David Gray: McCain Targets Catholics with Palin … But Will It Help in New Mexico?
The selection of Sarah Palin as McCain’s VP is by any estimate a very interesting pick. Her pro-life background should help McCain with blue collar Catholic voters generally. I’m starting to feel that this election comes down to who wins Colorado and New Mexico. Perhaps McCain flips New Hampshire. Certainly McCain must “hold serve” on more states than Obama to stay even, and that puts more pressure on him. If Obama gets momentum and starts flipping states like Ohio, Virginia, Nevada, or Florida, it’s all over. It is less likely that McCain flips Democratic states like Pennsylvania or Michigan, but it is possible. I think it comes down to Colorado and New Mexico. Can two Westerners keep these GOP states? Can Palin’s Catholic roots (she is reportedly a baptized Catholic) help with Hispanic voters in New Mexico? We’ll see.
–David Gray directs the New America Foundation’s Workforce and Family Program. An attorney and ordained Presbyterian minister, he is a chaplain at American University in Washington, DC.
