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Diahuebs 10 september 2020

Kanye West makes presidential ballot in Mississippi

(AP) — Kanye West will ap- pick Mississippi, and obvi-
pear as a presidential candi- ously it will be interesting to
date on Mississippi's ballot see what happens with that
in November, after being vote on Nov. 3,” Mississippi
approved as a qualified can- Secretary of State Michael
didate by the State Board of Watson said after the board's
Election Commissioners on meeting. “But he did qualify.”
Tuesday.The rapper has al- West, who once backed Re-
ready qualified to appear on publican President Don-
the ballot as an independent ald Trump, announced last
candidate in several states, month that he had broken
including Arkansas, Idaho, with Trump and would
Iowa, Tennessee, Oklahoma launch his own presiden-
and Utah. tial bid. His campaign filed
To qualify in Mississippi, he paperwork July 15 with the
was required to pay a $2,500 Federal Election Commis-
fee to the Secretary of State’s sion. Neither West or his
Office and get the signatures wife, Kim Kardashian West,
of at least 1,000 Mississippi were present at the meet-
voters. ing of the Mississippi Board
of Election Commissioners
“It was interesting to see him Tuesday.

GOP attacks Harris amid battle for Catholic voters' support

(AP) — Soon after Joe Biden Baptist church — and by ex- for Hillary Clinton in 2016, bate about “center-right speak on their behalf regard-
tapped Kamala Harris as his tension, criticism of Biden — tweeted recently that while Catholics” can often omit ing political candidates.
running mate, some conser- is a sign that Republicans see GOP attacks on Biden’s faith that they are largely white,
vatives began trying to por- his leftward shift on abortion are unlikely to gain traction, while Latino and Black Cath- Meanwhile the Vatican news-
tray her as anti-Catholic — a as a vulnerability with some “the attack that he won’t gov- olics lean distinctly leftward. paper L’Osservatore Romano
line of attack that President devout swing voters who ern in line with (his faith’s) Indeed, Harris’ presence on has covered Harris promi-
Donald Trump’s campaign might otherwise be luke- values has a chance of stick- the ticket could pay off with nently and favorably since
continues to amplify as Dem- warm on Trump, particularly ing.” Crawford urged Biden Black Catholics, less-conser- she was picked by Biden.
ocrats court Roman Catholic Catholics and evangelicals. to “find common ground vative Catholic women and Pope Francis’ differences
voters. It also plays upon the fact on abortion that separates other Catholic voters more with Trump on a range of is-
The charge stems in part that Harris’ approach to re- him from his party’s extreme aligned with her policy pro- sues from immigration to cli-
from questions Harris posed ligious outreach is less fully stance.” posals. One sign of Harris' mate change are well known,
in 2018 to a federal judicial formed than that of Biden, potential to appeal to those though the president's anti-
nominee about his mem- whose lifelong Catholic faith Stephen Schneck, a self- Catholic voting blocs came abortion stance is in line with
bership in the Knights of is a touchstone of his po- described “pro-life Catho- last month when Catholic the Catholic church's views.
Columbus, a lay Catholic litical identity. “We hope that lic” and member of the News Service quoted a Black Harris, for her part, is adopt-
fraternal organization. Har- Biden and Kamala Harris talk Catholics for Biden group staffer at the U.S. Confer- ing Biden’s listen-first ap-
ris asked the nominee if he a lot about these issues,” said that kicked off last week, ence of Catholic Bishops de- proach to religious outreach,
agreed with the anti-abortion Richard Mouw, president said he is “hopeful” for ac- scribing herself as “so elated” meeting with 100 leaders
views of the group’s leader, emeritus at Fuller Theologi- tion from the Democrats on by Biden's choice of running from multiple Christian de-
views that broadly align with cal Seminary, who signed a “common-ground initiatives mate. While that staffer spoke nominations the first Satur-
the church’s stance. July letter from Christian on areas related to prenatal in a personal rather than pro- day after joining the ticket,
leaders urging Democrats to health and women’s health fessional capacity, the appear- according to Josh Dickson,
It inflamed Republicans at take a friendlier stance toward and care for young children.” ance of pro-Harris sentiment the campaign’s faith direc-
the time, with one senator abortion critics. “Because Harris’ questioning of the created by the comment drew tor. Harris told the leaders
authoring a resolution to af- even though some of us dis- judicial nominee was largely a public clarification from the that “she is going to be fight-
firm the constitutional ban agree about Biden’s policies in line with standard prac- bishops’ conference, which ing for values important to
on religious tests for federal related to these positions, we tice for vetting nominations, asserted its neutrality by not- them,” Dickson said.
officials and state that mem- think he understands us.” Schneck said. Natalia Imper- ing that employees do not
bership in the Catholic group atori-Lee, a religious studies
is not “disqualifying.” Now Mouw praised Harris' selec- professor at Manhattan Col-
that Harris is Biden's run- tion, adding that he hopes lege, said the Biden campaign
ning mate, conservatives are to see signals from her that can also make a case to Cath-
replaying the moment to try she’s ready to “keep talk- olic voters that goes beyond
to chip at the pro-abortion- ing” and “keep listening” to the debate over abortion’s
rights Democratic ticket’s ap- evangelicals and conserva- legality. In 2017 the number
peals to religious voters. As tive Catholics disillusioned of U.S. abortions fell to its
Biden’s campaign launched with Trump. The attacks on lowest level since the 1973
its Catholic voter outreach Harris also play on a broad- Roe v. Wade decision, a trend
effort last week, the Trump er question being raised by attributable in part to broader
campaign blasted Harris’ some Christian voters, not all availability of contraception
questioning as “anti-Catholic of them conservatives, about under the Affordable Care
bigotry” and said the Demo- how strongly Biden would Act passed during the Obama
crats’ stance on abortion push to end longstanding administration.
“clashes strongly with Cath- limits on federal funding of “A lot of Catholics share the
olic pro-life beliefs.” It used abortion. Biden came out goal of wanting to see lower
similar language to refer to against those limits last year future abortions, and fewer
Harris alongside an online ad during the early months of of them think the road to that
it rolled out last month. his campaign, after years is repeal of Roe,” Imperatori-
of supporting them. Chris Lee said.
The criticism of Harris, who Crawford, a Catholic anti-
attends a progressive Black abortion advocate who voted She added that political de-