That campaign was a fiasco from start to finish. It reflects desperation about having lost twice in a row and seeing Clinton prosper unjustly. Also, the royalist instinct in the party. It was Dole's turn in '96, so the party gave him the nomination like a gold watch for retirement. But I could also see him as a Hollywood producer with a casting couch.
Catholics are a key swing group.
When Republicans win them, as in 1994, they tend to do well. Prying them loose from the Democratic coalition has been a long and fitful affair. A symbolic reaching out would not be a bad idea. He's Catholic, but he can't deliver a state. There have been some stories since then that make it hard to justify the administration's action, but it's been cumulative.