4 Comments on “Why ultimately I’m supporting McCain”
Hmm. Well, if you seriously believe that McCain will actually make an impact in reducing abortions, then fine.
All I see is that three decades of “pro-life” Republicans have made barely any substantive changes to abortion rates or abortion laws, with the biggest fall in abortion rates occurring under the “pro-choice” Bill Clinton.
The Republicans have used abortion as a means of hoovering up the votes of gullible evangelicals, without ever doing (or even intending to do) anything serious to reduce, let alone eliminate, abortion. But then, since sloganising about being “pro-life” is enough to win them those votes, why should they bother doing anything more substantial which would lose them votes from those on the other side of the argument? Wake me when they make the slightest effort to pass the “human life amendment” which they boast about in their platform, for example.
Meanwhile, they have opposed measures whose practical effect is to reduce the number of abortions by giving women other choices: improved healthcare, family planning services, social programmes and so on.
I’m not saying I find the Democrat position on this issue attractive or palatable, just that history shows the argument that “if you’re anti-abortion then you must be pro-Republican” to be politically naive. And I honestly believe that fewer abortions would actually occur under an Obama presidency than would occur under a McCain presidency.
Here in the USA, one receives complete information prior to any surgical procedure no matter how minor. We are informed of the entire process, the possible risks, the possible side effects, exactly how the procedure is done (we even get informative videos of some of these), all of the alternative procedures and what the consequences are of not having the procedure done at all.
For every single surgical procedure… except one, that is. Women are hardly given any information whatsoever on the abortion procedure, much less options. That doesn’t sound like choice to me.
I agree wholeheartedly with John H. I am staunchly against abortion period. Nonetheless, as a young Evangelical (actually here in the States) I have found time and again the abortion issue is a tool in the hands of Republican’s used in order to garner votes. I also think that if we pro-lifer’s actually cared about reducing abortions rather than saving our pure consciences we would be willing to pass compromise bills in hopes that we may one day be able to eradicate abortions further on.Â
There are also many other “pro-life” issues (such as health care reform to name but one)(OK I’ll throw in Iraq too) that are completely marginalized by Republicans. I am an avid Obama supporter, I am upset by his strange abortion ideas, but I will not be forced to vote on only one issue.
Hmm. Well, if you seriously believe that McCain will actually make an impact in reducing abortions, then fine.
All I see is that three decades of “pro-life” Republicans have made barely any substantive changes to abortion rates or abortion laws, with the biggest fall in abortion rates occurring under the “pro-choice” Bill Clinton.
The Republicans have used abortion as a means of hoovering up the votes of gullible evangelicals, without ever doing (or even intending to do) anything serious to reduce, let alone eliminate, abortion. But then, since sloganising about being “pro-life” is enough to win them those votes, why should they bother doing anything more substantial which would lose them votes from those on the other side of the argument? Wake me when they make the slightest effort to pass the “human life amendment” which they boast about in their platform, for example.
Meanwhile, they have opposed measures whose practical effect is to reduce the number of abortions by giving women other choices: improved healthcare, family planning services, social programmes and so on.
I’m not saying I find the Democrat position on this issue attractive or palatable, just that history shows the argument that “if you’re anti-abortion then you must be pro-Republican” to be politically naive. And I honestly believe that fewer abortions would actually occur under an Obama presidency than would occur under a McCain presidency.
John H, not sure where you get your information (or why I can’t embed links here).
Over at Get Religion, Mollie has pointed out that Obama was wrong in his claim “Because the fact is that although we’ve had a president who is opposed to abortions the last eight years, abortions have not gone down.*
http://www.getreligion.org/?p=3814
Mollie says “Abortions are actually at their lowest rate since 1975and dropped nine percent between 2000 and 2005.â€
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/16/AR2008011603624.html
Just a rant on my part:
Here in the USA, one receives complete information prior to any surgical procedure no matter how minor. We are informed of the entire process, the possible risks, the possible side effects, exactly how the procedure is done (we even get informative videos of some of these), all of the alternative procedures and what the consequences are of not having the procedure done at all.
For every single surgical procedure… except one, that is. Women are hardly given any information whatsoever on the abortion procedure, much less options. That doesn’t sound like choice to me.
Kitty
I agree wholeheartedly with John H. I am staunchly against abortion period. Nonetheless, as a young Evangelical (actually here in the States) I have found time and again the abortion issue is a tool in the hands of Republican’s used in order to garner votes. I also think that if we pro-lifer’s actually cared about reducing abortions rather than saving our pure consciences we would be willing to pass compromise bills in hopes that we may one day be able to eradicate abortions further on.Â
There are also many other “pro-life” issues (such as health care reform to name but one)(OK I’ll throw in Iraq too) that are completely marginalized by Republicans. I am an avid Obama supporter, I am upset by his strange abortion ideas, but I will not be forced to vote on only one issue.