03/22/2019 12:00:00 AMPolitical science professor and alumnus explore priests' role in elections. BooksCollege of Arts & Sciences, Department of Political ScienceBooks, Political Sciencestory A 2005 conference paper written by Elizabeth Oldmixon, professor of political science, and Brian Calfano ('07 Ph.D.), now a professor of political science and journalism at the University of Cincinnati, has become a book. The idea for A Matter of Discretion: The Politics of Catholic Priests in the United States and Ireland began when marriage equality issues appeared on the ballot in the 2004 U.S. elections to boost Republican turnout. "When religious issues intersect with political issues, priests are political leaders -- whether they like it or not," Oldmixon says. "This makes routine decisions, such as the topic of a sermon or what to put in the bulletin, politically relevant."