GOP Platform: No Abortions, No Exceptions

By TChris, Section Elections 2008
Posted on Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 11:34:22 AM EST
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No surprises in the abortion plank of the Republican platform. In 2000, John McCain wanted the platform to include exceptions for rape and incest, and to save the mother's life. He said in May that he still held to those positions. He apparently has little influence over the platform of the party he leads, or he's choosing not to exert the influence he has. The platform will not include those exceptions. Wonder why?

Mr. McCain has been trying to win over social conservatives wary of his candidacy, and the party is set to approve the platform Monday without the exceptions. On Friday, he named a vice-presidential running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, who opposes any exception for abortion and whose selection was hailed unequivocally by groups opposing abortion rights.

Under McCain/Palin, the Grand Old Party is the Same Old Party. The party that refuses to respect a woman's right to choose. The party that would rather see a woman die than allow a pregnancy to be terminated medically.

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GOP Platform: No Abortions, No Exceptions | 23 comments (23 topical)

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Sometime last week someone over (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by inclusiveheart on Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 12:01:02 PM EST

at dkos covered a change in the Republican Party Platform addressing stem cell research. Apparently, they're now going to the farthest extreme on that issue as well.

My response to that as well as this is that I am glad to see they are finally being completely honest about the depth and scope of their end goals in both cases.

The question is whether or not people will take them seriously or continue to insist that it will never happen. I take their word for it that if they are given the chance they will end legal abortion and all stem cell research. That's why I won't be voting for them.

GOP Taken Over by Extreme Right (5.00 / 1) (#15)
by john horse on Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 01:05:08 PM EST

The GOP platform reinforces why I'm a Democrat and why I favor Obama. I mean, good grief, no exceptions, not even for rape, incest or to save the mother's life.

For those Republicans who disagree with the hijacking of the GOP by the fundamentalist right, I just want to say that there is room for you in the Democratic Party's Big Tent.

We'll keep the light on for you.

I have a question (none / 0) (#1)
by Saul on Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 11:43:24 AM EST

Is there a current poll which shows what percent of women are pro life vs pro choice?

For all adults (none / 0) (#4)
by DemForever on Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 11:52:19 AM EST

the percentage who believe that abortions should be legal in all or most cases has been around 55 percent. The percent who say it should be illegal in all cases is around 15-20 percent.

: It should be noted (none / 0) (#6)
by zvs888 on Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 11:54:51 AM EST

that there is no gender gap on the issue of abortion.
Almost all surveys over the past 10 years have found majorities of Americans favoring pro-choice positions with the difference between men and women being within the margins of error.

Abortion Polling (none / 0) (#23)
by daring grace on Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 07:11:04 PM EST

Abortion Polls

I know nothing about polls so I have no idea if these are accurate or not. I recognize some of the polling companies' names, and major media outlets' names.

But the questions seem all over the place in terms of the credibility of the responses so...


I don't think he can win with the percentage (none / 0) (#2)
by Anne on Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 11:49:00 AM EST

of voters who actually agree with this stance, which tells you who is in control of the party, and tells you that perhaps McCain is not as interested in winning as we thought he was.

It should, however, provide an opportunity for the Democrats to sharpen their position on abortion, and stop being so mealy-mouthed about it. Of course we want fewer abortions, but that doesn't happen with restrictive regulations on birth control and sex education, and it doesn't happen when progams like S-CHIP are not better funded, it doesn't happen when programs to provide reduced-fee pre-natal care are cut, and it doesn't happen when people cannot earn a living wage.

I'm glad the GOP has drawn the line; if the Dems are smart, they will inform the voters what that line really means.

So McCain disagrees (none / 0) (#3)
by americanincanada on Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 11:50:36 AM EST

with his party's stance? AS well, Sarah Palin advocates for a single abortion exception, the life of the mother. What I am seeing is they both likely disagree with the platform in varying degrees.

I don't like the platform at all so I probably won't vote republican.

Few are completely anti-abortion (none / 0) (#5)
by Molly Bloom on Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 11:53:05 AM EST

most people are pro choice on some point- health of the mother, rape and incest.

A complete ban is an extreme view.

Kerry may have been right when he said McCain needed to finish the debate with himself before debating Obama.

As an issue (none / 0) (#7)
by zvs888 on Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 11:56:39 AM EST

I don't think its really "way up there" for people this year.

Heck, equal pay for equal work is probably far more salient an issue for women in general I would think at this point.

But who knows, as usual the election will probably turn on the small and divisive things that they always seem to...

: It's "way up there" for me. (none / 0) (#10)
by oculus on Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 12:02:02 PM EST

Which is why I am frustrated Sen. Obama isn't speaking the words I would like him to speak. Al Gore and Hillary Clinton are, but not Barack Obama.

: It's not "way up there"? (none / 0) (#17)
by shoephone on Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 01:34:33 PM EST

Sorry. Choice is always near the top of my list.

