# Why Is Obama Pissing Off Catholic Voters Unneccesarily? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 9, 2012, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-obama-pissing-off-catholic-voters-unneccesarily/612286 "2012-02-09T06:06:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-obama-pissing-off-catholic-voters-unneccesarily/612286/182 "2012-02-13T21:27:53Z")
> [@SeldomSeen](#): > > Catholic doctrine regards vasectomies & tubal ligations in the same light as any other form of birth control; i.e. forbidden. … For Catholics or for everyone? Do they really care if non-Catholics use birth control or eat fish on Fridays? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-obama-pissing-off-catholic-voters-unneccesarily/612286/183 "2012-02-13T21:34:13Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > For Catholics or for everyone? Do they really care if non-Catholics use birth control or eat fish on Fridays? Everyone _should_ be a Catholic, so birth control is wrong for everyone. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-obama-pissing-off-catholic-voters-unneccesarily/612286/184 "2012-02-14T04:03:43Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > And the few moderate GOP Senators (read: Snowe and Collins) are already jumping off that ship. > > **I really can’t believe that the GOP is allowing the Health Care fight to be on such fertile ground for Democrats.** Fight the underlying bill, not the one component that seems very well supported. Now Obama can very easily paint the repeal efforts as an attack on contraception. > > This is almost as dumb as attacking PPACA by railing against the pre-existing conditions clauses or the limits on rescission. Umm, just as constructive criticism here, the accepted convention for that bolded sentence is: > [@](#): > > I really can’t believe that the GOP is allowing the Health Care fight to be on such fertile **(heh)** ground for Democrats. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-obama-pissing-off-catholic-voters-unneccesarily/612286/185 "2012-02-14T06:38:03Z")
> [@](#): > > I really can’t believe that the GOP is allowing the Health Care fight to be on such fertile ground for Democrats. Fight the underlying bill, not the one component that seems very well supported. Except _every_ component is very well supported. The health care bill is composed entirely of things that most people like. The problem is that so many people don’t realize that that’s what it’s composed of. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-obama-pissing-off-catholic-voters-unneccesarily/612286/186 "2012-02-14T17:41:03Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Except _every_ component is very well supported. The health care bill is composed entirely of things that most people like. The problem is that so many people don’t realize that that’s what it’s composed of. Understood. Which is why the best way to attack it is to attack the whole thing, not any particular part of it. And certainly not this part. Call it a government intrusion, say it will cut Medicare, say it will ration care - do whatever you have to do to make people support repeal (or, perhaps, “repeal and replace”). If you absolutely must attack one particular part you attack the piece that is not particularly well supported - the individual mandate. Personally I would advise the GOP candidates to avoid talking about what Obamacare does in specifics at all. Just talk bad about it as a concept and as part of increasing government involvement in daily life. That’s a much stronger and more popular message than “let church-run employers deny coverage for contraception”. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-obama-pissing-off-catholic-voters-unneccesarily/612286/187 "2012-02-26T18:43:11Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > They do object to capital punishment and military funding, but they’re not being required by law to provide either. What they’re particularly objecting to here is that they’re being required to pay for contraceptive funding for their employees. They’re not complaining for disinterested, abstract reasons. Insurance is a part of a person’s wages so in away the church is telling their employees how they should spend their money. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-obama-pissing-off-catholic-voters-unneccesarily/612286/188 "2012-02-26T18:50:13Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > Understood. Which is why the best way to attack it is to attack the whole thing, not any particular part of it. And certainly not this part. > > Call it a government intrusion, say it will cut Medicare, say it will ration care - do whatever you have to do to make people support repeal (or, perhaps, “repeal and replace”). If you absolutely must attack one particular part you attack the piece that is not particularly well supported - the individual mandate. > > Personally I would advise the GOP candidates to avoid talking about what Obamacare does in specifics at all. Just talk bad about it as a concept and as part of increasing government involvement in daily life. That’s a much stronger and more popular message than “let church-run employers deny coverage for contraception”. And Government interferring in peoples private life isn’t? When it comes to who a person marries, if they have children or not. The Conservatives don’t want to pay taxes for the support of the children already born or the,educaton,etc.of the same children. They should make up their minds, either help with the child rearing or let a couple decide for them selves what they do in their own homes,as long as it is caring for the children they have and not having children they can’t afford to educate,clothe,feed and give medical care to. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-obama-pissing-off-catholic-voters-unneccesarily/612286/189 "2012-02-28T04:46:47Z")
