Is the average Republican really anti-birth control?

[DefenseLawyer]

Abortion is one thing, that is one of the anchors of the republican platform. But birth control? The official position of the Catholic Church notwithstanding, I don't even think your average "religious" voter, much less your average "conservative" voter, is against birth control. I could be wrong, but it just seems like such a wacky issue for Santorum to be pushing in modern times. Am I misreading Republicans by thinking this is a fringe position even for them?

[arcane1]

1. I can't imagine it being anything other than fringe

Unless it's being supported by people who just aren't thinking it through.

What am I saying? They're republican voters, OF COURSE they aren't thinking things through!

[atreides1]

2. Define

What exactly is an "average Republican"?

Republicans are doing anything they can to win, just look at the redistricting and the voter ID laws being passed in Republican states!

They will go along with any wacky issue that comes up, all just to get that balck guy out of the White House, and give them their country back the way it was!!!

[AlinPA]

10. ..in 1950.

[Romulox]

3. Is the average Democrat pro Drug War? No? Then why is the Party so obsessed with it?

It's a similar situation with the Republicans and abortion, imo. A loud, well-heeled minority dominates the discussion in both cases.

[kctim]

4. The average Republican is not anti-birth control

Hell, the average Republican is more against government funded abortions than they are against abortion itself.

[Icicle]

5. It's social engineering....

It's much more difficult for us common folk to save money, get a good education, run for office and challenge their BS when we have a brood of children to care for.

It's all about narcissistic power-mad people trying to protect their positions of privilege.

[libodem]

6. I doubt it

I think it is the divide and conquer technique. Family planning must be practiced or every family would look like the, Duggers.

[unblock]

7. the average republican voters doesn't want their daughters having sex until they're married.

so they don't want society giving them messages about sex being good or ok or safe or anything like that.

birth control empowers their daughters to have sex with fewer consequences than there otherwise might be, which could lead to them having sex before marriage, and that's what the average republican voter can't stand.


most sane people acknowledge a difference between "society" and "government", which would allow for such possibilities as a society that discourages premarital sex while government makes nonjudgmental allowances for it. but this sort of thinking is beyond the ken of many republican voters.

[Spazito]

8. No, they are not, imo...

but they, all too many anyway, ARE hypocritical enough to pile on the faux outrage if it benefits their party and hurts the Democrats.

If they were against contraceptives, families like the Duggars would be more the norm than the BIG exception they are.

[earthside]

9. No. They are users.

The 'average' Republican I presume you are talking about are people like any of our neighbors who just happen to be registered Republican. Most of them are Republicans because that's what their parents were.

And you know very well that almost all of them are using birth control ... because few families have more than two or three children.

The extremist, activist Repuglicans and the very conservative Roman church hierarchy are way, way out of touch with average Americans on this issue.

Indeed, pushing any limitations on birth control is an absolute prescription (pun intended) for electoral disaster, in my estimation. One of the greatest scientific/medical discoveries of all time is that we can now control and plan our very own family.

[randr]

11. The average Republican is getting dangerously close

to becoming as radical as the craziest Muslim, Hindu, or other religious zealot. It is always the women who suffer for their moral degradation. If we were to elect one of these Philistines it would not be long before we would see persecutions similar to what we see around the world in our own back yard.

[XemaSab]

12. It's very fringe even for them

I've done quite a big of reading on it, and it's seriously way the hell out there.

[AlinPA]

13. A lot of them in MO, CO and MN probably are, based on last night's primaries.

[BlueToTheBone]

14. Only for other people. nt

[AndyTiedye]

15. No, But Their Preacher Is, and the Preacher Tells Them How to Vote