Hmmmm.... (none / 0) (#9)
by EL seattle on Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 12:01:38 PM EST

... Maybe... there's a little "showdown" being set up by Mr. Maverick (tm) on this issue at the convention.

If McCain holds to his position at the convention:

"My position has always been: exceptions of rape, incest and the life of the mother," he said. Asked if he would encourage the party to include them in the platform, he said, "Yes," adding: "And by the way, I think that's the view of most people, that rape, incest, the life of the mother are issues that have to be considered."

...What will the the Republicans do? Send him to Platform Purity Jail? Will he actually face a voter backlach within the party for taking his stated stand? Or will he come off as someone who's willing to be "independent" and stand up to the extremists in his own party?

To me it sounds like they're using a variation of contract negotiation tactics here.

It may not work (none / 0) (#12)
by americanincanada on Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 12:10:16 PM EST

She has also said in the past that her reading of the bible would not "bleed into policy" and she kept to that.

Perhaps she will just say that her personal choices are her personal choices regardless of public policy.

This is going to be a hot button topic, that's for sure.

Mother Nature preserves the adult (none / 0) (#13)
by nellre on Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 12:34:05 PM EST

For the deeply religious to think a pro-life stance is what God wants, let them look at nature.

In nature if a gestating female is under serious stress, physical or otherwise, spontaneous abortion is a common result. To do otherwise risks losing both mother and offspring.

The GOP has injected religion into government. A dangerous combination.

This Story Helps McCain (none / 0) (#14)
by Prosecutorial Indiscretion on Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 12:47:33 PM EST

Bringing this story up reinforces McCain's maverick reputation and undermines efforts to tie him to the GOP's failures over the course of the Bush administration. This says he's not the extremist people have branded him, the McBush caricature; instead, it suggeststhat he is in fact the moderate Republican who's more a man of the middle than a man of the right. Raising the profile on this split is not going to help the Obama campaign.

: McCain's Profile in Cowardice (none / 0) (#16)
by john horse on Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 01:19:49 PM EST

How does caving in to the religious right reinforce McCain's maverick reputation? It seems to me that if a maverick is someone who sticks to his belief no matter what then this is the very opposite of being a maverick. Its crass opportunism. McCain, as his party's political nominee, could have insisted that this part of the platform be changed but in an act of political cowardice, he didn't.

LIFE of the mother (none / 0) (#18)
by zyx on Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 01:35:38 PM EST

Wow, you have to be a Hindu, or have Hindu roots, like Bobby Jindal, as I understand it, to be that extreme.

I think most Americans--95% or so--would be revolted by that position.

aye, and there's the rub! (none / 0) (#19)
by cpinva on Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 01:46:26 PM EST

they've proven to not be very smart, in the past two elections. why should i expect a sudden conversion to intelligence in this one?

no, i'm afraid that the democrats have allowed themselves to be hoist on their own petard, on this and other issues, by wanting, desperately, to be seen as the "nice" party.

nice guys don't just finish last, they don't even get out of the starting blocks.

sen. clinton wouldn't be a nice guy, she's shown that. her ability to clearly differentiate herself from other candidates, and her willingness to loudly point out when someone is treating the electorate like rubes, is just what the party needed.

my only consolation is that, with any luck, the whole top-tier democratic party "leadership" will be cleared out, like dead wood, after nov.

I am betting that she will do (none / 0) (#20)
by MichaelGale on Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 02:03:24 PM EST

that very cunning astute thing that politicians do: Make Conservative voters believe her and not scare Independents. Not be Sarah Palin, the person but VP Sarah Palin, the politician.

I think when she discusses the topic about Choice, it will be a lot softer as many Republicans support Choice too.

Are there quotes of her not being nuanced (none / 0) (#21)
by americanincanada on Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 02:07:12 PM EST

about abortion and policy? If so I would love to see them because I have been looking for them. Everything I have been able to find says her personal beliefs are just that and her policy positions are much more nuanced, like I said.

I have been looking for the radical quotes everyone claims to have but have been unable to locate them. Any help would be greatly appreciated in discussions I am having offlist.


: How About These (none / 0) (#24)
by john horse on Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 08:15:07 PM EST

AIC you made the same arguement in another post so here again from the Juneau Empire is the quote from Craig Smith, the spokeman for the Palin for Governor campaign that I provided in response. You apparently missed it.

Smith said Palin is opposed to abortion, but believes an exception should be made if the health of the mother is in danger.
That's the only exception Palin would make, though, Smith said.
"She doesn't make exception for rape and incest, only for health of the mother," he said.
Don't you think that someone who is a member of a pro-life organization would act upon her beliefs? As a matter of fact Palin has already acted on her beliefs. As governor, she suggested a special session of the Alaskan legislature for failed abortion restriction laws.

One is always pleased when the GOP (none / 0) (#22)
by No Blood for Hubris on Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 04:34:37 PM EST

again stands up to protect a rapist's right to breed.