciate Mr. Biden's anti-abortion views, but "if you look at the moral issues, I don't agree with Obama."

"I feel like he doesn't go along with what I believe in," he said, "and that's pro-life."

Reach Kelly Jasper at (706) 823-3552 or kelly.jasper@augustachronicle.com.