Palin's Job: Fire Up and Keep Firing Up Pro-Lifers

Republican presidential contender John McCain is if anything a good listener. The instant he heard the loud squeals from Republican pro-life hawks that his campaign would be DOA if he dared tried to shove former Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge or maverick Senator Joe Lieberman on the ticket, he back pedaled fast. Both are moderates on abortion. And that made them anathema to the hawks.

We'll never know whether McCain's brief float of their names as GOP VP possibilities was a trial balloon, a deft feint, or just loose talk. But it did set things up nicely for Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Despite much talk from McCain's camp and the pro and con pundit chatter touting her as being fresh, young, a reformer, anti-GOP establishment and an ingenious pick, or slamming her as a political school girl novice, and a disastrous pick, the fact is Palin's on the ticket to assuage the pro-life hawks. But more importantly to fire up the millions of men and women voters who demand that a GOP presidential candidate firmly oppose abortion. That's the price for their vote.

The polls that show that the abortion issue languishes on the far back burner in the 2008 election badly miss this. Several major polls since 2003 have shown that while the abortion question at times has slid lower on the public's issues radar scope, it never slipped entirely off it. Americans have been almost evenly divided between those who call themselves pro-choice and pro-life. In the five presidential elections between 1984 and 2000 the majority of voters who said that abortion was a major issue for them backed the GOP candidate. Pro-life leaning voters were more likely to dash to the polls to back the GOP candidate.

A Gallup Poll Values and Belief survey in May measured the effect of pro and anti-abortion sentiment on the presidential race. It found that the pro life voter edge translated out to about a 2 to 3 percent bump up for the GOP presidential candidate.

In a runaway election for either the Democratic or GOP presidential candidate that percent wouldn't mean much. In a tight down to the wire election that percentage jump could be huge. The 2008 election appears to be just that; a squeaker win for either Obama or McCain. The Gallup Values survey also found one other thing that Team McCain almost certainly picked up on and that's even when voters say abortion is only a minor concern, or one of many issues, that changes as Election Day gets nearer. It found a measurable jump in those who suddenly said that they do care where a candidate stands on abortion. The big majority of those for whom it matters label themselves pro-life.

Palin is a made-in-heaven choice to rev them up. Even amidst the heavy pot shots and ridicule at her non existent foreign policy and national security resume, and the latest eyebrow raising picking at her for her unwed daughter's pregnancy, the GOP cash tills have started to ring loudly. The Republican National Committee gleefully said that millions poured in within hours after McCain picked Palin. Her daughter's pregnancy if anything will further enhance her standing with pro-lifers since Palin quickly announced that she will have the baby and marry the father.

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The dilemma for Democrat's is how to defuse the pro-life hot box. The obvious counter is to fire up pro choice advocates. They also number in the millions, and an aroused, impassioned plea to them and their march to the polls potentially could give Obama the bump up he needs from the pro choice side. NARAL-Pro Choice America and NOW wasted no time in lambasting McCain and Palin. They called his picking her a cynical ploy and smoking gun proof that he's a rigid extremist on abortion. The big question though is will the blasts do more to fire up pro choice or pro life men and women voters?

A too bare fisted, down and dirty hit against her for her hard nosed pro-life stance could backfire in another way. Many might see this as tantamount to witness badgering. In criminal court trials, DA's and defense attorneys always tread carefully with a witness who is a middle-class or working class mother. Beating up on them could stir juror sympathy for them and cost them a case. Palin is not only a tough politician but to some the epitome of the struggling American mother. Millions of struggling working class mothers could identify with her no matter what their views on abortion.

The pro-choice groups, though, had no choice but to quickly go on the attack. Palin has drawn a harder line on the abortion issue than any other presidential ticket candidate in the past two decades and that includes W. Bush. He showed a slight tinge of flexibility by at least saying that he opposed abortion except in instances of rape and incest and when a mother's life is in danger. Palin opposes abortion even on those grounds.

It matters little where one stands on abortion or Palin. Plopping her on the GOP presidential ticket assured that abortion won't stay on the backburner much longer this election.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His new book is How the GOP Can Keep the White House, How the Democrats Can Take it Back (Middle Passage Press, August 2008).

