Why aren't Democrats pushing ABORTION more?

[PeaceForever]

Roe v. Wade is hanging by a razor thin 5-4 margin in the Supreme Court. Ruth Bader Ginsberg has had problems with cancer. Sandra Day O'Connor wants to retire.

If Bush gets a chance to replace a pro-choice Justice with one opposed to abortion rights, he WILL DO IT.

The VAST MAJORITY of women of both parties STRONGLY support the right to an abortion.

This is such an easy issue for the Democratic Party, yet one hears barely a peep about it.

[alittlelark]

1. NARAL and Planned parenthood are doing a good enough

job in that arena.

[PeaceForever]

2. I don't think so.

If they were, Kerry wouldn't be struggling right now.

[michigandem2]

6. its a wedge issue...

just like gay marriage..much larger fish to fry I think...anyway...we have a mess in Iraq..our country is in serious trouble here...

[NV1962]

26. BS - Bush is guarding his position to *avoid* Kerry's broadside

NARAL et al. are doing one heck of a job - as are the women voter organizations.

Kerry can't and wisely won't "change the subject" to an issue that Bush is just waiting for to jump on and portray Kerry as an "irresponsible abortionist." People who care enough about this issue know Kerry's pro-choice position through and through - it's other issues that'll have to soak Bush's support - which is what Kerry is doing.

People who care enough about this issue to let it decide their vote are already on Kerry's page - the "undecideds" have to come from elsewhere.

Like, the economy, health care, Iraq, education... Etc. The usual list that Kerry's already working on.

[billbuckhead]

5. Electoral college

Ohio, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Colorado, New Mexico, Florida are all full of Catholics and Fundies.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

13. I think most Catholics are pro-choice

You can be pro-choice and also personally against abortion.

[NV1962]

30. Yup

It's fringe groups like Knights of Columbus, Opus Dei e.a. who "set the tone" screaming that any abortion is murder (I still recall the equation of abortion with Nick Berg's beheading... Pathetic)

Most Catholics take a pseudo-libertarian position with judicial wedge issues - as in the case of abortion.

And I believe you're 100% on the mark about differentiating between supporting choice, while having misgivings applied to one's own situation.

[wickywom]

31. bull sh*t...around here (NC) they

worship the fetus...
it keeps their mind off of the living children suffering in the world...
especially the ones being blown up.

[mbali]

3. They are talking about it - but in the larger context of judicial appts.

which will affect a number of rights, including reproductive freedom.

[hippiegranny]

4. Because what Dems are for is

CHOICE.

Although we all agree that the Supreme Court is a HUGE factor in why this election is so incredibly important.

[liontamer]

7. glamour magazine did that in 2000

but not a lot came out of it. Many of the people who need the right the most do nothing to defend it. They figure "let the lesbian feminists handle it"

[athena]

23. Lesbian feminists?

Why would lesbian feminists give a d*mn about abortion?

(OK, I know some do, but it can't be very high on their list of priorities.)

[Cocoa]

8. I'm glad he's not

the abortion debate is a huge turnoff to me. Despite its importance, the debate gets so inflamed it's worthless.

I'm sure many people are as turned off as me, which is not good for the dems.

[Bridget Burke]

9. We support CHOICE.

Not Abortion.

[wickywom]

10. I know I'm outnumbered...

but I'll let you in on alittle secret....
some of us here don't think abortion is so great, we aren't interested in letting fundies fiddle with the law and but a few of us would like to see
rabidly active defense of sex education and further advances in birth control...
like making the morning after pill over the counter.

[samtob]

25. Well WE are out numbered then

Sex education, birth control, and the morning after pill available over the counter are far better options.

Abortion should be a last resort, not a replacement for birth control.

[Cheswick2.0]

27. abortion is not used as a replacement for abortion

what makes you think women are stupid and lazy?

[foo_bar]

32. your subject line?

[LTR]

11. It's a wedge issue

And most people already have an idea where the candidates stand on it.

If Kerry rams choice down too many throats, the fundies that are reluctantly voting for Kerry may switch back to Bush.

There are far more important things to talk about.

