Agnostic.com

10 1

Should there be a Pro Choice litmus test for people who want to run as a Democratic candidate?

I have heard it speculated by a knowledgeable source that a Pro Life Democrat would have beaten Roy Moore easily for the Alabama Senate seat. Millions of evangelicals and Catholics would vote for any kind of criminal over someone who supports abortion. Is it time for the Democratic party to embrace candidates on both sides of the abortion issue? Or should we just give up on getting votes from the religious right?

  • 6 votes
  • 8 votes
Diarmaede 7 Dec 11
Share

Enjoy being online again!

Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.

Create your free account

10 comments

Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.

1

The conservative Republicans and the evangelical Christians don't actually want abortion to be illegal. What they want is that card they can play every election to garner support. It's about playing the political game, not about principles. If Roe v. Wade were ever overturned, it would be a crushing blow to its supposed opponents.

Maybe, but I think the abortion issue is still one of controlling women's bodies and minds. I recently left the deep south where women (I should say white women)are still under control of their men. They have to remain virtuous for their men and so must comply. Many women in the south are strong and independent in every way except in feminism and religion and they fear they have no real power without their men. Abortion paints women with a broad stroke and many women are afraid of being on the wrong side of their oppresser.

@Tizi, I agree that control over women is a big motivation, and I'm not saying that they aren't looking for ways to impose or maintain that control — but if abortion were illegal and Planned Parenthood no longer existed, the boogeyman that encourages women to fund and vote against their own interests would be gone. (Also, I'm referring specifically to the leadership's goals here, not the average person, because evangelical laity or conservative voters are likely in favor of eliminating abortion and various other women's services, but the people pulling their strings have deeper motivations and can maintain a deep control and influence over congregations and voting blocs by manipulating them with topics like this.)

3

"One issue" candidates and litmus tests retard and poison the political process, no matter whether from the right or from the left.

1

Roe vs Wade is settled law so we should set that on the back burner and focus other more important goals.

1

What is stopping a pro-life Democrat from running? On the other hand could he win? I would be disinclined to vote for him or her. I do believe in principles.

gearl Level 8 Dec 12, 2017
1

As I see it, the pro-life Dem would lose because a large portion of Repugnicans will vote party line anyway, and an unknown percentage of Dems would not vote for a pro-life candidate. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

1

A womans right to choose is not debatable to me, especially because the right to do so has been fought for for so long. Womens rights should be decided by women...and we cannot go backward.

1

Being anti-choice should be an automatic disqualification for ANY person seeking elected office, regardless of party. Abortion is a LEGAL medical procedure. No one, regardless of their religious beliefs, should ever have the right to interfere with which medical procedures anyone avails themselves of. If you don't like it, don't have one. Period, end of story. There is no need for any discussion on this issue. None.

0

I agree resserts. Political issues aren't personally important to pols. Certainly abortion is one of those. But as long as women are still worried about what their men or jesus might think of them then the problem will remain. In the 70's the issue was not such a big deal. Even women who weren't particularly feminist seemed ok with abortion. The religious right turned it into as gruesome a drama as possible and layed as much shame on women as possible and the pols picked it up.

Tizi Level 3 Dec 12, 2017
0

That would almost be like saying "Let's be just a closed minded and bigoted as the right wing."

0

I don't care as they are not Canadians, here no party but the conservative would require solidarity on moral issues that people feel they need to vote on by conscience.

Write Comment
You can include a link to this post in your posts and comments by including the text q:7827
Agnostic does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any content. Read full disclaimer.