Posted on 02/04/2006 1:23:44 PM PST by Mark Noonan
The last area of governmental control exercised by the Democrats is its control of the Judiciary. The media likes to tell us that the Democrats folded on Roberts and Alito because they are saving their fire for the deciding nominee when the next justice retires. They say if Bush gets one more conservative appointed to the court, the supreme court will be decidedly conservative.
But think about it.. If a few months ago the conservatives needed 3 wins to change the court, defeating any one of 3 Bush appointments would be victory for the left. If the Democrats could have forced Bush into a Souter, on either of the first two appointments a third Bush appoinment would not matter.
Saying the Democrats were waiting until the 3rd nominee to fight makes no sense. Would a super bowl team wait until the 4th quarter to try to score. If a party needs to win one out of three, folding on the first two makes zero sense.
The only logical conclusion is the Democrats did not have the votes to win either of the first two. If there is a third they are not likely to win it either.
Why couldn't the Democrats bork Roberts or Alito? The abortion issue was up front. Kerry, Kennedy and Biden did all they could to make it a big issue.The only possible explanation is that pro-abortion is a negative political issue. Apparently 19 of the 44 Democrats thought so. They voted for Cloture on the Alito debate thereby assuring Alito would be confirmed. If they can't get Democrats to stand up on the abortion issue it has to an issue that nearly half the Democrats in the Senate cannot afford to embrace.
So why is Hillary going belly up to NARAL? Hillary is not as bright as Bill, but she must know that pro-abortion is a losing issue in a presidential campaign.
The one place pro abortion is not a negative is with the Democratic base. My conclusion is that Hillary is not doing well with the base. To have any hopes of winning the Democratic nomination in 2008 she must suck up to the Democratic base... even though at least 60 percent of the voters are opposed to her position on abortion. But the 40 percent that want abortion are 90 percent of the Democratic primary voters.
I think Hillary has a terrible problem. She must get left enough to please the base. Hillary has tried in the last few years to present the image of a moderate. She has violated the Nixon rule. That rule is line up the party base before trying to go to the center. She has not done that. Her moderation has angered the base. One other thing that hurts Hillary.
Nothing could tick the Democrat base off more than Bubba sucking up to the Bushes. Everytime a member of the Democratic base sees Bubba with George H.W. Bush their blood boils. Since Bill and Hill have always been presented to the public as a team, that has to hurt Hillary with the base.
Hillary started moving her image to the center 6 years ago... It has cost her the Democratic base. Bubba playing little brother to the Bush Brothers has him and Hillary in deep do do with the party base.
To get the base she must sacrifice the center. That would perhaps get her the nomination but cost her the general election.
Watch in the coming months as Hillary moves farther and farther left. But I doubt that she will pick up much support from the left. They don't trust her or her husband. To the base both Bill and Hillary are DINOs. The Democrat primary voters are not in the mood to nominate a DINO. That is why all the potential Democratic Candidates are acting like far leftists. They have to do so.
Brilliant analysis, as usual and I agree with you completely.
In California, any woman, regardless of means, can have the abortion paid for by the state. The richest woman in the world could get it paid for, even if she wasn't a resident of the state.
I do not favor forcing pharmacists to provide abortifacients.
Excellent analysis, as always, CT. I hope you are right about Hitlery.
BTW, it may be true that, as you say, "Everytime a member of the Democratic base sees Bubba with George H.W. Bush their blood boils." But I must tell you that it also makes my blood boil. The Bushes are, in my opinion, dimished by their association with that scumbag.
Well, you have to understand, this is the next step in the evolution that began when she realized her house help were "human beings". LOL
I didn't realize she got that far yet.
Yeah, I heard a little sound bite where she was saying what a revelation it was when she started to look at her cleaning lady as a "human being". Amazin' but true (not that libs think that way, but that they're dumb enough to admit it).
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