There are a grand total of 6 pro life Democrats in the House and Senate

[dsc]

In the Senate it is Casey, Donnelly, and Manchin. In the House it is Lipinski, Peterson, and Cueller. I have a better chance of winning the Boston Marathon than we have of seeing these numbers appreciably increase. Kucinich had to flip flop on abortion to run a vanity campaign for President. Despite the fact that Kucinich had literally no chance of winning he couldn't even run without flipping on that issue. Pro lifers all but can't win even statewide primaries in our party. Casey and Lipinski are legacies. Donnelly was supposed to be running against Richard Lugar who had no chance of losing in most people's minds. Manchin was a sitting governor who was widely seen as the only person who could hold that seat. Thus both Donnelly and Manchin had uncontested primaries. Peterson is likely the only one who can hold his seat (incumbency more than anything else). He also last had a contested primary in the 1990's.

The number of pro life Democrats has declined over the years and there is pretty much no way that trend is going to reverse. To take NC as an example. We haven't had a single pro life nominee for any statewide position in the over a decade I have lived here. Pro life congressman like Health Shuler and McIntyre wanted to run but knew they couldn't win a primary. No amount of DCCC policy is going to change the fundamental dynamics. The parties have sorted themselves on this issue nearly completely.

That said, party matters. By any standard the Supreme Court is the holy grail of abortion law. Two GOPers voted against him (admittedly both pro choice) but several other pro choice GOP members voted for him and Specter is about as responsible as a person can be for fact he is on the Court.

Strategically the statement was not a great thing. As a practical matter it won't matter. Primary electorates have made this decision for us.

[DURHAM D]

1. I don't believe that Senator Manchin is pro-life any longer.

He is now pro-choice.

[leftstreet]

6. Neither is Casey

PA-Sen: Bob Casey (D), "Being pro-life doesn't mean defunding Planned Parenthood"

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/6/8/1670025/-PA-Sen-Bob-Casey-D-Being-pro-life-doesn-t-mean-defunding-Planned-Parenthood


Leading up to this year’s Convention, we spoke to the media on the fraud that was presented to the American people, that Bob Casey, Jr. is pro-life.

The truth is that Casey, Jr. has a NARAL voting record of 65 percent but considers himself pro-life. We stated that if a Democrat voted with the National Rifle Association two out of every three times, no one in his right mind would call that person an advocate of gun control. So why is Casey, Jr. considered pro-life? The Pennsylvania senator can mouth the virtues of pro-life all he wants, but at the end of the day what really matters is his voting record.

http://www.catholicleague.org/bob-casey-mislabeled-as-pro-life/


He's taking a lot of flack for disappointing the anti-choice nutters who thought he'd push through their legislation, so he's not a good example of an anti-choice Democrat

[dsc]

9. Casey and Manchin are definitely not pro choice

they are in the muddy middle and definitely favor restrictions on abortion that most primary voters would find problematic.

[DURHAM D]

15. I was struck by your use of pro life.

The only question is are they anti-choice or pro-choice.

[dsc]

16. they are somewhere in the middle

leaning toward anti choice in the case of Manchin and pro choice in the case of Casey.

[Moostache]

2. Primary electorates have made this decision for us?

Um, no, bedrock PRINCIPLES...like a woman's RIGHT to control their reproductive functions and their bodies is what made this decision for me...I take offense to the suggestion that it is a malleable belief or passing fad or political side effect...it is core for me.

[dsc]

4. the principles of the party are what the voters say they are

and they have said we are a pro choice party. I tend to think the voters made the right decision but it is their decision to make.

[WinstonSmith00]

3. Ever notice

Pro-lifers are also pro-war and pro- death penalty. I guess life only matters in the uterus.

[chimpymustgo]

5. Please don't call them "pro-life". They are anti-abortion or anti-choice. Thanks!

nt

[DFW]

8. EXACTLY!!!!!!!

Unless these Congresscritters are vegetarians who vigorously oppose the death penalty, they are NOT "pro-life." They are against giving a woman the right to choose for herself. That is not "pro-life." It is anti-abortion rights.

