Still, giving the cardinal the microphone at the convention has its price. Key Democratic constituencies are deeply invested in a strategy of tarring as misogynists and bigots those who reject liberal beliefs and policies. These constituencies are not exactly enthusiastic about having their party undercut that strategy or blunt its force.
Since no minimally decent political party would let a bigot or misogynist take the podium at its convention—much less bless the proceedings—accepting the cardinal's offer to appear amounts to an implicit but unmistakable concession that there's no bigotry in opposing the redefinition of civil marriage, nor any misogyny in fighting for the unborn.
Some conservative Catholics are upset that Cardinal Dolan offered to appear at the Democratic convention. They fear his presence will inadvertently signal that it is acceptable from a Catholic perspective to oppose (as the Democratic Party does) virtually all meaningful protections for the child in the womb, or the historic view of marriage as a conjugal union.
Their concerns are understandable. But perhaps these critics are failing to consider how the Democrats are, whether they like it or not, sending an implicit signal of their own. The cardinal's presence confounds efforts by the abortion-rights and gay-marriage movements to stigmatize and marginalize those who refuse to fall into line.
I hope the cardinal uses the same prayer he used at the Republican convention.
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