President Biden has returned from two visits to Europe, one to mark the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings during World War II and another to mark the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings during World War II. G7 MeetingIn Italy.
The visits underscored Biden’s foreign policy skills and highlighted the risks of fracturing key U.S. security alliances if Donald Trump returns to the presidency.
Many political commentators have drawn parallels between Biden’s visit to Normandy and that of Ronald Reagan 40 years ago, when both men spoke at Pointe du Hoc and delivered nearly identical lines praising American courage and the fight for democracy.
Reagan, 1984 Said“Democracy is the most honorable form of government that man has devised, and therefore it is worth giving one’s life for.”
40 years later, Biden echoes Reagan’s lead“We must uphold their mission and be the bearers of the flame of freedom that they kept burning brightly.”
But a key point was overlooked: Both visits came during election years, when appealing to Catholic voters was key for both Reagan and Biden. In 1984, ReaganDiplomatic recognition was grantedA visit to the Vatican has long been a goal of the Holy See.
Following the announcement, Faith Whittlesey, a White House adviser, said: Said“Ordinary Roman Catholics are happy that this has come to pass.” Indeed, they were.
Earlier this year, television networks broadcast photos of Joe Biden’s meeting with Pope Francis. First encounterWhen the pope takes office in 2021, Francis called Biden a “good Catholic,” to which Biden responded by expressing his gratitude: “God Loves YouThe Pope’s tacit approval can only benefit Biden. The Pope is currently75 percentSupport among American Catholics.
The Catholic vote matters. In 1952, the Republicans made an earnest appeal to people from Eastern Europe, many of whom were Catholic. Four years later, the Republicans Nationality CategoryWithin the Republican National Committee.
Party Chair Advice received85% of voters with relatives behind the Iron Curtain lived in 17 states, giving them a total of 302 electoral votes.States with large Catholic populations States including New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island voted in support of Ike.
Capitalizing on Catholic alienation, the Democrats nominated John F. Kennedy for president in 1960. The gamble paid off in spades, and Kennedy nearly won. 8 out of 10 Catholic votes.And the states with the largest Catholic populations listed above are:ExiledFrom Eisenhower to Kennedy.
But Republicans continued to try to attract Catholics. In 1980, Reagan47 percentFrom Catholicism to Jimmy Carter 43 percentFour years later, he sold his stake56 percentBy 2004, another Catholic Democrat from Massachusetts, John F. Kerry,lostCatholics voted for George W. Bush.
EJ Dionne writtenThe Catholic vote does not exist, but it matters. Analyzing this seemingly contradictory statement, Dionne points out that today, unlike in the 1960s, Catholics no longer vote as a group. Instead, their party loyalties remain an unpredictable but important weathervane.
Think about it: Donald Trump won in 2016.50 percentPercentage of Catholics compared to Hillary Clinton 46 percentIn 2020, Biden beat Trump among Catholics.52 percentTo47 percent.
Today, polls show Catholics support Trump. 55 percent to 43 percent That’s a big opportunity for Biden, but he has a chance to make inroads among Catholic voters.
The key is the threat posed by Vladimir Putin and the fact that President Ronald Reagan once said, “Evil EmpireRussia’s invasion of Ukraine has sent fear into the countries most threatened by Russia, including Poland, the Baltic states, and Eastern European countries. Putin is the most hated person in the United States, with an unpopular rating of78 percent. and67 percentFifty percent of Americans believe Putin intends to invade other countries besides Ukraine.
The countries most worried about Putin’s aims have sizable ethnic populations in the United States. For example, Pennsylvania and Michigan each have 750,000 PolesIn Wisconsin,There are about 500,000Virtually all are Catholic, and each is key to Biden’s chances of reelection.
Similarly, Biden could benefit from support from mostly Catholic Hispanic voters in Nevada and Arizona, both of which were close in 2020 and likely will be again this year.
Biden is well-positioned to reach out to Catholic voters. Although he is only the second Catholic to become president after John F. Kennedy, no president has been more Catholic than he is. After a series of family tragedies, the church has become a place of solace for Biden. And unlike his predecessors, Biden is a devout churchgoer who regularly attends mass every weekend.
it isIt is often saidThis year’s election is “the most important election of our lifetimes.” Like most axioms, there is a good deal of truth in this statement. Biden Remind voters“Democracy is on the ballot. Your freedom is on the ballot too.”
In another turning point in history, Secretary of State George MarshallGraduation SpeechAt Harvard University, Marshall spoke for the approval of what would become the Marshall Plan. Said“The whole world depends on the good judgment of the American people.”
Today, in a different context, Marshall’s warning has similar meaning. The whole world depends on the US’s verdict in November.
The message to Wilmington: Winning the Catholic vote is important, and the Biden team needs to realize that. Time is limited.
John Kenneth WhiteProfessor Emeritus at the Catholic University of America. His latest book is:““The Fall of the Great Old One: The Republican Party, Donald Trump, and the Rise of Authoritarianism”
