Republicans must have other issues. Abortion is the only election issue for less than 2% of the electorate and “very important issue” for about 8% of the voters. You cannot win elections with your lead issue appealing to 8% of the voters.
In order to win elections, anti-abortion activists must learn the basic facts of wining elections in democracies. You will never get a candidate you agree with 100%. As Barry Goldwater once said, “I don’t agree with myself 100% of the time.”
There are other critical issues facing America. The war with radical Islam must be won or there is no need to worry about abortion. Unmarried pregnant women will be stoned to death under Sharia law.
Finally, don’t get mad at the 92% of Americans who don’t agree abortion is a very important issue. Use polls the way Ronald Reagan did, as a tools to understand where you must concentrate your educational efforts.
We will get the anti-abortion candidate we want when we have educated America to demand him.
Still arguing against the tail wagging the dog I see. Don’t you understand that the Far Right will ram the issue down the voters throats like it or not? Even if it totally alienates the vast majority the minority WILL have purity.
He also showed what he was made of when, losing by several points in the polls to a pro-life and generally conservative Democrat businessman on the Friday before his final re-election, he went to the Arizona Pro-life leaders and begged their forgiveness and support in exchange for his promise to vote pro-life for the entire term. They were gullible enough to believe "Mr. Integrity", endorsed him allowing him to squeak to re-election as Reagan swept the US and slaughtered the cream of Senate Demonrat radicals. Goldwater, of course, then betrayed the pro-lifers anyhow and knew he could not run for re-election thereafter. His excuse? He could see his dead wife Peggy (35 years a Planned Barrenhood National Director) and could not vote pro-life.
Goldwater also showed what he was made of when he betrayed Reagan repeatedly.
Goldwater also showed what he was made of when he bragged about taking his daughter to abort his grandchild when abortion was criminal and illegal. [Those who are fond of the long dead "rule of law" ought to keep this in mind.]
There is and can be no more crucial issue facing America than our supine acceptance of 50+ million butchered babies by surgical means alone under the rubric of Roe vs. Wade anarchy. If we have military manpower shortages, why do you suppose after 34 years of slaughter in abortion mills?
Taking your polling data as accurate (I have no way of knowing), you are advertising more than you ought to. Given the close nature of presidential elections, 2% of the total vote for whom abortion is "the only issue" is probably 4% of the GOP vote and 8% of the total vote for whom abortion is a very important issue is probably a bit less than 16% of the GOP vote. So, back-pedaling on abortion can cost you ads much as 20% of the GOP vote. That would give the Demonrats a 10% advantage over the norm or a 60-40% landslide which is the kind of margin LBJ had over Goldwater, Nixon had over McGovern, and Reagan had over Carter and Mondale. Hint: This is not a result you want to give the Demonrats.
The general suggestion of the social issue surrender monkeys is that anything and everything ought to take priority over the innocent life issue. The general suggestion of the pro-lifers is that we are not Euroweenie surrender artists on social issues and not on military issues and not on gun issues and not on a lot of other issues that just make liberal "Republicans" wet their beds.
If there is something he GOP must get beyond, it is the polo club, the yacht club, the gated communities, and the feeling that all is lost but let's just see that the loss does not occur in our time no matter what principles we must abandon to "win." (Louis XIV: After us the flood?) Your argument is merely the modern version of the old and thoroughly discredited Nelson Rockefeller nonsense that only surrender monkeys can "win" as Republicans. Where Goldwater failed and Rockefeller failed, Reagan showed us the way to win without this issue cowardice. Bold colors only, no pale pastels. If we do as well as Reagan did, I'll settle.
Our fate as a party and as a nation hangs in the balance. If we do not outlaw abortion, we do not deserve to survive as a party or as a nation. The abortion crisis continues until it is outlawed. Other issues are transient. We will defeat the Islamofascisti at whatever cost (by technology if necessary). If the Demonrats were elected and we sustain substantial losses, they will not be elected again in our lifetimes. We will then want an unbroken tradition from Reagan forward of strict social conservatism to peel the votes of those minorities who are pro-life and anti-homosexual from the never-ending unfulfilled economic lies and socialist schemes and antipatriotism of the Demonrats toward the party of patriotism, military, social conservatism and family.
Every child sliced, diced and hamburgerized is a crime against America. The GOP is characterized far more accurately by Phyllis Schlafly than it ever will be by the spineless likes of Christie Todd Whitman (Jon Corzine in drag without the injuries and beard) pouting that it IS TOO her party or IS her party TOO (whatever) (not any more, Christie, dear).
Republicans have plenty of issues. Abortion is first and foremost in importance. In his successful campaign President Thompson will hit all those issues.
Each child is worth infinitely more than any stock portfolio or tax cut or spoiled trust fund hunt country brat like Christie (the real life model for Muffie).
Thank you for some logic though I know that the hate toward Rudy G is just self defeating from the posters here. Look, Rudy G is not the perfect Ronaldus Magnus clone. But then no one is. OK, if not Rudy, Mitt or Fred? I would vote for the man who can defeat the Quisling socialist pacifist Dem like BO or Her Highness. I will vote for the GOP guy. I will not whine or fantasize like so many of these poor purists who romantacize the past. I want to win. If Rudy G can bring some Gopers in, then I want him to win. No Dem can be trusted. I want a winner and no second or third tier Pub guy is going to win the nomination. Not one of them. I know because I work in the Party. I know what it takes to walk the precincts and convince voters. No Paul , Hunter et al is going to get the nomination. So let us unite around someone who can win. If Mitt, Fred, or Rudy , so be it. Better one of them than any Dem who will lose the war against Islamofascism and raise taxes and not change SCOTUS.
Yes, there aren't any other planks in the gOP platform except abortion, right?
If we were killing 4,000 ten year olds or thrity year olds in this country every day, would you say the gOP should just move beyond that issue?
I agree with you. Rudy fails miserably on enough other issues that his abortion stance is almost secondary.
However, I'd point out that people who don't "get it right" on THIS issue usually do very poorly on other issues that are important to conservatives. For example, I believe that nearly everyone in public office (or a candidate for public office) who is a far-left radical when it comes to abortion is also a radical zealot when it comes to his/her outright hostility to the Second Amendment, too.