In Cory Gardner, a look at the GOP's happy future

Washington Examiner ^ | October 28, 2014 | Byron York

[right-wing agnostic]

LITTLETON, Colo. — To many Republicans, the Democratic "war on women" campaign against GOP Senate candidate Cory Gardner is an outrage. But for Gardner himself, it is also a test.

How would Gardner react when incumbent Sen. Mark Udall and national Democrats accused him of scheming to deny women access to birth control? The accusation seemed ridiculous, but what if Colorado voters took it seriously?

Gardner certainly took it seriously, and he reacted by taking two steps. First, he abandoned his earlier support for so-called personhood measures that Democrats charged would lead to bans on some forms of contraception. And second, he called for the birth control pill to be made available over the counter.

After that, even though Udall kept up the attack, the punch of the "war on women" began to weaken. The Udall campaign officially learned that its strategy wasn't working when the Denver Post endorsed Gardner and excoriated Udall's "obnoxious one-issue campaign."

How did Gardner do it? On Saturday, I rode with him between get-out-the-vote stops in the Denver suburbs, and I asked him to take me through the thinking that led him to change his positions on personhood and the pill.

"Those are both policy decisions," Gardner began, "realizing that I was wrong to have supported personhood because of the implications that it could have — and it's important to recognize that — and then also recognizing that we should be about policies, and we should be about solutions."

[GilesB]

Atta-boy! When the dems turn up the heat, abandon your principles! Keen strategy!

[RightOnTheBorder]

When the dems turn up the heat, abandon your principles!

My guess is they were never his principles in the first place, just what he had to say to win the primary. I have never seen a republican become more conservative after winning the primary and certainly not after being elected.

[EternalVigilance]

personhood measures that Democrats charged would lead to bans on some forms of contraception.

Bans not on contraception, but on abortifacients.

They lie like Nazis.

With mass murder as their goal.

[TigersEye]

I haven’t filled out my ballot yet. I guess I should vote for Udall instead.

[GilesB]

What possible difference could it make?

[TigersEye]

Exactly!

[goldstategop]

I find myself aligned with Gardner’s views.

I think people should have safe sex, if it means using condoms and birth control pills.

I’m against abortion as a form of birth control.

My position is well in line with those of most Americans.

If the Democrats think that’s anti-woman, they’re not winning over too many people.

[boycott]

I haven’t filled out my ballot yet. I guess I should vote for Udall instead.

---

You agree with Udall on much?

[TigersEye]

Nothing actually.

[colorado tanker]

I predict Cory will beat Mark Uterus. Go Cory!

[CPT Clay]

Another “Happy conservative warrior”
Yes!

[Din Maker]

Atta-boy! When the dems turn up the heat, abandon your principles! Keen strategy! _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I don't think you're going to have to worry about Cory Gardner. With the mail-out ballots in CO, it is tailor-made for vote fraud. Dems will collect ballots from dumpsters, from disinterested voters who don't want to be bothered and from empty houses and apartments where people have moved. They will mark the ballots "straight Democrat" and mail them in. Also, they are allowed to "harvest" ballots from people door to door and mail them "for them". Uh huh.....
I will not believe that Udall is going to lose that seat until I hear Brett Baier say: "FOX News is calling Colorado for Cory Gardner."