Replies

[The life issue is not one which can be side-stepped.]

I disagree. It can be sidestepped. Giuliani just got 28% vs McCain's 22% in an SC poll. If he or Rice say they are against abortion after 60 days (infuriating the prolifers who insist on zero days) he can still take the nomination.

Tons of northerners have moved into the Sun Belt in the past 20 years. It isn't as old time conservative down there as many old timers would like to believe.

It is important to note that 9-11 changed the makeup of the Republican Party.

A lot of pro-lifers abandoned us because they said they "didn't want Iraqi children bombed". So the Republicans lost a lot of "pro-life" bleeding hearts who voted for Kerry. I worked on the Bush campaign. I couldn't stand these morons who were listed as ardent pro-lifers but were so "upset over Iraq."

Good riddance to them.

You can see these people posting at DailyKos.com (where you can write to some people to try to convince them to come back).

And whom did the Republicans get in return that more than made up for the loss?

South Park Conservatives. Young people, many going to college, who suddenly had their eyes opened about liberals.

I can write a book about the 8% loss and 12% gain that the Republicans have taken via the WOT.

How does that play for the pro-lifers? Well...the Supreme Court is going to be packed enough to get a reversal of Roe vs Wade. Of course, that will open a pandora's box of backlash from female independents even in red states if no term limits are given. It isn't my opinion that term limits SHOULD be given...it is only a fact that, if they are not, the female independent crowd will be furious and vote until they get what they insist on.

Too many FReepers (and DUers and Kossacks) fail to understand that political decisions are mostly made by the people in the middle. Bush was elected (statistically) by a 50 year old Ohio woman who was pro-abortion but concerned about Kerry's ability to keep the respect of the military. There were 150,000 of them in Ohio who made the difference.

If Kerry hadn't been a traitor to the Swift Boat Veterans, he might be President now...and according to polls, it would be because of the abortion issue and not having anything to do with Iraq.

I respect your adamance about the issue...but it is clearly the biggest impediment to recruitment among women to the Republican Party. The best thing for us would be someone who appears pro-abortion but secretly isn't.