Most people are simply not as dogmatic on the abortion issue as many posters here are. Landreau's position of banning partial birth and cloning is acceptable to most, even in LA I gather. She's no Patricia Ireland and to make abortion such a prominent issue was a mistake. Most people are practical and realize that the majority do not want abortions banned completely, and even those that do know that the best possible scenario is overturning Roe v. Wade which will keep it legal in the majority of states. This is NOT the main issue on most people's minds. I would vote for pro-choice Rudy over any Dem any day. Suzie even had him campaign with her. Banning abortion is not the overriding concern these days, even in LA.
What Suzie should have done was to stress the discrimination that pro-life judicial candidates are up against in the Senate and highlighted the defeats of Pickering, Owens, and Mary's vote against Shedd. Even those that agree mostly with Mary's stand on abortion (like myself) are disgusted with the treatment of judicial nominees and the lobbying of groups like Ralph Neas's.
Suzie should have followd Saxby's example and stressed Mary's oppostion to Homeland Security until her vote no longer mattered. She should have made a bigger issue of the Boy Scouts. She should have laughed out loud harder and more often at Mary's so-called influence in the minority on the Appropriations Committee. She should have reminded people of the larger tax cut that Zell Miller supported and Mary didn't. And what exactly is Mary's position on reparations for slavery? All Rat candidates should have to reveal this.
In short, all this attention on abortion against a woman with a practical position on the issue is not the way to go. There was just too much emphasis there. I wouldn't have voted for Mary for a myriad of reasons, abortion not being one.
I wish the Republican party would stop making people that are not 100% pro-life feel like outcasts. I am conservative right down the line except on this issue. This is one that I agree with Clinton's rhetoric on, (though of course they weren't his true beliefs). We need to keep it safe, legal (in the first tri-mester due to practical reasons), and RARE. At lesst until hearts and minds are changed. Using this issue as a blugeon is not good politics in most areas. There are many more important issues that affect people's day to day lives. If Suzie would have stressed those more and abortion less she would have won.
Let the fames begin!!!