Will the Pro-Abortion Party Change?

In a word: No.

Kristin Day, of Democrats for Life of America, has a column at NRO, Dec. 2:

Senator John Kerry and the Democratic party focused on changing the direction of America this election cycle, and people listened. The Kerry camp waged a serious campaign, but the fact is that America wanted a lot of things to stay the same. A perfect example of this was on "moral issues." On Election Day, Democrats and Republicans alike sent a clear message to Washington: Protect our values.

Pro-life Democrats are not surprised by the outcome of this year's election. In fact, pro-life Democrats have been pleading with their party to be respectfully included. Unfortunately, the "big-tent" Democratic party has allowed itself to be controlled by pro-choice forces and suffered as a result. For the past 25 years, pro-life Democrats have been leaving the party over the issue of abortion....

Earl Appleby blogged, Dec. 15, about recent discussions among Democrats concerning the inadvisability of the party's supine support of the absolute pro-abortion position:

.... Now, here he [John Kerry] was confessing that the Democrat Party's rigid and zealous stand in favor of every and all abortions cost votes. No wonder, advocates of baby-killing like Nancy Keenan, who regard the Democratic Party as their political lackey gasped in shock and disbelief.

"It might have sounded shocking," Rosenberg conceeds, "but John Kerry isn't alone in taking a new look at how the party is handling the explosive topic of abortion." ....

Now the Boston Globe runs an article, yesterday:

.... No prominent Democrat has suggested that the party change its long-held stance that a woman should have the right to an abortion if she chooses. But as Democrats assess what went wrong for them in November, some are urging a "big tent" approach that is more welcoming to those who oppose abortion. Democrats say that attitude might be especially useful with Hispanics, a critical constituency that tends to be Roman Catholic and whose majority support for Democrats has slipped in recent elections.

Abortion rights activists are alarmed at the potential shift in the party's approach to the issue as they look warily ahead to Supreme Court nomination fights and efforts in Congress to restrict abortion. But Democratic leaders say they can reach out to voters in the "red states," which voted Republican in November, without compromising their party platform on abortion....

Come on. This is suitable talk among the Democratic power brokers at 3 years and 10 months until the next presidential election. As that time gets whittled down — 3 years, 9 months; 3 years, 8 months; 3 years, 7 months... — that kind of talk will be less and less suitable, until it is finally ruled out completely again — until December 2008 (or, maybe, December 2006).

See also Johnny Got His Mind Straightened, C.I.N.O., and "The Kiss-Me-Kate Democrats".

P.S. And see The Dems' Pro-Life Gambit.

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Mon. 12/20/04 07:51:34 AM
Categorized as Political.