White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough recently offered the opinion that President Obama is “the most Catholic president in U.S. history.”
Was he really?
Let’s take this one step at a time:
1) The answer, surprisingly, isn’t “no.” And not because there hasn’t been a more Catholic president – there have actually been forty three of them – but because this kind of question doesn’t deserve a standard “yes” or “no” answer.
2) The correct answer is: “that is the stupidest thing anyone has ever said in U.S. history.”
3) McDonough actually tries to explain, by saying: “I think in fact his view of the person and our role and the view of us as adding to the common good is an undeniably Catholic set of premises, and that’s why I say that to him a lot.” Well that’s really vague and mostly dumb. Okay.
4) The best part about wondering whether Obama was the most Catholic president is that it refers to him as president in the past tense. Remember when he was president.
5) It’s been a long eight years.
6) Who even is Denis McDonough? That’s the thing about a lame duck presidency. It’s like, huh? You’re what? Chief of Staff? Great, nobody cares. Get out.
7) Obama tried to force nuns to dispense abortion drugs.
8) Nuns.
9) Little sisters. Of the poor.
10) Good riddance.
11) And no, not Catholic, at all.