Thursday, December 15, 2011

Newt's Train Picking Up Speed: Evangelicals on Board, (Some) Catholics Buying Tickets



Two interesting tidbits (interesting to me, at least--and I hope to readers of this blog) about the Gingrich race for the presidency: at Salon, Steve Kornacki thinks the now solidly GOP South is loving us some Newt.  Mitt?  Not so much.


And, though some centrist Catholic political commentators have been trying to spin the news about the ascendancy of Gingrich as all about evangelical support for Newt, and not about Catholic support much at all, influential Catholic blogger Thomas Peters has just issued a glowing statement about why Catholics need to climb aboard the Newt train.  Peters writes, 

On the core issues of life and marriage, Gingrich is seen as strong on both issues and has managed to move past one serious blunder on the life issue.

And I wonder in what universe someone who writes such a statement lives?  In what universe is a thrice-married man who cheated on wives #1 and #2 and is now on wife #3 "strong" "on the core issues of . . . marriage"?  What does "strong on marriage" even mean in such a universe?

Does it all come down to this for Catholics: we're strong on marriage as long as we keep the gays out?  Our own heterosexual marital behavior has no import at all for the meaning of marriage and the strength of marriage?

As I say, I can't imagine what universe Mr. Peters lives in as he makes such a statement.  I surely don't live in that universe.  Nor do I want to do so.

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