Blogs For Victory

Here’s the news story:

Investor’s Business Daily and the TechnoMetrica Institute of Policy and Politics (IBD/TIPP) has just released a tracking poll that shows that John McCain has dramatically shortened the his deficit with Barack Obama, taking a significant lead among Catholics.

In the midst of the polling confusion, this poll has been regarded as relevant, since an analysis of Final Certified Results showed IBD’s polling partner, TIPP to be the most accurate pollster for the 2004 election.

IBD/TIPP reported late on Thursday that McCain has cut into Obama’s lead for a second day in a row and is now just 1.1 points behind. The spread was 3.7 on Wednesday and 6.0 on Tuesday.

“The Republican is making headway with middle and working class voters, and has surged 10 points in two days among those earning between $30,000 and $75,000,” the report says.

McCain has also gone from an 11-point deficit to a 9-point lead among Catholics, with only days remaining before the November 4 election.

The heated debate around abortion and the stepping up of bishops’ statements on the incompatibility of pro-choice positions with Catholic doctrine is believed to be one of the possible reasons for the Republican candidate’s surge among Catholics.

The message from the Bishops has been rather relentless – the centrality of the life issue is being emphasized again and again. Heck, by an odd set of circumstances I even got into my hands a copy of Novena for Faithful Citizenship – a nine day devotional prayer for the benefit of the American political process (which, by the way, I’m going to start today). The Novena is stuffed full of Catholic social teaching, especially as it relates to the life issue and the inherent dignity of mankind. No two ways about it – the marker for Catholics (and, indeed, for all Christians) has been laid down: failure to vote with a consciousness about how the election will effect the pro-life cause is a failure of Christian understanding.

Catholics – especially in Pennsylvania – may very well decide who becomes President. One of the largest demographic groups in America and also one of the few demographic groups “up for grabs”, it may all boil down to a contest between the ability of the Bishops to instruct the faithful and the ability of Obama and minions to disguise their radical, pro-abortion views.

As for me, I never really believed that Obama had a large lead among Catholics – certainly not among Catholics who go to Mass on any semblance of a regular basis. It could have been, of course, that Obama was doing well because – for Catholics – there is a built-in desire for social justice, which honorable intention has been routinely hijacked by liberals and leftists. But as the truth about Obama has slowly seeped past the high walls of MSM bias, so has Obama’s support collapsed among non-liberal, non-leftist groups. It still remains to be seen if this will be enough to put McCain over the top, but I’m greatly encouraged that more and more of my fellow Catholics are making the right choice in 2008.