Changing the Calculus

Robert George makes the case at First Things that for Catholics, voting Republican is usually the only moral option. But he dreams of being able to vote on matters of importance other than abortion.

I wish that it were possible for pro-life citizens legitimately to support Democratic candidates. I wish that the party of my parents and grandparents had not placed itself on the wrong side of the most profound human rights issue of our contemporary domestic politics. I wish that the killing of embryonic and fetal human beings by abortion and in biomedical research were resolutely opposed by both parties so that we could cast our votes based on our assessments of the candidates’ and parties’ competing positions on taxation, immigration, education, welfare, health-care reform, national security, and foreign policy.

I think this is a wish held by most Americans who desire what is best for their country. Our democracy would be much healthier if the broad range issues weren't so necessarily trumped in many voters minds by this single, sad issue.