Tony Esolen On Mythical Candidates

Tony Esolen left an eloquent comment on Deal Hudson's defense of Archbishop Dolan and Bill Donohue which speaks perfectly for nearly all of us informed practicing Catholics. There is really only one choice in any given political race, and that is whether to vote for a Republican or not to vote at all. The comment is about halfway down the page; here's an excerpt:

They are allergic to the full and vibrant interplay of religious faith and public life; they are the ones who would sue, or who would look the other way while someone else sued, if a football coach -- horrors -- should join with his team before a game in prayer;

Want more? They do not believe that the family is PRIOR to the state, and has legitimate rights that the State must recognize; they do not, therefore, believe in free association (see the Boy Scouts again), the freedom upon which the Catholic principle of subsidiarity is based.

I'm a Catholic father and homeschooler, and I think I know my enemies.

But even if I am wrong about this, and I had a choice between voting for your two mythical candidates, I would apply my Principle of the Autobahn. Candidate A is worthless; Candidate B would build the Autobahn and fix the economy and make us all proud of ourselves again and round up innocent people to be incarcerated (and then gassed or starved or shot).

I vote for Candidate A, or I stay home. I will not vote for a Nazi. I will not vote for a pro-abortion candidate, period. That's not single-issue voting. It's a filter, or a block. If you served me a plate of French cuisine with excrement on it, well, I'd decline the honor of the meal; and it would not be single-entree dining, either. You give me two reasonable people with the moral sensibility of the average retriever, and then I'll have a genuine choice. Give me Al Smith and Herbert Hoover, and then I'll have things to think about.

Many people know that the "single-issue voter" accusation is a canard, but Mr. Esolen succinctly explains why the behavior unfairly labeled thus is actually more thoughtful than the "enlightened" liberal approach.

Another thought: I agree partially with those who cast blame at the Republican Party for not doing more when in power to fight legalized abortion. But I can't agree fully, mainly due to one thing: money. When a woman decides to abort, the revenue generated from the procedure lubricates the lobbying gears and helps fund the Democrat machine. If the same woman decides not to, the Republicans make $0. The deck is stacked.