Why Is Obama Pissing Off Catholic Voters Unnecessarily? Based on Santorum’s latest attack on Obama, i.e. being a snob for wanting people to go to college, it’s pretty clear there isn’t anything Obama can say that won’t piss off idiots. ---
**Author:** ![leejacky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ec9cab/32.png) [@leejacky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leejacky)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-obama-pissing-off-catholic-voters-unneccesarily/612286/190 "2012-05-28T08:35:20Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > Why Is Obama Pissing Off Catholic Voters Unnecessarily? > Based on Santorum’s latest attack on Obama, i.e. being a snob for wanting people to go to college, it’s pretty clear there isn’t anything Obama can say that won’t piss off idiots. Maybe the catholic voters make obama pissed ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-obama-pissing-off-catholic-voters-unneccesarily/612286/191 "2012-05-28T10:29:42Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > This is the part that makes no sense to me. Is paying for part of it less sinful in their minds than paying for all of it? Yeah, cuz if they’re only paying for half of a condom it should be just about as effective as the rhythm method. > [@Lightnin'](#): > > One would think, then, that they would object just as strenuously to military funding and capital punishment, both decidedly right-wing planks. Actually, it’s entirely permissible to join the military as a Catholic. Don’t see how it jibes with “do not resist evil”, but there you go. Edit: As for whether there is a principled approach to opposing all forms of sex… A staggering number of Americans think [pre-marital sex is wrong](http://www.gallup.com/poll/8704/current-views-premarital-extramarital-sex.aspx), despite liberal Hollywood’s best attempts to normalise it. Out of interest, I compared that to the [UK](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7202947.stm) and found [this article](http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2372/is_4_35/ai_53390352/) too. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-obama-pissing-off-catholic-voters-unneccesarily/612286/192 "2012-05-28T13:43:37Z")
> [@gamerunknown](#): > > As for whether there is a principled approach to opposing all forms of sex… A staggering number of Americans think [pre-marital sex is wrong](http://www.gallup.com/poll/8704/current-views-premarital-extramarital-sex.aspx), despite liberal Hollywood’s best attempts to normalise it. Out of interest, I compared that to the [UK](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7202947.stm) and found [this article](http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2372/is_4_35/ai_53390352/) too. A good percentage (steadily falling, by the way) of the population may say they \*think \*premarital sex is wrong… [but their actions would tend to indicate they think that it’s actually okay](http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-12-19-premarital-sex_x.htm). I’d say it’s another example of “Do as I say, not as I do.” ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2012, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-obama-pissing-off-catholic-voters-unneccesarily/612286/193 "2012-05-28T14:47:20Z")
> [@gamerunknown](#): > > As for whether there is a principled approach to opposing all forms of sex… A staggering number of Americans think pre-marital sex is wrong, despite\*\* liberal Hollywood’s\*\* best attempts to normalise it. Out of interest, I compared that to the UK and found this article too. Bolding mine. You misspelled “sex hormones.” ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-obama-pissing-off-catholic-voters-unneccesarily/612286/194 "2012-05-29T02:08:42Z")
> [@Lightnin](#): > > A good percentage (steadily falling, by the way) of the population may say they \*think \*premarital sex is wrong… [but their actions would tend to indicate they think that it’s actually okay](http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-12-19-premarital-sex_x.htm). > > I’d say it’s another example of “Do as I say, not as I do.” No, it’s a matter of people once again being horrible at predicting their own future actions when factors have affected their judgment. Or, to put it another way, humans are horrible at figuring out what they would do when given the temptation. Or they could be like me. I personally still believe premarital sex is wrong, but I also recognize that, if pressed by a sufficiently attractive woman, I would be hard pressed to say no. Especially as a teen–now I think I might be a little stronger since I have objective reasons I can use. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-obama-pissing-off-catholic-voters-unneccesarily/612286/195 "2012-05-29T02:45:29Z")
Does it help Obama’s Catholiccred any, that he appointed Sotomayor and thereby solidified the Supreme Court’s **Catholic majority?** (Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Alito, Sotomayor, all papest mackerel-snappers. Ginsburg, Breyer and Kagan are Jewish. No Prots at all.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-obama-pissing-off-catholic-voters-unneccesarily/612286.md?page=9)