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Catholics and the future of American politics
Will alt-Catholicism collapse without a president that affirms its illiberal, antidemocratic impulses?
Former Vice President of the United States Joe Biden walking with supporters at a pre-Wing Ding march from Molly McGowan Park in Clear Lake, Iowa. (Photo by Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America)
By Robert Christian | Australia
Donald Trump shocked the world with his upset victory in the 2016 US presidential election. And his victory instantly transformed American politics and the Republican Party.
Upon taking office, the Trump administration swiftly pursued its agenda of plutocratic economic policies, populist nationalist immigration and foreign policies, and conservative social policies.
Trump changed the coalition crafted by President Ronald Reagan in 1980 and led American conservativism and the Republican Party down an alternative path.
This rise of populist nationalism — an 'America First' skepticism toward international trade, immigration, and the promotion of democracy and human rights abroad — was a sharp break from decades of Republican commitments, stretching all the way back to Dwight Eisenhower's primary victory in the 1952 presidential election.
This was not the only precedent-shattering aspect of Donald Trump's presidency. His attacks on the media, the judiciary and American intelligence services are unique in American history.
His affinity for dictators, indifference to Russian interference in the 2016 election, withholding of aid to Ukraine to damage his 2020 opponent and repeated unfounded claims about illegal voting have altered perceptions about the strength and durability of American democratic norms and institutions.
But Donald Trump lost. Joe Biden will be the next President of the United States.
Now the question is: will the Republican Party revert back to its pre-Trump days, continue down the path of Trumpian populism, or seek an alternative to both?
No matter which path is pursued, American Catholics will likely play a key role in shaping the party's future direction.
While the 2020 election was unusual in many ways, some key dynamics from past elections continued to play similar roles. This is true of the Catholic vote.
American Catholics are divided in their political orientations and loyalties. The Catholic vote is closely contested in nearly every presidential election — seen by many as a decisive factor in who will win the highest office in the land.
Both presidential campaigns sought to increase their share of the Catholic vote.
Joseph Biden, who will become the second Catholic President of the United States, spoke freely and frequently about his faith. He also put together a strong faith outreach team that skillfully targeted different religious groups, including Catholics.
Embracing democracy and human rights
President Trump meanwhile aligned his campaign with Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, the conspiracy theory-promoting critic of the pope.
He gambled, hoping that resentment against Pope Francis and his agenda were more widespread than the tiny traditionalist circles that conjure up conspiracy theorists and elaborate justifications for right-wing dissent.
Some of his strongest defenders were Catholic anti-abortion activists who downplay the importance of every other issue, but he also relied on alt-Catholics, those Catholics who have somehow found a way to integrate the sexism, bigotry, xenophobia and isolationist nationalism of the alt-right with their faith.
In the end, Biden appears to have narrowly won the Catholic vote, which played an important role in key contests in the west and the midwest's 'Rust Belt'.
So it was perhaps fitting for him to quote the Catholic hymn 'On Eagle's Wings' in his first speech as president-elect. Yet despite his calls for unity and reconciliation, polarisation within the country and the American Church seem unlikely to disappear overnight.
Perhaps a competent approach to the coronavirus and the pursuit of policies that advance racial, economic and environmental justice will alter the status quo, but the Republican Party may use its power in Congress to block key reforms and allow America's problems to fester, hoping to pin the blame on the Biden administration.
Perhaps Biden will pull more American Catholics into the Democratic Party by broadening its appeal, but this would require taking on certain party elites and the wealthy special interest groups that have pushed the party away from the center on issues like abortion.
The real mystery is over the future of the Republican Party.
Will alt-Catholicism collapse without a president that affirms its illiberal, antidemocratic impulses? Will it find a new leader to champion its ideas?
Will President Trump run again in 2024 or will one of his children take up the cause?
We are unlikely to see Trumpian nationalism disappear, since this election was not a clear rejection of it. But its future and the role of Catholics in promoting it are murky right now. Some may double down, while others may pull away.
Those who edged closer and closer to Trump in the 2020 election, despite favoring the economic, social, and foreign policy conservatism that defined the pre-Trump Republican Party, may find it difficult to disentangle themselves and revivify their ideology.
The pro-life movement may suffer from its association with a president who frequently showed no regard for human dignity.
One alternative to both of these paths is to try to build a more working class, diverse Republican Party that is guided by communitarian and whole life values.
Instead of relying on the dark side of populism, this approach would seek to reshape the party by promoting pro-family policies on issues like childcare and economic security, while displaying a more consistent commitment to protecting human life.
It would mean embracing democracy and human rights — and addressing racial injustice, while seeking more humane policies on immigration.
This would be a radical break from the past, but it would be encouraging to see Catholic Republicans putting their faith first and working as a vanguard to build a better party in the wake of President Trump's defeat.
Robert Christian is the editor of Millennial, an online periodical on religion, politics, and culture by millennial Catholics.
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