Re: The Mask Slips
- 08.19.2008 - 2:55 PMJennifer, to second you: I’m beginning to think that the abortion issue may have the potential to be, for Barack Obama, the policy equivalent of his long-time association with Reverend Wright. I say this for two reasons. The first is that Obama’s record on abortion is as extreme as one can possibly be. Senator Obama is unable to point to a single abortion he would oppose (his “health exception” for the mother is a well-known loophole whose effect would be to allow even late-term abortions), to the point that he was not even willing to extend basic protection to a child born during a failed abortion and living outside the womb. For a person who said, during his conversation on Saturday with Rick Warren, that the greatest failure of America is not to take seriously the injunction in the Gospel of Matthew that “Whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me,” this is an extraordinary position.
But this issue has now traversed into the matter of public character. Obama accused the National Right to Life Committee of lying because it said that he voted to kill legislation that included a “neutrality clause” he now claims was the sine qua non for his support for pro-life legislation. If the neutrality clause was in the legislation, Obama now says, he would have supported legislation protecting the life of newly born children who had survived an abortion. But National Right to Life has, in Rich’s words, “unearthed documents showing that the Illinois bill was amended to include such a clause, and Obama voted to kill it anyway.” So Obama was, at best, wrong in recalling his own past position. At worst, Obama himself is misrepresenting his position and, in accusing the National Right to Life Committee of lying, is doing so himself.
Senator Obama is becoming what the apostle Paul, in I Corinthians 13, calls a “resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.” By that I mean Obama uses language that is meant to portray himself as thoughtful and reasonable, able to grasp the nuances of every argument, even those with which he disagrees. Obama is himself, according to this narrative, the antithesis of an extremist. He is our hope for a post-partisan future, the answer to divisive politics, the solution to the “culture wars.” And yet on an issue of enormous moral gravity–Obama himself says that he’s “absolutely convinced that there is a moral and ethical element to this issue”–he has embraced legislation that is extreme, inhumane, and outright brutal. There is no indication that he has the slightest sympathy for unborn children or any interest in ending the “culture wars.” His past policies would, in fact, deepen the divisions.
It has become increasingly clear that we need to devalue Obama’s rhetoric, since it is so much at odds with his record. Maybe no issue underscores this more than abortion. It isn’t a pleasant issue to debate, but it is a terribly important one. And Obama is not only on the wrong side of it: he inhabits a small sliver of ground where few others have dared to venture. Many people, even those who consider themselves pro-choice, find killing a baby who has survived an abortion attempt to be deeply troubling and wrong. But not, apparently, Barack Obama–at least before he decided to run for President.
Senator McCain is often not comfortable talking about abortion, but as he showed in his conversation with Rick Warren, he can be effective in discussing it. This issue should now become central to the campaign, because of what it reveals about the moral sensibilities and radical views of Senator Obama.
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August 19th, 2008 at 3:11 PM
Obama’s response that “it’s above my paygrade” should be included in McCain’s commercials. It doesn’t even have to be referenced to the abortion issue. Just saying that about any issue is a disgrace from a presidential candidate.
August 19th, 2008 at 3:17 PM
The Abortion “Issue” is a loser for McCain. He should stick to his expertise on Economics.
August 19th, 2008 at 3:20 PM
“The Abortion “Issue” is a loser for McCain.”
Anyone defending late term abortions is a vile and disgusting human being. They are evil monsters comparable to the Nazis. It is time that we say so loud and clearly.
August 19th, 2008 at 3:27 PM
Hey Dave,no one’s defending anything,we were talking about McCain’s campaign tactics. It won’t get him any votes that he doesn’t already have,but he will also offend those conservative women who had abortions. I’m sure you talk loudly a lot.
McCain should talk about new Jobs,that would be more to the point.
August 19th, 2008 at 3:42 PM
RCAR,
you seem to be impatient with this abortion discussion. Wehner’s post not only highlights Obama’s extreme position on abortion, it demonstrates his inability to remember his own record, or actively misconstrue it. Either way, it is an issue that separates McCain from Obama in the clearest terms. I would recommend that any politician focus on his opponent’s voting record if it is inhumane and out of touch with the voter base. We are electing a President, and we want to know if he shares our views. If a baby survives an abortion, Obama voting against protecting it? Can you address that logic, rather than asking to turn the channel?
The Obama campaign’s tactic is to talk in general terms, misrepresent his record, or accuse McCain of cheating. Let’s stay on the issue.
August 19th, 2008 at 3:43 PM
We are not talking about abortion- how about infanticide (’The One’ changing positions about a post-abortion birth). We are the ones we were waiting for- huh?
August 19th, 2008 at 3:51 PM
Jonas M says,”you seem to be impatient with this abortion discussion.”
Jonas, I just said it won’t get him any new votes. Discussing Abortion/Infanticide is very interesting,but,in my opinion, it’s not a tactic that will help McCain win in an election. A lot of voters have had abortions,even Republicans.
August 19th, 2008 at 3:57 PM
Obama is an amoral hypocrite who claims to be a Christian. What kind of Christian is he? Oh yes, the Marxist kind from the BLT variety. What a bul…. ter!
August 19th, 2008 at 4:05 PM
McCain doesn’t need to be talking about abortion. He need to be talking about how he was calling the Natinal Right to Life Committee “liars” for claiming the Illinois BAIPA already contained the language that Obama said would have gotten his vote. When the NRLC provided a side-by-side comparison of the language and it was identiical (except for things like substituting “Illinois” for “Federal”), his campaign released a statement, reported by the NY Sun, saying, in essence, “okay, the bill had the language we said it didn’t have and that Obama said he would have voted for, but he had other concerns that he’s never mentioned before that cause dhim to vote against it.” The NY Sun article is linked here:
http://www.nysun.com/national/obama-facing-attacks-from-all-sides-over-abortion/84059/
The money section starts about halfway down.
Obama has been deliberately misrepresenting his positions and votes. THAT is what McCain should be hitting him over, and hard.
August 19th, 2008 at 4:08 PM
Sorry for the typos. I’m typing too fast. Also, the second sentence should read “He needs to be talking about how Obama was calling the National Right to Life Committee “liars.”