Timothy P. Carney writes:
Democrats such as Buttigieg could reach socially conservative Christian voters, argues Kathy Winter, chairwoman of the Osceola County Democratic Party, by preaching “kindness, compassion, and caring about all of your friends and neighbors — to the born as well as the unborn too.”
Such a message “could reach a lot of conservative voters here,” Arnett argued. Pro-lifers could come to term with pro-choice Democrats who pursue policies that curb abortion while not banning the procedure. “Saying, ‘Hey, I’m just as committed as you are. Just we have different policies.’”
But no national Democrats push that line. No national Democrat will preach “compassion and caring about … the unborn,” as Winter puts it. Buttigieg doesn’t want abortion curtailed. In his stump speech, Buttigieg describes abortion as “reproductive healthcare” and refers to legal abortion as a crucial “freedom.”
6 Comments for “Buttigieg, Faith and Abortion”
posted by JohnInCA on
Democrats have, for decades, been pushing policies and programs that actually reduce abortion, while Republicans have, for decades, been pushing policies and programs that actually increase abortion.
But sure, this time conservative voters who are motivated by abortion are going to care more about efficacy then message.
posted by Jorge on
I know a bluff when I read one.
posted by Jorge on
Pete Buttigieg’s hired thugs could shoot a black man in the back and he could refuse to apologize for it, and he’d have a better chance with the black vote than he would with the social conservative Christian vote. Because that’s what he did to Mike Pence himself.
But I’m sure Joe Lieberman would love him. (That’s meant to be a statement about conservative Democrats, not Jews.)
posted by Tom Scharbach on
In terms of law and public policy, the abortion debate revolves primarily around a single question: Should individuals or the government be the arbiter of the abortion decision?
In general, those on the left believe that the decision should be made by individuals following the dictates of personal conscience, and those on the right believe that the decision should be made by the government following the dictates of the majority, so long as majoritarian opinion opts to ban or severely curtail abortion.
posted by Jorge on
That’s rather silly. If the majoritarian opinion was to substantially permit abortion, then by definition those on the right would generally believe the decision should be made by the government following the dictates of the majority.
You are conflating the right-wing political position with the right-wing population.
posted by Tom Scharbach on
That’s rather silly. If the majoritarian opinion was to substantially permit abortion, then by definition those on the right would generally believe the decision should be made by the government following the dictates of the majority.
I was attempting, apparently unsuccessfully, to point out that the “majoritarian morality” rationale (that is, the idea that the law can and should follow the morality of the majority) is claptrap when applied to the abortion issue. A majority of Americans (60+% in 2019) believe that abortion should be legal “in all or most cases”, and have for many years. The right spouts “majoritarian morality” on abortion but doesn’t follow it, just as it spouts “individual freedom” on other issues and doesn’t follow that, either.
The left’s position on abortion is much clearer: The abortion decision should decided by individual personal conscience, not by the government.