Long Division on the Abortion Issue
If you haven’t noticed, I’ve generally refrained from commenting on HB1215. Why? Because even the mere mention of it brings out a firestorm of opinion. And there are a lot of angry opinions attached to it within both the Republican and Democratic parties.
But more than anything it has taken center stage as the defining issue of this next election. And it’s an issue that’s just so divisive. Why did we have to take this all up during an election year? It’s just going to make the business of electing candidates all that much harder.
Now, before you readers get started ripping me to shreds on the issue, I’m pro-life, but I favor the standard rape, incest and life of the mother exceptions. I have some conservative friends who don’t agree those exceptions should be allowed. But I also have to contrast that with other “very conservative” friends who claim that their brand of laissez faire politics mandate that it’s none of government’s business. So, I guess I’m somewhere in the vast middle leaning towards the right.
But that’s o.k. My circle of friends and I disagreeing on it represents a diversity of opinion which we accept. We don’t make it an issue that prevents us from being friends and Republican compatriots. But here we are in an election year stuck dealing with the repercussions of HB 1215. And it’s going to be divisive.
Why is abortion so problemmatic for elections? I argue it's because we’re not going to talk about broad visionary themes. It’s going to be difficult to focus campaigns on the basic values that all voters share (Owning a house, wanting to send our kids to college, etc.). Because that specter of the abortion issue is going to be looming over us all.
It’s not going to be “Senator, could you explain your position on funding for education?” It’s going to be “Are you Pro-Life or Pro-choice? Are you for killing babies or are you for enslaving women? Answer me! Answer me now!”
And all of this is amped up even further as a result of South Dakota blazing a national trail on outlawing abortion.
I’ll go out on a limb, and actually agree with what both political parties are stating on the issue as noted in the Rapid City Journal. For the Democrats, Communications Director Don Carr had the following to say:
In elections, each party starts with a party base, and you have this large pool of people who don’t have as strong a party identification. They are the group that you have to sway to come your way. You do this by strategically framing issues and ideas in your favor. You also frame a message of how your opponent doesn't share those values. You sculpt that message based on your familiarity with your voters, and attempt to draw the largest number of those voters to you to achieve victory on election day.
But as you might have noticed, abortion cuts across party lines. It literally throws things up in the air and dashes that coalition of voters you are familiar with to the rocks. Instead of being one issue among many that you use in framing your message to draw voters, it becomes a primary issue which you have to try to figure out how to relate the other parts of your message to. If you can at all.
There was once a Republican PUC candidate who was running at the State GOP Convention several years ago when abortion was at the forefront. As she spoke to various coalitions of the party faithful, one group asked her about her position on abortion. She told them that she was pro-choice, and that group promptly said they could not support her.
Her response was to note that "the PUC has nothing to do with the abortion issue." To which the reply was "Well, you might run for higher office someday, and that would concern us."
Just as I fear will happen now, abortion became the overriding issue. They didn't focus on the other several dozen areas of agreement - they focused on one minor difference.
If Republicans want to win elections in the upcoming political races, we need to focus on the basic issues and values that all Republicans share. Not the things that divide us. We need to focus on maintaining our winning coalition of voters and that which makes the GOP strong and has allowed our domination of the South Dakota political scene.
But that might be wishful thinking this year.
But more than anything it has taken center stage as the defining issue of this next election. And it’s an issue that’s just so divisive. Why did we have to take this all up during an election year? It’s just going to make the business of electing candidates all that much harder.
Now, before you readers get started ripping me to shreds on the issue, I’m pro-life, but I favor the standard rape, incest and life of the mother exceptions. I have some conservative friends who don’t agree those exceptions should be allowed. But I also have to contrast that with other “very conservative” friends who claim that their brand of laissez faire politics mandate that it’s none of government’s business. So, I guess I’m somewhere in the vast middle leaning towards the right.
