Post-Saddleback, we need a clearer line on abortion

[bidenista]

There were a bunch of posts on here straight after the Saddleback forum about how McCain had breached the "cone of silence", and how his cross-in-the-dirt story was plagiarized. I'm guessing the latter is probably true, but the former sounded a bit sad; like we were conceding that McCain did better than Obama.

Truth is, a lot of people seemed to think that in both journalistic coverage and conversation. I saw Obama described as "vague" or "an empty suit" while McCain was decisive, bold, etc. Of course, mostly this reflects the fact that people prefer to hear stupid things said brashly than intelligent things said thoughtfully.

Still, what went wrong at Saddleback? I think there was one moment which really damaged Barack, and that was when he was asked the question about abortion. His campaign MUST come up with a better way of describing his position. The "above my pay grade" gaffe was really unhelpful. If we have a moment like that in the debates - when normal people, not just fundamentalists and political obsessives are watching - we're going to be in serious trouble.

Already some of my wingnut acquaintances have started making reference to Obama wanting to kill babies that survived abortions based on Illinois votes. He needs a clear line on this, and a clear line on the issue as a whole. The party has been defeated too often by Repub manipulation of the abortion issue.

[zanne]

1. Your wingnut acquaintances will say things like that regardless. nt

[bidenista]

2. not just wingnuts who vote on abortion

If it weren't for "values" voters, Bush wouldn't have been able to claim 2004.

[TomClash]

3. Here's the best aphorism

Abortion - safe, rare and legal.

Period.

[Bok_Tukalo]

4. McCain needs to be called on his answer but I doubt anyone will

His belief that human rights should be extended to people at conception conflicts with his views on abortion for those conceived through rape and/or incest. Either his position has changed or he considers those individuals sub-human.

[mrgorth]

5. If you believe in a transcendent soul

then there is no way to know when a fetus becomes a human because science will never tell us when the soul enters the body. If you DON'T believe in a soul then this is irrelevant but then you are left with science and denying that there is any life in the womb before 9 months is impossible. Obama was no asked if he was pro-choice he was asked a bigger question that no one knows the answer to. More importantly, he gave the right answer regarding why he was pro-choice.