Posted on 03/29/2005 6:38:07 AM PST by johnny7
As Terri Schiavo clings to life, the political fallout from the divisive and emotional case is starting to descend. Where it will settle, though, is unclear.
WASHINGTON - Over a roller-coaster week, the Terri Schiavo case demonstrated both the political gains religious conservatives have achieved over the last generation and the challenges they still face in building a consensus for their agenda. The aggressive intervention by President Bush and congressional Republicans in the conflict underscored their commitment to social conservative causes, while the muted, hesitant response from most Democrats highlighted their uncertainty about handling "values" issues after the 2004 election.
Described by her father as weak and emaciated, Terri Schiavo clung to life in Pinellas Park, Fla., on Monday, as police guarded her hospice room and demonstrators prayed outside for last-minute intervention in the case by the government. "She's still communicating, she's still responding. She's emaciated, but she's responsive," Bob Schindler told reporters after a visit with his daughter, saying she showed facial expressions when he hugged and kissed her. George Felos, lawyer for husband and guardian Michael Schiavo, told reporters that his client visited his wife for more than an hour Monday and said she looked "very peaceful. She looked calm." Schindler said he feared the consequences of morphine to relieve his daughter's pain. "I have a great concern that they will expedite the process to kill her with an overdose of morphine because that's the procedure that happens," he said. Felos disputed that, saying hospice records show that Schiavo was given two low doses of morphine - one March 19 and another March 26 - and that she was not on a morphine drip. The records show that the second dose was given after nurses noticed "light moaning and grimacing and tensing of arms," he said.
Yet as legal and political options for extending Schiavo's life dwindled, so did public support for Washington's involvement in the dispute, according to several national polls. In a CBS News survey, opposition was so widespread that even decisive majorities of Republicans, conservatives and white evangelical Christians said Bush and Congress should not have intervened. To many analysts, meanwhile, the resistance to a Washington role illustrated the challenges Bush and other social conservatives face in forging consensus for a "culture of life" agenda that stretches from abortion to issues such as embryonic stem cell research and end-of-life cases. "It is difficult to build a culture of life that covers more than just a handful of issues," said John C. Green, a political scientist at the University of Akron who specializes in religion and politics. "And the more type of issues you try to include under that framework, the more difficult it becomes."
Indeed, in a nation accustomed to bitter divisions over cultural issues, the Schiavo dispute unexpectedly might have illuminated a point of consensus. While a core of social conservative activists passionately embraced the cause of extending the Florida woman's life, the case seems to show the limits of public tolerance for political involvement in such personally wrenching and intimate decisions. "My sense is this is one issue where everybody understands the other point of view," said David Winston, a Republican pollster. "But clearly people don't want government being involved in decisions like this." Operatives from the two parties divided predictably on the controversy's long-term political impact. Some Democrats said they expected that Bush and congressional Republicans would be hurt by the public recoil against Washington's role, while most Republicans said the issue was unlikely to cause lasting damage and could help the party by motivating its most ardent supporters.
But many on both sides agree that the emotional confrontation will reinforce the shift from economic interests to cultural values as the principal force unifying each party's electoral coalition. "We have moved from an alignment that is primarily based on class to one that is primarily based on culture," said Mark Mellman, pollster for 2004 presidential nominee Sen. John F. Kerry, D-Mass. "And one of the consequences of that change is that the issues we are talking about are not easy to compromise."
Democrats never developed a clear message on the Schiavo case, with their House leaders dividing in their votes and few party leaders making strong statements. But many Democratic strategists think that the party could benefit among moderate swing voters who believe that the GOP overreached in the matter. Some GOP strategists think that the overarching "culture-of-life" argument ultimately places Democrats in an untenable position. "When you take (Democratic) opposition to "partial-birth' abortion at the beginning of life, and (acceptance of) pulling plugs at the end of life, you begin to get in a danger zone," said one GOP strategist close to the White House. "It could be that this case reinforces a larger impression . . . of the Democratic Party."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The DemonRATs have no problem "handling" the value issue when it comes to abortion.