But that’s o.k. My circle of friends and I disagreeing on it represents a diversity of opinion which we accept. We don’t make it an issue that prevents us from being friends and Republican compatriots. But here we are in an election year stuck dealing with the repercussions of HB 1215. And it’s going to be divisive.
Why is abortion so problemmatic for elections? I argue it's because we’re not going to talk about broad visionary themes. It’s going to be difficult to focus campaigns on the basic values that all voters share (Owning a house, wanting to send our kids to college, etc.). Because that specter of the abortion issue is going to be looming over us all.
It’s not going to be “Senator, could you explain your position on funding for education?” It’s going to be “Are you Pro-Life or Pro-choice? Are you for killing babies or are you for enslaving women? Answer me! Answer me now!”
And all of this is amped up even further as a result of South Dakota blazing a national trail on outlawing abortion.
I’ll go out on a limb, and actually agree with what both political parties are stating on the issue as noted in the Rapid City Journal. For the Democrats, Communications Director Don Carr had the following to say:
Meanwhile, South Dakota Democratic Party press secretary Donald Carr, when asked to comment on Rounds’ action, said that the party has not addressed the abortion issue in its platform for years.And Randy Frederick of the GOP also had similar comments:
“It is not currently in our platform because we have good Democrats on both sides of the issue,” Carr said. He said that the Democratic legislative leadership “encouraged their caucus to vote their conscience.”
“Some Republicans supported HB1215, and some didn’t, and some Democrats supported it, and some didn’t,” he said, referring to the Legislature’s votes on the HB1215.Why do political people like the party apparatus (and me) dislike this issue in campaigns? Why do we hope it’s not going to be a major factor? When it’s at the forefront, it’s a wildcard. It makes elections as unpredictable as South Dakota weather.
And, Frederick said, “I think it’s fair to assume that every person in South Dakota does not get up in the morning and immediately start thinking about the abortion issue. It’s a big issue at the current time, but the elections are a long way away.”
In elections, each party starts with a party base, and you have this large pool of people who don’t have as strong a party identification. They are the group that you have to sway to come your way. You do this by strategically framing issues and ideas in your favor. You also frame a message of how your opponent doesn't share those values. You sculpt that message based on your familiarity with your voters, and attempt to draw the largest number of those voters to you to achieve victory on election day.
But as you might have noticed, abortion cuts across party lines. It literally throws things up in the air and dashes that coalition of voters you are familiar with to the rocks. Instead of being one issue among many that you use in framing your message to draw voters, it becomes a primary issue which you have to try to figure out how to relate the other parts of your message to. If you can at all.
There was once a Republican PUC candidate who was running at the State GOP Convention several years ago when abortion was at the forefront. As she spoke to various coalitions of the party faithful, one group asked her about her position on abortion. She told them that she was pro-choice, and that group promptly said they could not support her.
Her response was to note that "the PUC has nothing to do with the abortion issue." To which the reply was "Well, you might run for higher office someday, and that would concern us."
Just as I fear will happen now, abortion became the overriding issue. They didn't focus on the other several dozen areas of agreement - they focused on one minor difference.
If Republicans want to win elections in the upcoming political races, we need to focus on the basic issues and values that all Republicans share. Not the things that divide us. We need to focus on maintaining our winning coalition of voters and that which makes the GOP strong and has allowed our domination of the South Dakota political scene.
But that might be wishful thinking this year.
Comments
Its your party in the Senate leadership.
Its your party in the House leadership.
Republicans. Republicans. Republicans.
Ayes R-17 6-D
Nays R-8 D-4
The final House vote to concur in Senate amendments to HB 1215 was 50-18. Broken down by party:
Ayes R-43 D-7
Nays R-7 D-11
Remember a century ago slavery was legal and constitutional, however it was WRONG. Remember a century ago not allowing women to vote was constitutional and legal, however it was WRONG as well. Now we have abortion. Abortion is constitutional and legal, however it is WRONG. When we look back a century ago and say how slavery and not allowing women to vote was a travesty, so will people a century from now who will say abortion was a travesty. Wake up and smell the coffee people. Abortion is murder, plain and simple. Scientific evidence even proves this statement...once the egg is fertilized, a separate human being is created by creating a separate DNA and a beating heart.
