Catholic Discussion of Barack Obama: A Roundup

A survey of some recent online dicussion of Senator Barack Obama's candidacy among Catholics:

• Deal Hudson @ InsideCatholic.com takes a look at Obama's Catholic Problem.
  

• The Barack-ing Point - Leon Suprenant of Catholics United for the Faith's blog asks: "Are there any “proportionate reasons” that could possibly justify a Catholic supporting Senator Obama in the general election?"
  

• Thomas Peters (American Papist) expresses his dismay at Obama's remarks in the last debate about letting Congress intrude in the death (most of us would think murder) of Terri Schiavo: Obama's biggest regret? Not more energetically letting Terri Schiavo die. In Bill Donohue Is Back, So Let’s Recap… (Vox Nova) - Morning's Minion takes the opposite stance, defending Obama's perspective against the Catholic League.
  

• In Catholics for Obama? (Caelum Et Terra ) there is a vigorous discussion prompted by Douglas W. Kmiec's article ("Reaganites for Obama" February 13, 2008); Maclin Horton has decided No'bama for Me, Thanks.
  

• "Mad World of Barack Obama" Creative Minority Report offers a "video essay about the kind of change Barack Obama really supports."
  

• Former Senator Rick Santorum on The Elephant in the Room: Obama: "A harsh ideologue hidden by a feel-good image" Philadelphia Enquirer February 28, 2008.
  

• The Soul of Senator Obama & "The soul of Senator Obama, Part II - Ignatius Press' Carl Olson points two two damning pieces of evidence . . . from Obama himself.
  

Obama Campaign online banner advertisement for the Houston Chronicle
-- buying into his own cult of personality?)

In addition, I found this recent piece interesting: Barack Obama and Me: It was the year 2000 and I was a young hungry reporter in Chicago covering a young hungry state legislator, by Todd Spivack (Houston Press February 28, 2008), if only because it reveals that, scratch the thin veneer of "change" and "unity", and you get a run-of-the-mill self-seeking manipulative politician like any other. It's only a question of time before the facade crumbles following election day (if and when he's voted into office). We can expect more scrutinizing pieces like this one as the mainstream press gets over its initial infatuation with the Senator from Illinois.

Last but not least, our colleague Jay Anderson (Pro Ecclesia) has been devoting numerous posts on his own blog to what makes Obama's candicacy (as well as John McCain's, in all fairness) problematic for the discerning Catholic voter. As Jay states:

although I think it is inaccurate to say that a Catholic voter may not vote for a pro-abortion/"pro-choice" candidate under any circumstances, I think it quite legitimate to say that a Catholic voter SHOULD NOT vote for such a candidate, and that one would have a very difficult obstacle to overcome in finding a "proportionate" and/or "morally grave" reason to justify such a vote.