Debate Analysis: Objective Indicators Suggest Education, Prevention, Pro-Choice Values Win

The Culture War is over.

By every objective, measurable analysis, from CNN's dial tests, to MSNBC's focus group in Kansas City, to the CBS and Fox News flash polls -- to RH Reality Check's own server-crashing high traffic volume following the final presidential debate -- Americans are embracing the pro-education, pro-prevention, and pro-choice values RH Reality Check writes about every day.

Senator John McCain gave far-right social conservatives in the anti-choice community everything they asked for, perhaps more.  Instead of picking a pro-choice running mate in Sen. Joe Lieberman or Gov. Tom Ridge, he chose Gov. Sarah Palin who rallied the base.  In the final presidential debate, McCain went so far as to mock "health" threats to mothers as a reasonable exemption for women with crisis pregnancies, a position he once challenged George W. Bush on in a GOP primary debate in 2000. 

Late-term abortions are rare, less than two percent of all abortions, and are always medically necessary, by law.

McCain even adopted the anti-choice lexicon using politicized phrases like "pro-abortion" and "partial-birth abortion" which is not actually a medical term. After saying he would not use a litmus test to select judicial nominees, McCain seemed to contradict himself saying, "I would consider anyone in their qualifications. I do not believe that someone (swallows hard) that has supported Roe v. Wade, that would be part of those qualifications." McCain went even further though, repeating charges debunked since 2004 by many independent sources, that Obama supports infanticide. 

To McCain's credit he made the strongest possible case for people who genuinely believe that the government should be able to force women to give birth. The far-right of the anti-choice movement could not have asked for more.  If McCain wins, they may get credit for saving his campaign, but their messages seemed to flop in objective analysis.

During McCain's discussion of social conservative cultural values, some undecided male voters moved slightly positive while undecided women voters in CNN's dial test trended steadily more negative.

In sharp contrast, Sen. Barack Obama called for more understanding and less partisan division on abortion, and articulated his clear pro-education, pro-prevention and pro-choice values that saw both men and women in the dial tests giving him the highest possible positive ratings.  Focus groups and instant polls by a variety of networks all indicated Obama won the debate and saw more movement in his direction by undecided voters, further indicating that Americans are embracing pro-choice values as one important aspect of his candidacy.

Obama said, "abortion is a very difficult issue and a moral issue, and one that good people on both sides can disagree on. But what ultimately I believe is that women, in consultation with their families, doctors, their religious advisers, are in the best position to make this decision. I think the Constitution has a right to privacy in it, that shouldn't be subject to state referendum, any more than our first amendment rights are subject to state referendum."

Obama later said that abortion is an issue that divides us, "but surely there is some common ground where people who believe in choice and those who oppose abortion can come together and say we can prevent unintended pregnancies, by providing appropriate education to our youth, communicating that sexuality is sacred and that they should not be engaged in cavalier activity and provide options for adoption and helping single mothers if they want to choose to keep the baby. Those are all things we put in the Democratic platform for the first time this year, and that's where we can find some common ground because nobody is pro-abortion."

With such a clear articulation of pro-education, pro-prevention and pro-choice values, juxtaposed to the McCain-Palin ticket's full throat-ed support for a "Culture of Life" -- including all the sharpest and most cutting attacks on late term abortion and infanticide -- there is no doubt that this election is a referendum on the far-right. Social conservatism more generally, and the results of their generational Culture War waged against other American citizens is getting a thorough vetting from the voters.

If McCain wins, the far-right will be in total control and should be given credit within the Republican Party for saving John McCain's candidacy.  If McCain loses, given all that he has done for the far-right, I suspect the Republican Party will take a few years to sort out just what happened, and exactly where they lost touch with the values of most Americans.

I'd suggest they look back to Terri Schiavo, consider their abstinence-only-until marriage failures, and the war on contraception and medically accurate information as a starting point.  What the heck, for good measure, maybe they should consider their failed response to HIV/AIDS for 25 years, and their damnation of gay Americans and their families too. Most likely they will come to learn that while crisis pregnancies are rare, the families involved genuinely believe the health of the mother is pretty important, and that government should get out of legislating private medical decisions.

There is still time, if the far-right really does represent the family values of most Americans, we should see it in the polls soon, and on election day with a McCain victory.

Originally published at RH Reality Check.

 

 

Comments

[demjustice]

Here is an absolute fact....

If men had babies, we wouldn't even be debating about pro-choice vs. right to life. Pro-choice would be the first amendment.

[NationalTreasure]

One thing that the main stream media did not pick up on was when McCain was asked about Palin how he flatlined - CNN's graph showed how little Americans like Palin.

GET OUT THE VOTE!

Make tme over then next 17 days to volunteer for the Obama/Biden campaign or one of your local Democratic canidates.