[dembotoz]

10. prefer to call them pro lie

[DURHAM D]

21. No. You can be anti-abortion and pro-choice.

iows - Anti-abortion is a personal choice

Pro-choice is a public policy position.

The best questions is: Are they pro-choice or anti-choice.

Confusing the terms is why so many are so confused.

[loyalsister]

7. I think geography demands some flexibility

I once talked to a Democratic state senator who considered himself prolife and he made an observation I had only heard from prochoicers. He said of republicans, "they only care until the baby is born."

I see a really big difference between the crowd that wants to provide healthcare and nutrition until a kid is born versus someone who is personally not comfortable with abortion and wants existing people to be housed, fed, healthy, and have equal opportunity to live safely and with satisfaction.

[MrsCoffee]

13. Given the choice between a Republican and someone who acts like a Republican, people will vote for

the real Republican all the time. Harry S. Truman

Why not just be Democrats and adhere to our party platform instead? Why not be the party that protects the rights of minorities, women and children?

The latest announcement is a losing strategy and millions of women will leave the party if they throw our rights under the bus again.

[loyalsister]

20. Unless you're in Missouri, that is

In the 1016 gubernatorial election we had a republican turned Democrat running against a Democrat turned republican. There was really no way to tell who was the real what. Both switch parties out of opportunism. Not many of us trusted the Democrat, but we would sure love to have him in office now.
Politics is upside down and twisted. And we need to secure more Democratic votes.

[Lee-Lee]

24. The fact that Heath Shuler was elected several times here in NC proves that wrong

Was he much of a Democrat? No.

But he had a D next to his name and gave us a majority in the House that that put real Democrats in charge of what even came up for a vote.

And he is a liberal as you will ever elect in this district. I know it, I live here.

You can run someone who leans further left every time and just make sure that seat keeps an R next to it and helps them keep control, or you can run a Democrat who is really a Republican light and maybe win and take that seat away.

I find having control of the House and what legislation gets even voted on worth the cost of having a few folks with a D next to their names who don't fit my idea of what a Democrat should be. And a far better alternative than losing races in those districts and staying a minority party.

A whole lot of people here are living in a bubble of deeply blue urban areas and don't have a clue what it is like in these rural areas when they keep saying just run everyone further left and they will all win.

[dsc]

14. Geography is less of a thing now on this issue

NC is a prime example. The primary electorate, even in southern states, has moved hard toward the pro choice position and I think that is likely irreversible.

[loyalsister]

18. It absolutely is in MO

The cities are prochoice, and the rural areas are not. We have 163 different congressional districts giving the rural areas the edge in setting policy. The same can be said for congress which gives sparsely populated states equal votes in the senate. And, of course, districts have been drawn with that in mind.

[dsc]

19. How many pro life Democrats are there from MO?

I know there are many pro life voters there but they aren't voting in our primaries.

[loyalsister]

23. Enough that the state is blood red

The state auditor is the only Democrat, only prochoicer, and only woman in the executive branch. The general assembly has a republican anti-choice supermajority. The governor called a special session to get them to pass an anti-abortion bill. There are not enough Dems to mount any real opposition.

Before term limits there were solid Democratic rural areas. The Democratics in the GA just dealt with them and found common ground in nearly every other area. It sucked. I hated it. But after having some conversations with some of them, I discovered they did not fit the stereotypes of anti-choicers that I had in my mind.

[gilbert sullivan]

11. I've never met a person who wasn't "pro life"...

one can certainly fall under that rubric and be "pro choice" too. Some of us happen to think the life and well being (both physically and psychologically) of a pregnant woman are more important than the unknown future of a possible baby.

[gratuitous]

12. The question is: Will any of these legislators sponsor bills?

If a Senator or Representative is "pro life" or "anti abortion" or thinks he's seen a little green man from Mars, I don't much care one way or the other. It's when those personal beliefs come out in the form of legislation that I'll take issue with it. Until then, I'm trying to get Democrats elected, not looking for wild geese to chase.

[BigmanPigman]

17. I am curious about how many Repub in the House and Senate are pro-choice

and what their names are.

[Bleacher Creature]

22. Lipinski is just all-around terrible.

And he's in a solidly blue district. His views on abortion are just one of many reasons why he needs to go.