It would be “OK.” This hardly amounts to “pushing” Obama.

As someone who has a banner on his blog supporting Senator McCain, I am hard pressed to understand how this is any more objectionable than having contributors openly support a candidate or routinely criticize one of the two major presidential candidates more than the other.

Depends what one means by “openly support,” I think. Merely criticizing one candidate more than the other does not mean an endorsement of the latter. From my point of view there is overwhelmingly more to criticize about McCain, but I do not endorse Obama, even if I were to cast a vote for him.

One could posit that having a banner is, at the very least, more intellectually honest.

Making distinctions in this case seems to be even more “intellectually honest.”

Talk about an idol.

Interestingly, you left out the contributor who does it! Seriously, there have been many instances of mental gymnastics for the sole purpose of displaying that a vote for a candidate who just happens to be hypothetically identical to Obama would be OK.

So forgive me, Tim, if I laugh my butt off do not buy your charge that I or anyone else on this blog is “pushing Obama.”

Which one of us in the combox has pushed Obama? Michael I.? Henry? Jonathan? Blackadder? Me? Could you be more specific and site your evidence? Or are you just importing your preconceived caricature?

Tim, I have a feeling that you think anyone who is critical of McCain is “pushing Obama.” We invite you to be more critical of the choices our political system offers Catholics.

MZ, thus far is the only who endores Obama. I believe MM and Michael said that IF they were to vote they would favor Obama.

The rest of us are not enthusiastic about anyone.

Are you serious?…

Maybe I’m just mistaking the over-done attempts at justifying enthusiastically supporting a candidate like Obama as “pushing”.

Since you said “you guys” in this comment thread, I assume you mean the “you guys” who are contributors of Vox Nova and have commented in this thread: Michael I., Blackadder, M.Z. Forrest, Jonathan, Henry, and I. Of these six, only M.Z. supports Obama. The other five of us have declared in unequivocal terms that we do not and will not support Obama. In fact, I noted as much in this very post. Now, I suspect you have something valuable to offer to this conversation. But please do not just paste some caricature that has no foundation within the context of this post.

N.B.: Vox Nova has no “Obama” and no “McCain” banner on our blog. In fact, I have yet to find an Obama banner on any Catholic blog, but I have found a few McCain banners. If there are Catholic bloggers “pushing” a candidate, then that candidate is most certainly McCain.

Also, in an email exchange with Feddie, which occurred even before his brief time at Vox Nova and while Giuliani was the GOP front runner, he indicated to me that he would support a third party candidate if Giuliani secured the nomination. So, Michael I’s assumption is correct, and I believe every word from Feddie on the matter.