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Republicans are like the dog that caught the car when it comes to abortion. Kari Lake backtracks on her support of the 150 year old Arizona abortion law, which embodies the goals of much of the pro-life movement. Trump tries to avoid the issue by saying that it has been returned to the states, thereby avoiding a commitment to a federal ban. In fact, as I understand it, the Dobbs decision merely said that there is no right to abortion and that nothing prohibits states from restricting it. That alone doesn’t preclude a federal ban.
Even if you think the Arizona law goes too far, there just doesn’t seem to be any inspired leadership here. How hard would it be for Trump or some other Republican leader to call on Biden or Harris to compromise on the issue? “Republicans believe in exceptions to their position. Will you agree to exceptions to yours? Will you agree to reduce your 39-week protection for abortion rights to 24, unless it is necessary to save the mother’s life?” I’d love to see them choke on that one. Put them on the spot for once. They will never agree to any exceptions to their commitment to abortion on demand for any reason until the moment of birth. This should make it very easy for any Republican politician to paint them as extremists. And yet, it just doesn’t happen.
All that’s required is to move the poll numbers by just a little, to get the pro-life position back in the majority. It shouldn’t be that hard.
“Do you want reasonable restrictions on abortion? Or no restrictions at all, for any reason, up to the moment of birth? There isn’t ONE national Democrat who supports ANY restrictions at all on abortion. If you vote for a national Democrat, that’s what you’ll get. If you vote for a Republican, you’ll get reasonable restrictions.”
It’s like Republican politicians don’t really believe or care about the ideas that they are supposed to be defending. With an issue this easy, we should be hearing them challenge the Democrats every day with arguments like this. Instead, it’s all defense.
Discussion (45)
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Yes.
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Many, maybe most- but not all.
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The abortion issue was always two problems. One is the killing of innocent human life. The other is who the Hell do Sandra Day O'Connor and these other robed nobles think they are?
The Court has corrected its error, being constructed of better people for the time being. So now we're down to one problem.
But people's minds have inertia. The question of how much abortion to allow will settle out geographically, given time. I say let us move very slowly.
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THIS is the correct conservative political view on something this divisive. It removes the central government from being a polarized bone on this issue.
The problem conservatives are having is they don’t know how to fight locally. It is going to take readjustment and politicians need to stop flaking in their states. But also, first commenter is correct - the (R) politicians never actually cared that much.
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This is a good sentence. So much there. First, "pro-life" will not be a majority opinion for a least a generation. Second, what does "pro-life" mean? Under, Roe, the GOP did have to have a position, it was good enough to be against Roe. Third, changing the culture is very, very hard. It 200 years to ban slavery and that is an obvious choice. Fourth, the Dems cannot compromise. The DNC is run by extremists and there is no crossing them.
Kari Lake is get destroyed by the Right-wing media, because she flipped to a 15 week ban. Anybody proposing a 24 week ban is going to be driven out of the GOP.
Trump is close to a workable position. Leave it up to the states. Say that killing babies is wrong and that most people agree that killing a baby with a beating heart is too late. Then vow to help moms.
In a way, the whole debate kind of misses the trend. The Dems have basically put abortion pills in every pharmacy and mailbox in the country. Planned Parenthood is going to be replaced with a website to order DIY pills.
The GOP needs to commit to changing culture. Taking away a right drives out opposition voters. Be the party of promoting motherhood instead of the party of taking away choices. Play the long game. Technology is going to improve and help people realize that a baby is a baby at 40 weeks and 15 weeks and 8 weeks ...
FYI, the Catholic position is that birth control is wrong, but 95% of people would strong oppose any restrictions on birth control.
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