SO, STOP IT ALREADY.
Posted on 03/06/2005 6:57:43 AM PST by Libloather
Democratic Party rethinks take on abortion
Democrats studying how to regain votes they lost over 'moral value' issues
Sunday, March 6, 2005
By Mary M. Shaffrey
JOURNAL WASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON
When it comes to the issue of abortion, the Democratic Party is at a crossroads.
The majority of the party, including its chairman, its previous presidential nominees as far back as one can recall, and most grass-roots activists as well as national leaders are decidedly for abortion rights. They favor minimal restrictions on access to abortion.
"We are a very pro-choice country," said Karen M. White, the national political director for EMILY's List, a national organization that supports Democratic women candidates for office who support abortion rights. Last year the group raised more than $13 million, and donated to candidates nationwide, including Patricia Keever, who ran unsuccessfully against U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor, R-11th.
But in the wake of the 2004 election results, where many voters credited their support for one candidate over another to the term "moral values," some Democrats are rethinking the way the party should promote this message.
The party that once denied an anti-abortion governor the chance to speak at a convention now has an anti-abortion Democratic leader in the U.S. Senate, and is actively recruiting anti-abortion candidates to run in Pennsylvania and Rhode Island against vulnerable Republicans in 2006. And such abortion-rights leaders as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and Howard Dean, the newly elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee, have both come out since the election saying that abortion should be rare and that the party should make room for those with differing opinions.
Anti-abortion Democrats say it's about time. They say they hope that the party will continue to re-evaluate itself to make it more welcoming toward those of differing opinions. None expect the party to outright abandon its abortion-rights position or change the platform, but instead are hopeful that the national message won't be so narrowly focused and associated with the issue.
"There needs to be a greater respect within the party for those who take very seriously the issue of the sanctity of life," said U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre, D-7th, who has long been critical of the party's outspokenness on such divisive social issues as abortion. "Many who are concerned about the direction of the party believe there should not be a litmus test (on this issue)."
Kristen Day, the executive director of Democrats for Life, a grassroots organization that supports abortion-rights Democrats, said that since the election, things are looking better for her group, and she hopes that the tide is gradually changing.
"As Democrats we need to stick together and focus on our areas of agreement," she said. The party's close association with such groups as the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights League and Planned Parenthood of America (NARAL), have hurt in swing areas of the country, she said, where the message being sent is "we are the party of abortion on demand."
Brad Bannon, an anti-abortion Democratic consultant, agreed. "The Democratic Party, in the minds of lower and middle-class voters, has become the party of abortion and gay rights," Bannon said. The party needs to talk more about economic and populist messages, and less about abortion to be successful in the future, he said.
Abortion has always been a divisive issue for all sides since the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision in 1973. It came to a head in the Democratic Party in 1992 when then-Pennsylvania Gov. Bob Casey was denied the opportunity to speak at the National Democratic Convention because of his anti-abortion position.
"We are still suffering today because of that decision," said an abortion-rights Democratic consultant who did not want to be identified because he did not want to upset some of his abortion-rights clients.
The clout that such groups as EMILY's List, Planned Parenthood and NARAL have within the party was displayed during the recent election of Dean to the DNC chairmanship. Dean's last remaining challenger was Timothy Roemer, a former congressman from Indiana and former member of the 9/11 Commission. These groups actively campaigned against Roemer based solely on his opposition to abortion, and many delegates wound up booing him during his speech.
White would not comment on the DNC race other than to say that decisions are up to the membership. She also deflected questions on whether there is room in the party for those of opposing views.
But she cautioned against over-analyzing the 2004 results. "The majority of Americans want to uphold the tenets of Roe vs. Wade," she said.
This close association with the abortion-rights position has hurt the party, not just at the presidential level, but also in congressional races and governors races, said many of the Democrats interviewed.
"In the South, it's been an albatross," said the unidentified Democratic consultant.
McIntyre said that for the party to be successful outside of urban areas, it needs to recruit candidates whose views are in line with rural, conservative voters. "If we are really a big tent, that means welcoming Democrats who are involved in the faith community, who are pro-life," he said.
Eva Ritchey, the director of North Carolina Democrats for Life, said that this begins by having local and national Democrats recognize their organization, allowing them to use Democratic facilities and offering links from their Web sites to the group's Web sites.
"We are making small but steady progress," she said.
• Mary M. Shaffrey can be reached in Washington at (202) 662-7672 or at mshaffrey@wsjournal.com
"The majority of Americans want to uphold the tenets of Roe vs. Wade,"
They seem to really believe their own lies.
Until they understand the fallacy of the following statement,
Democrats are rethinking the way the party should promote this message
and really understand that it is the message itself that has failed, not the way that they promote it, then they are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites.
Didn't the Dem's nation platform already state that
"Abortion should be legal, safe, and rare"?
Look where that got us.
Democrats are just trying to create some kind of new language on the subject so that they can continue to fool various voting blocs. The clearest example of such blocs, in my experience, would be the elderly Catholics who have voted Democrat since the time of Moses. In my opinion, though, the only people they will fool are those who want to be fooled. Sadly, there are more of those than I'd like to admit.
The 'rats better be able to abandon the homosexual agenda as well, if they want to attire themselves in a values mantle...
It's a strange business. The Democrats recognize that abortion is a losing issue but don't know what to do about it, because abortion is non-negotiable among their base.
The Republicans know what to do about it, but many of them--especially the professional politicians in the RNC and the state organizations--still don't seem to realize that they have a winning issue.
Instead of proclaiming the inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, they tiptoe around life issues and support people like Arlen Specter who undermine their base and threaten to cost them their lead.
Cross roads my ars! They still will not allow any judges appointed that are pro-life. Democraps are the Whigs of the 21st century!
The democrats STILL do not get it.
It is not JUST the abortion issue.
There is the second amendment issue, judicial nominiees, tax money, government spending, entitlements, racial quotas, gender quotas, a whole slew of homosexual issues, foreign policy anti-amercianism, anti-military ism (support the troops but not the mission? save it for Goebles), and anything uttered by Rangal, Kenedy, Pelosi and you may even count Specter.
It is all combined together to make them the looney party.
"Fetuses are expendable, votes aren't."
You misse their "Goebles speak"
They said "tenents of...", not the actual case.
It SOUNDS like they expect Roe to fall at some point and the "tenents" will sought to be legislated on the state levels.
For decades the dimocrats have told us that the hriing of a serial killer to off the unborn is enlightened empowerment of women. Now, as they nation appears to be awakening to the truth of this big lie, the dims want to change their tune so the awakened can continue to be herded into dumbness. The Democrap Party IS the party of serial killing defense, but the BM (big media) will not allow that factual imagery to appear for the voters to see. Stinkin' media whores.
I think The Republicans should pick up the "Pro-Choce " slogan and use it to throw the Dems off their game.
"Pro-Choice on School Vouchers"
"Pro-Choice on Social Security investment accounts"
With the Dems in confusion over their Abortion stance, The Pubbies could completely side swipe them with their own "pro-choice" initiative
aHHH, now murder means something to them?
Cut to the chase.
No one is going to believe the Dems are "open" on abortion unless they allow judges that adhere to the constitution to be placed on the bench. Anything short proves this is a lie.
SO, STOP IT ALREADY.
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