Comments

[jaf]

Mr Hutchinson: I have always found your posts to be thoughtful. So why do you play into the hands of the theocrat right by using their phrase 'pro-life'? That dogma is ANTI-CHOICE. It takes reproductive and health decisions away from the women and doctors who should be making them. By perpetuating the right-wing frame of the issue, you serve that cause. 'Pro-life' and 'mainstream media' are the two most destructive oxymorons in common usage today. Please consider your phraseology more carefully!

[Tomor]

Jaf:

Last time I checked the constitution, Americans had freedom of speech rights. One of those rights is to select the words of one's comments. I prefer the term "Pro-life" Use of the term "Anti-choice" is not only inaccurate (Pro-lifers assist in various life supporting activities such as providing women who are suffering the adverse physical and mental effects of abortion with comfort and aid; women who decide not to have an abortion with clothes and supplies for the baby and mother, support adult stem cell research to help the disabled and diseased, etc etc) it is also very negative. I'd be correct if I called pro-choicers "proaborts" as the choice that they maintain they are protecting is the choice to kill the baby, the choice to keep the baby has been with us from the begining. The strategy to caste pro-lifers as anti abortion or anti-choice is a strategy that is failing. The thought and word police should go home and let Americans speak as they wish. Arrogance is not becoming.

[Jazz42]

Congratulation to the wrtier of this article. He finally wrote a half patrisan article.

[Tomor]

Hutchinson is correct: abortion will become more significant in this campaign. But not as a result of Palin's position on abortion. It results from the savage attack against Palin igniting independent women and pro-lifers.

Prolifers are now discovering Obama pledged months ago to Planned Parenthood his first act as president would be to sign the Freedom of Choice Act. .

This Act, if enacted, will deny doctors, nurses and all professionals , hospitals and all other health care institutions the personal right to conscientiously object to the performing abortions. It would void all federal and state laws regulating: abortion and clinics, parental rights, age restraints, doctor only requirements. It would permit legal attacks against pro-life speeches.

It would enforce unrestricted rights to abortion on demand. Obama's promise opened the door. Nancy Pelosi's "Meet the Press" assertions as to her views of the moral theology of abortion and Church teaching startled the Catholic Bishops into defending the tenants of their faith. Now the media's vicious attacks on the first Repulican woman nominated to be Vice President show their agenda. They have forgotten their previous huge desire to support Hillary as a historic event. Palin has more executive experience than Hillary ever had. So the only reason for these vicious attacks is seen as due to her position on abortion.

The attacks will backfire. Ten Bishops have already spoken out about the intrinsic evil of abortion since Pelosi's gaffe. Obama lit the fuse and the media and Pelosi supplied the TNT.

[Jazz42]

You need to go back and check your facts. I watched Ms Pelosi on meet the press. I heard the complete opposite of what you are stating here. TROLL.
(Tomor

[wendynyc]

Palin is just a distraction - the Republicans can never win on issues - so they work on emotional non -issues that have no answers - like abortion rights and gay rights to distract the Public.

[Jazz42]

I completely agree with your assessments.
(wendynyc)
Thank you,

[grendl]

Where is the passion in the pro choice camp?

Why do democrats fear the religious right so much, that they have to speak in hushed tones whenever the subject comes up? What happened to standing up for your convictions.

Barack's " back off" warning concerning Bristol's predicament, while noble also seems like an act of political convenience and cowardice. Someone on this board said he's trying to win an election the last time I suggested he stand up and declare with no ambiguity his intention of protectiong Roe v Wade.

It isn't the stance that has cost the Democrats, its their lack of conviction and cowardice. For chrissakes if there's anything this country hates its wishy washiness.

This issue should come to the forefront of the campaign , the battle lines should be drawn, and those who support a womans right to choose what happens to her body need to stop quaking at the spectre of the religious right wagging the finger of shame at them. No 16 yr old rape victim should be made to give birth.

[Jazz42]

The Republicans hasn't had any issues to talk about for the last 2 to three elections. When they get in trouble.
They go back to the same old tricks. They can't win on issues, therefore they send up smoke screens.
They have spent the five days or so trying to convince the amerian people how much experience the VP pick is.

Nothing has been said about all the problems we have in america, health care, out of control gasoline prices, out of control health care. They have no answers to these question. So The revert to a hail mary pass, hoping it past the smell test.