It's quite likely that you are as surprised as I am to find me posting here. Fantastiko's own Nan has kindly asked me to join the team, becoming the ONLY contributor whose politics fall to the right hand side of our political spectrum. I'm excited about the opportunity, and I look forward to some fantastic(o) debate.
For those of you coming here from my own blog,
Still Life With Bombast, welcome, and I hope that you enjoy the new forum, but be sure to keep checking Still Life for more trivial and more personal material. For those who haven't been there, be sure to take a gander - especially if you enjoy
rotund teenagers lip-synching Romanian pop-songs...you gotta love the internet.
But introductions aside, let's roll up our sleeves and jump right in, shall we? (apologies for the length - I have to introduce myself AND make an impression, don't I?)
This morning, I believe I may have taken my first step toward earning my "Washington DC Talking Head Pundit" union card. Granted, it wasn't a television appearance, but nonetheless, I was a panelist discussing "Public Opinion and 2005's Hot Button Social Issues." It was a story unto itself, and perhaps I'll offer my criticism of the chattering class some other time. Rather, I wanted to reflect upon my own reflections on abortion, which, inevitably, was a hot topic this morning.
The left seems to think that some sort of social war is brewing over abortion rights, set to boil over once a Supreme Court justice retires. In a worst case scenario, the delicately balanced court tips away from Roe v Wade and outlaws abortion. I have long said that Roe v Wade has become such an ingrained part of our political culture that the possibility of its repeal is slim to none. But now, I'm more sure of that then ever before...
Why? First two stories, each from opposite sides of the aisle, but both arriving at similar conclusions: 1) Only a week ago, Hillary Clinton reaches out to pro-lifers seeking a "common ground" on abortion, stating that abortion is "a sad, even tragic choice for women." She paints herself, and presumably other Democrats (particularly from Red states) as being morally oppossed to abortion, but understanding the roles of freedom and choice. 2) In recent interviews (meaning over the last few months), President Bush, when asked about abortion, reaffirms his own pro-life stance but jokes that he would probably lose this vote inside of his own family 3 to 1.
Now consider where the public stands. When asked whether abortion is murder, vast majorities (around 70%) believe that it indeed is. But, in other polls, similar numbers value the right of women to choose. We are not a pro-life/pro-choice country. Most of the electorate lies somewhere in that nuanced middle, yet the most vociferous of the abortion lobbyists (on both sides) choose to ignore this. More numbers: 61% of Americans want President Bush to nominate a justice that will uphold Roe v Wade. 15% of respondents said it was acceptable for a Senator to base his or her vote on the nominee solely on the nominee's position on abortion. By contrast, 72 percent said this was unacceptable.
In the end, I think that we are more likely to see expansion of fittingly middle of the road policy solutions such as 24 hour waiting periods, parental and spousal notification, and mandatory counseling on alternatives to abortion. So when there is an opening on the Court, don't believe the hype. Roe v Wade is here to stay, and it would do the Right well to "abort" now before they find themselves in a fight they will not win.
-Alex