My guess is the light moaning and tensing is really code for a horrible case of death throes, but we mustn't know the truth...might put us off the whole "death with dignity" idea.
Given some of the postings I`ve seen on FR over the last few days when it became obvious the Congressional action was not going to work I bet it will be awhile before they try to motivate the "ardent supporters" again.
Must be the euphoria she's supposed to not be able to feel.
C'mon... the MSM says the individual experience's a type of 'euphoria' when they 'cash-out like this... besides... she's on a morphine-drip.
It's like death-by-injection... only it takes 14 days!
The self-styled moderate, intellectual, and emotionless Republicans here who've been mocking the conservative Terri supporters in the misguided hope that they will gain political advantage are only shooting themselves in the foot.
Berating the conservatives, Christian and otherwise, will serve to push moderates toward the dems and conservatives toward the door.
Welcome Hillary into the Oval Office.
That poll, the ABC poll, the Times poll and every other scientific poll. The GOP read the tea leaves wrong.
How much?
Please read and then reread the last paragraph of this article, please.
This is typical BrownStain bs.
Jurisdiction.
Quote: "But many Democratic strategists think that the party could benefit among moderate swing voters who believe that the GOP overreached in the matter."
But I thought that the dems were going to start talking "values." Are these the "values" that they want to talk about? Is demonizing the evangelicals, as has been done here, i.e. "the damn republican jesus freaks" are interferring in a private matter, going to win voters in the South?
You would think the MSM and dems learned from the last election. Bogus polls are still bogus and are lies, no matter how ofter the MSM relies on them or repeats their results, see, for example, polling, exit, election. (See also, polling, election, prior to election day). The polls regarding public opinion in this case are just as bogus as they rely on false pretenses. For example, how many out there have been lead to believe 1)Terri is in a coma/on life support (read respirator); 2)Terri left a living will; or 3)Terri's family all agree as to her wishes.
As those three facts get more and more exposed, public opinion turns and so do the polls. They turn to even more misleading questions. In the end, the truth comes out, at the only polls that matter, the one's that are open on election day.
What is aggressive about UPHOLDING THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AMENDMENT 8 ???
TERRI IS BEING MURDERED AT THE COMMAND OF A JUDGE BECAUSE SHE CAN NOT FEED HERSELF AND HAS BEEN FORBIDDEN TO RECEIVE FOOD OR WATER AT THE HAND OF ANY ONE ELSE.
The MURDER of Terri is just that...
GOVERNMENT SANCTIONED MURDER!
Enough with the 10,000 word articles and analysis of every word uttered by some "expert" or "pundit" or "journalist" and the explanations of why or why not the government should or should not get involved. They are involved, as this is nothing but...
GOVERNMENT SANCTIONED MURDER!
We do not need to use 15 letter words to detail what is happening here. It is quite simple really. It was a trap, and Terri was the bait. It is a murder in progress as the whole world watches.
WAKE UP - YOU COULD BE NEXT!
I have been noticing that the so-called medical ethics experts do not talk about ethics. To make sure, I consulted the dictionary and ethics is about good and bad, not anything goes. All this talk about living wills expresses the wisdom of the field that a patient's wishes are inviolable without any discussion that I have seen of good and bad choices and their ramifications. So I will say that it seems to me that medical ethics is a shallow field. It has pushed aside the traditionally noble ethics of medicine.
So this morning on c-span a medical ethics professor at Georgetown said that he would not want to lie in bed for 15 years not being able to scratch his nose when it itched. This is how someone rises to the top of his field in philosophy these days? If a professor at Georgetown thinks the most important determinant in whether one should live or die is whether or not he can scratch an itch then maybe those who objected to Ward Churchill should turn their attention to poseurs like this one.
"light moaning and grimacing and tensing of arms"
She's probably pissed off we won't let her die in peace and go to heaven.
You're saying that the powers-that-be changed the state
laws so they can murder Terri Schiavo? I bet you played
left field in little league.
I read ALL my posts. What's your point?
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