Wall Street Journal columnist Naomi Schaefer Riley on abortion and the Democratic Party.
Democrats Move Left On Abortion - WSJ.com
"Above my pay grade." Those words rang in the ears of Gene Taylor, a middle-age member of Saddleback Church I interviewed after the worship service on Sunday morning. He was referring to the answer offered by Barack Obama when Pastor Rick Warren asked him at what point in its development a baby gets "human rights."
"In this country," Mr. Taylor told me, "there is no higher pay grade than the president." Which is true at least metaphorically. Mr. Taylor added, "I thought I was going to be supporting John McCain. Now I'm sure of it."
Mr. Obama's flip-sounding response did not go over well with the evangelicals in the audience of Saturday night's presidential forum. After a week in which the Democrats have been renegotiating their abortion platform, Mr. Obama was supposed to provide a voice of clarity, and above all moderation, for the party. His middle-of-the-road views were supposed to appeal to independent-minded Catholics and evangelicals who agreed with Democrats on some issues, but couldn't pull the lever for him if he was too radical on abortion.
It didn't work out that way. Add Mr. Obama's recent admission that during his time in the Illinois legislature he voted against a law protecting babies who survive an abortion procedure, and it seems as if the Democrats have accomplished the impossible: They have moved to the left on abortion.
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But, as with many other issues, the Democrats have framed this as an issue in which poverty and other factors beyond people's control have forced them into making questionable decisions. If only they had more money and universal health care, the logic goes, things might be different.
This patronizing argument really won't fly with evangelicals. Not only are they on the front lines of providing adoption services across the country, but they are also big believers in personal responsibility. Polls show that young evangelicals are growing more adamantly opposed to abortion while they are growing more tolerant of gay marriage. One reason for this is the idea (true or false) that people may not be able to help being gay. Whether to have an abortion, the young evangelicals I've spoken with seem quite sure, is a still an individual's decision.
Next week, Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey Jr. will be giving a speech at the convention in Denver. Mr. Casey, whose father, a former governor of Pennsylvania, was not allowed to address the 1992 Democratic convention because of his pro-life views, is now carrying on his shoulders the last hopes that the Democrats can take a reasonable position on the issue of abortion. But after what his party has communicated this week, it's hard to see why Mr. Casey would bother.
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