Democrats need to realize there is more
I was reading a story yesterday that Sen. Hillary Clinton was being attacked by a number of people within her own party. Why? Because of a $10,000 donation to a Democrat who is running against Rick Santorum.
Here's the problem. The Democrat who received the donation is pro-life.
One of my biggest problems with my fellow Democrats is they seem to have a narrow focus at times.
Look at the Alito hearings. The majority of the focus was on two things: abortion and presidential power. And if we hadn't had the recent wiretapping scandal, it would have focused on abortion.
Don't get me wrong, abortion is an extremely important issue and is often a key difference between Democrats and Republicans.
However, Democrats can gain valuable ground by not letting one issue divide them, and by developing platforms in other areas that are as strong as their pro-abortion stance.
Here's the problem. The Democrat who received the donation is pro-life.
One of my biggest problems with my fellow Democrats is they seem to have a narrow focus at times.
Look at the Alito hearings. The majority of the focus was on two things: abortion and presidential power. And if we hadn't had the recent wiretapping scandal, it would have focused on abortion.
Don't get me wrong, abortion is an extremely important issue and is often a key difference between Democrats and Republicans.
However, Democrats can gain valuable ground by not letting one issue divide them, and by developing platforms in other areas that are as strong as their pro-abortion stance.
posted by Clay @ 6:47 AM
2 Comments:
At 6:07 PM,
pcarter said…
I fear that both parties are falling prey to simple minded, single issue fanatics.
As for domestic wiretapping, I'd continue to blush from shame, but I've blown all my fuses. Truly shameful.
The RiledRepublican
At 11:01 AM,
S.W. Anderson said…
You make a good point about broadening focus. I think part of the problem has to do with the fact that there are well-established interest groups devoted to protecting women's right of choice about abortion. They have longstanding alliances with many elected Democrats.
These groups were somewhat paranoid before, but since Republicans have gotten control of government and now even the Supreme Court, they're really on red alert. So, I can begin to understand them being put out at Hillary Clinton if they think she's further weakening their position.
That said, Clinton's gift may be strategic. Santorum is as anti-choice as its possible to be and a pro-corporate, radical right winger in every other way. What's more, he's not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. Even a pro-life Senate Democrat representing Pennsylvania would undoubtedly be a huge improvement, plus it would strengthen the Senate Democratic Caucus' hand.
In any case, I think you will find that many Democrats and independents labeled "pro-abortion" by the religious right and Republicans are in fact no such thing. There's a big difference between liking and promoting abortion, and maintaining that it's not the government's place to impose itself into highly personal decisions such as that.
I personally think women who get an abortion simply because they don't want to be bothered having a baby and raising a child are making a terrible moral mistake that they'll one day have to answer to their maker for. Even so, I believe they have an inherent right to make that mistake.
I think you'll agree that's not really a pro-abortion position at all.
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