[caledesi]

12. I think the question should be...

Hey all you misguided folks who vote for * because he is against abortion! We have a Repuke congress, senate, and resident...so why in 3 1/2 years has this moron don't absolutely NOTHING to overturn Roe v Wade? (I know he can't get the ball rolling, but he sure as hell could coax the Repuke congress to do something).

* hasn't done anything because he is as plastic as they come.

[athena]

24. Oh, but don't you know it?

Those wealthy, latte-drinking, Volvo-driving intellectual lib'rals control everything.

(Read What's the Matter with Texas by Thomas Frank if you haven't done so already.)

[Nederland]

14. Here's why

You say that the vast majority of women strongly support the right to an abortion. This is true, provided you are talking about first trimester abortions. However, when you ask people about how they feel about abortion later in a woman's pregnancy, that number starts dropping rapidly. The reality is that only a small minority of people support abortion rights in any and all cases. Since that is the position of NARAL and probably John Kerry, pushing this issue doesn't make sense.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/abo_poll2.htm

[npincus]

15. I'd prefer focus to shift back to Stem Cell Research

that's a winner that most Americans get behind. And, Laura Bush came off as a naysayer and pessimistic on this... a good counter to her empathetic facade.

Isn't Mrs. Chimp schlepping across America now, making speeches, trying to score women voters with stories of how caring her 'Bushie' is? Well, it doesn't jive with their position on stem cell research- denying hope to millions of ailing Americans.

[DaveinMD]

16. Abortion

fires up the base. It does not move persuadeable voters. NARAL and Planned Parenthood will make sure pro-choice voters turnout.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

18. Abortion fires up their base too.

We don't need to do that, 'cuz our base is on fucking fire now.

[DaveinMD]

21. that's why

you only talk about this issue in targeted appeals. Not on TV, but in direct mail, canvassing and phone calls to be people we know to be pro-choice.

[geek tragedy]

17. Because they're not stupid.

Iraq, the economy, terrorism, health care. Those are the issues people care about.

[Julien Sorel]

19. Funny subject line.

I knew what you meant, but...

[mzmolly]

20. I prefer the word CHOICE to abortion personally.

:hi:

[PeaceForever]

34. I did mean to say choice. My bad.

Hopefully people knew what I meant. :)

[WoodyD]

22. I don't think it does them much good

I think anyone who's pro-choice will be for Kerry anyway. In spite of their "big tent" rhetoric, the Repugs have actively courted the far-right anti-choice patient-harassing clinic-threatening nutjobs on this issue. Anti-choice voters will vote Dubya no matter what. So Kerry's better off focusing on issues like Iraq and the economy, IMHO.

[Cheswick2.0]

28. what would be the point?

[slinkerwink]

29. Actually, it's birth control we should focus on

Because the Republicans want to get rid of them.

[wickywom]

33. I look at it this way..

if the decision to limit abortions is made due to their religious, moral arguement about the beginnings of life they will destroy the hope of stem cells, and all birth control for that matter.
It is unfortunate, but a platform promising better choices instead of a change of law could save us from the dark ages.

[MUSTANG_2004]

35. Lots of reasons not to. Some of them:

1) Bush probably won't get to appoint an anti-abortion justice, as it will require approval by the Senate. Without a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, it won't happen.
2) Even if Bush gets his choice of justice, there's no guarantee how a judge will vote once on the Court. Souter supports Roe v Wade, yet was appointed by the very pro-life G.H.W. Bush.
3) It's not a razor thin margin. Justices that tend to support Roe v Wade: Breyer, Ginsburg, O'Connor, Kennedy, Souter, and Stevens. Some of these may support some small restrictions, but all have affirmed their basic support for Roe v Wade. The only 3 that consistently oppose it are Scalia, Thomas and Rehnquist.
4) The Supreme Court rarely completely reverses itself. Even if there are rulings against abortion, they're more likely to chip away at the edges, not be a full-fledged reversal of Roe v Wade.
5) It's already a given that the people for whom abortion is the key issue of the election already know where Kerry and Bush stand and will vot eaccordingly. Emphasizing abortion will only serve as a turn-off for the pro-life Democrats and anti-Bush Republicans.

This election is about Iraq, terrorism and the economy. To try and make it about abortion would be a mistake, IMO.