ABORTION IS MURDER. ABORTION IS NOT A WOMAN'S CHOICE. THE CHOICE WAS MADE WHEN THE FEMALE PULLED DOWN HER PANTS AND HAD SEX (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF RAPE AND INCEST). ONCE THE CHOICE WAS MADE TO HAVE SEX, THEN THE WOMAN MUST LIVE TO FACE THE CONSEQUENCES!
I don't disagree with you, but this post is about how it affects election year politics.
Not about the morality of abortion itself.
Reminder: I said I was pro-life, and for the "R-I-L" exceptions, just like you.
So remain calm....
I admit Larry Russell does come on strong, but I would rather have someone like that versus someone who is spineless.
I have been told Russell has worked for the GOP and Thune tirelessly for his entire career. It's no wonder he has made some enemies along the way. When you are disliked, many times it is because an individual is getting things done. When you get nothing done, people like you because you aren't stepping on anyones toes. Russell gets things done.
I think the above anonymous comment about Larry Russell is right on target.
Maybe someone else should get their head examined!
Qusi is in it for Qusi. Period
I've been involved with the party for a couple of years - less lately - but whenever I'd see Qusi do something, it was for his own shameless self promotion.
Larry Russell has great qualities and I agree that the GOP does need people of strong principles. That is why the GOP leadership fears Larry--he won't gut his principles to prop up the incompetent.
The GOP in South Dakota is in the middle of a war. It is too simplistic to say it is just a cultural war. It is also about abuse of power and looking the other way. We simply need people who will stand up and fight for what's right. That's why we need people like Larry Russell.
Legislators who come to mind are Brock Greenfield, Jerry Apa and Bill Napoli. I know I'm missing some, but I am proud of these folks. They are actually attempting to accomplish something other than a democratic agenda in the Republican caucus--Adelstein and Rounds.
It amazes the fear people have of Larry Russell. Larry, that's a compliment.
There was one vote that changed in the second round from west river. But the real second round change was the block vote for Diedrich out of Hughes County. In the first round, Hughes County split three ways, with no votes going to Russell.
Don Rounds was a delegate from Hughes County. So, yes there was probably some fear Russell was going to win. But that fear appeared to be eminating out of Hughes County. Russell could not be controlled.
The only areas where Larry was weak in the west river delegations was Pennington and Meade Counties. He had the support of the majority of the delegates from almost all of the other west river counties. That's too bad. Pennington County used to lead a west river coalition. At the nominating convention, they destroyed one.
I for one as a republican, am sick of have to vote or talk like I'm from the 30% of the Unruh/Hunt wacko side of the party to below in the conservative wing.
Yes, John Thune and Larry Russell belong in this 30%/Jihad wing of the party. And while they are at it, why don't they take Julie Bartling with her, although in her case I believe it's stupidity. John and Larry aren't dumb, just zeolots in sheeps (at least in JTs case) clothes.
On the other hand, Lance Russell has many of Larry's qualities, but he is also like Larry, in that he cannot be manipulated. The same folks who are scared by Larry will also be afraid of Lance.
It's the ad which sent the Barnett and Kirby candidacies into a death spiral and allowed Rounds to move into firstplace.
Is there a war college policy here?
;)
"a true patriot"? What a joke! The GOP is but a vehicle to him. He doesn't really believe in the party at all, he just believes it will get him to the next step.
I've seen him walk all over good people in the Penn Co. GOP, believe me, he's a wolf in sheep's clothing. Everyone just wants to believe this Muslim can change his spots. But it doesn't take too much time of being around the guy before his true colors show.