Paul Ryan and the GOP appeal to Catholics
August 13, 2012
Deal Hudson, who has helped organize Catholic voters for the Republican Party, believes that the choice of Congressman Paul Ryan as the party’s vice-presidential candidate sets up an interesting comparison with the incumbent vice-president, Joseph Biden. “Indeed, the choice between these two types of Catholic politicians could not be any more plain.”
While Ryan’s pro-life stance contrasts with Biden’s support for legal abortion, Hudson notes that the Republican candidate will draw criticism for his budget-cutting proposals. To win the Catholic vote, the Republican candidates must answer that criticism, he argues. “Romney, Ryan, and their surrogates need to be proactive and explain, before the criticism reaches a fever pitch, how Ryan’s budget does in fact satisfy the “moral criteria” of Catholic social teaching.”
A Los Angeles Times editorial looks at the same question from a different perspective, arguing that Ryan’s views on economic questions will put him at odds with Church leaders, although his pro-life views will be welcomed.
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Further information:
- Paul Ryan’s Catholic Problem (Daily Beast)
- Paul Ryan's budget logic is quandary for some Catholics (Los Angeles Times)
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