Dorothy Day: Political Role Model for Liberal Catholics?

In its typical ignorance of Catholic life, the NY Times recently identified Dorothy Day as a role model for liberal Catholics who vote for Obama in their concern for the needs of the poor and social justice. This does a deep injustice to Dorothy Day. A radical anarchist (albeit a Christian one), she had deeper suspicion of big government, even 80 years ago, than the most zealous tea party advocate of today. She never voted; did not pay taxes; pretty much did not comply with the State. In the realm of sexual morals she became a staunch conservative, strongly disapproving, for example, the decision of a protege to leave the Catholic Church in order to remarry after a divorce. It is unthinkable that she would have voted for a regime intent on imposing the sexual revolution on the young and unborn. She received communion daily, confessed weekly, avidly read the lives and writings of the saints, and was a loyal, obedient daughter of the Church. It is inconceivable that she would support the Obama regime in its cultural offensive against the Church's active role on behalf of the least. Nevertheless, unintentionally, the Times may have a point in seeing her as a role model: precisely in her refusal to vote. Dorothy Day would no more have voted for the Romney-Ryan ticket than for the Party of abortion, sexual license and religious oppression. This is the honorable option for a conscientious liberal Catholic who is loyal to her Catholicism as well as her liberalism. It is entirely understandable that such a voter must reject the Rand-like individualism and mega-capitalism of the Republican Party as incompatible with Catholic social thinking. So the decision to boycott this election is an entirely honorable one, even for one who is not so radically anarchistic as Dorothy was. It would send a message to the Democrats that they cannot take the Catholic vote for granted as they treat Catholic values with contempt; it will alert the Republicans that Catholic support for their party applies to the moral-cultural values but is critical of the endorsement of individualism and mega-capitalism and an inadequate concern for the poor. Dorothy Day, pray for us, especially for those of us who are liberal and Catholic!