Sunday, March 06, 2005
Papal Influence on Presidential Politics
Do you ever wonder why you never read about the effect of papal activity on American politics? Not John Paul II -- I mean Pope John XXIII.
Think about it. Kerry didn't lose by that many votes -- and the post-election polls showed that Bush won the majority of the Catholic vote -- despite the fact that he was running against a Catholic. Unthinkable in 1960 -- in that close race, the Catholic vote won the election for Kennedy. What was the difference? Well, 44 years of change -- featuring the ecumenical movement. The ecumenical movement made Catholics more comfortable voting for the "other guy". The modern ecumenical movement comes from the 2nd Vatican Council, called by. . . you guessed it. . . Pope John Paul XXIII.
So, if there's no Pope John XXIII, Kerry is elected president. Or, if that pope had lived earlier, Nixon beats Kennedy. So Bush wins his first term because all of the Cuban exiles in Florida are mad about that Cuban kid that the Clinton administration sent back to Cuba -- so they support Bush over Gore -- and his second term because of a pope who died 40 years ago.
Is this all true? Well, it's interesting to think about on a Sunday afternoon, but it all comes down to the butterfly. You know, the one who flaps his wings at the equator and causes a snowstorm in Albany 8 weeks later.
Tell you what. I'm "gittin" me a posse together. After the hurricanes in Florida, the rain in southern California, the cold and snow here in Boston this Winter -- well, I'm getting together a few disgruntled citizens. We're going to fly down to the equator, find that miserable little butterfly, and hang him high.
And you're all invited.
Think about it. Kerry didn't lose by that many votes -- and the post-election polls showed that Bush won the majority of the Catholic vote -- despite the fact that he was running against a Catholic. Unthinkable in 1960 -- in that close race, the Catholic vote won the election for Kennedy. What was the difference? Well, 44 years of change -- featuring the ecumenical movement. The ecumenical movement made Catholics more comfortable voting for the "other guy". The modern ecumenical movement comes from the 2nd Vatican Council, called by. . . you guessed it. . . Pope John Paul XXIII.
So, if there's no Pope John XXIII, Kerry is elected president. Or, if that pope had lived earlier, Nixon beats Kennedy. So Bush wins his first term because all of the Cuban exiles in Florida are mad about that Cuban kid that the Clinton administration sent back to Cuba -- so they support Bush over Gore -- and his second term because of a pope who died 40 years ago.
Is this all true? Well, it's interesting to think about on a Sunday afternoon, but it all comes down to the butterfly. You know, the one who flaps his wings at the equator and causes a snowstorm in Albany 8 weeks later.
Tell you what. I'm "gittin" me a posse together. After the hurricanes in Florida, the rain in southern California, the cold and snow here in Boston this Winter -- well, I'm getting together a few disgruntled citizens. We're going to fly down to the equator, find that miserable little butterfly, and hang him high.
And you're all invited.
# posted by Bill @ 11:44 AM 