If you only have two hours to spare you can make phone calls, deliver yard signs, help with getting people to and from the polls and most of all VOTE and make sure all of your friends and family members get out and vote. Do not take an Obama/Biden win for granted.

[jcsophie]

Let's take a look at what partial birth abortion really is. The 5 Step Partial Birth Abortion procedures:

A. Guided by ultrasound, the abortionist grabs the baby's leg with forceps.
(Remember this is a live baby)
B. The baby's leg is pulled out into the birth canal.
C. The abortionist delivers the baby's entire body, except for the head.
D. The abortionist jams scissors into the baby's skull. The scissors are then opened to enlarge the hole.
E. The scissors are removed and a suction catheter is inserted. The child's brains are sucked out, causing the skull to collapse. The dead baby is then removed.

Barack Obama voted AGAINST a ban on partial birth abortion.

If my opposition to his vote makes me a right wing religious extremist.....I proudly take on the name. I know that some will say.....well, there isn't a provision for the health of the mother. Tell me, if the baby is already coming through the birth canal. How can the life of the mother be affected?

[bswen]

Late term abortion is a very rare procedure (less than 2% of all abortions) and only, by law, allowed when the mother would die without it. Outlawing partial birth abortion would mean more maternal deaths.

[Scott Swenson - Huffpost Blogger]

Thanks for your comment. The health of the mother is a consideration prior to any decision for a late-term abortion, not at the time of the procedure as you suggest. Women and families who have to have late-term abortions, because of threats to the mother's or festus' health that the pregnancy has presented, are not families who are choosing abortion for any reason other than health or life. These are families that for months have prepared for a pregnancy they wanted, who learn that the pregnancy is in crisis and face difficult decisions. What is extreme is that any politician, person of faith, or human being would use these very challenging circumstances to score political points. Take time to read what two women who've had these procedures have to say (linked below). The focus on late-term abortion -- less than two percent and always medically necessary -- is an emotional tactic used by the far-right to avoid a rational discussion of the realities of sexual and reproductive health. People can disagree on abortion but we should at least be able to agree that women, families and doctors should not be subjected to the judgments of others when they are already facing crisis pregnancies and threats to their health or life.
http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2008/09/18/all-that-we-have-chosen
http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2008/07/08/obamas-late-term-abortion-comments-ignore-stark-realities

[jcsophie]

The two stories you asked me to refer to are compelling. However, my posting was about the partial birth abortion procedure itself. What happens to the unborn baby in a partial birth abortion procedure has nothing to do with the health of the mother. The procedure is gruesome, humane, and completely unnecessary. As for the procedure affecting less than 2% of all abortions, that still accounts for "between 2,500 and 3,000 per year, using data from the Alan Guttmacher Institute for the year 2000."

The statement that this is an emotional tactic used by the far right to avoid a rational discussion of sexual and reproductive health does not pertain to the issue of partial birth abortion. I will always stand up for the rights of children until my dying day.

[EuroAmerican]

Abortion is still a divisive issue. I was calling voters in Missouri and it's on evangelicals' minds.

But this year, the issue is not decisive. People are hurting out there.

[jlarue]

I am a pro life evangelical Christian and Obama was right on. No one is pro abortion. We need to meet somewhere not on the extreme fringes and provide education and support for women and often girls. That is a far more thoughtful approach then Blinky's insulting air quotes dissing the health of the mother. I am sick to death of the wing nuts that have hijacked my religion. I am sick to death of these fools making their utterly false claims that we are a "christian" nation. I am sick of the rabid anti muslim senitiments of people like this. I am sick of their hypocritical embrace of Israel when it is nothing more then their frenzied salivating as they wait for the end times and the destruction of the Jews, the sinners, the muslims, our scared sisters and daughters and friends who have had abortions because these supposedly loving people have condemned them. Shame shame shame. I am voting Obama/Biden, two courageous, kind, thoughtful men with wonderful families and yes, family values I can appreciate!

[georgiaeliot]

you made my point! and I am a feminist Wiccan choice voter. Thank you for reminding us of Christian ethics of love and responsibility.
I thought it was beautiful and should be emphasized that Sen Obama said "sexuality is sacred". That's a family value indeed.

[siney]

amen to that...and here is a great site...folks, check out what pro-life christians are doing on behalf of barack obama's campaign:

http://www.matthew25.org/ourads.htm

[dontomas]

All my life I have been aligned with democratic liberals. I have met the Christian Right and many Catholics we have taken on the cause of pro life but have not really given them much merit since everyone I know is just like me. This is a major issue that many people will not budge on, it would be easier to reconcile the bail out, Iraq or a dozen other issues than the pro life issue. Frankly, it gives me fear of just how much of an impact it has on our system of government since it represents a voting block far larger than the youth or senior vote and it seems to be a deciding point in close races.

I am not saying McCain/Palin is going to win but we really need to talk more to these voters. A pro life/abortion issue must not be a primary issue there are just too many other major problems.