Kresta in the Afternoon – January 1, 2009

Kresta in the Afternoon – January 1, 2009

• Description:

  First Topic - #5: Candidates Make Last Pitch for the Catholic Vote

  Last night Barrack Obama and John McCain were on the same stage for the final time before the election, and it was to woo Catholic voters. They attended and spoke at the fabled Al Smith Dinner at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The dinner, named in honor of the nation's first Catholic presidential candidate, has long been regarded as the premier showcase for candidates to present themselves to American Catholics while addressing the issues that matter to them. This ritual of American politics has also become an occasion for the two parties' nominees to display their warmth, personality, and sense of humor.  But more importantly this year, with swing states full of Catholics literally deciding the election, the issues that matter to Catholics will be front and center. Raymond Arroyo was there - and is now here to share his thoughts.

  Second Topic - #4: Render Unto Caesar – Voting As A Catholic

  Few topics in recent years have ignited as much public debate as the balance between religion and politics. Does religious thought have any place in political discourse? Do religious believers have the right to turn their values into political action? What does it truly mean to have a separation of church and state? The very heart of these important questions is here addressed by one of the leading voices on the topic, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver. He is with us.