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Pro-Abortion Is Not An Option For Vice President

By: The Directors (Diary)  |  August 19th, 2008 at 03:16 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

We’ll get right to it. The Politico reports Senator John McCain is feeling out state parties on the issue of a pro-choice Vice Presidential pick and what effect such a choice would have on the base.

Make no mistake about it, it would so dishearten the base we can spend the next few months practicing saying “President Obama.”

In short, there is no room for negotiation on the issue. There is no choice but life on this issue.

Senator McCain should be mindful of his status – he was not the consensus first choice of a voting majority of Republicans in the presidential primary, and instead won by amassing enough plurality wins in key contests to achieve victory. And of his potential choices for Vice President, those who would sell out the pro-life movement would also offend numerous current McCain supporters on other significant issues as well.

Should Senator John McCain choose a pro-choice running mate, we are comfortably enough in touch with the Republican base to say without hesitation that the majority of the base would sit this race out. And we could not blame them for it.

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  • olderthangandalf

    You are right that McCain would be wise to choose a pro-life running mate. He also would be wise to choose an anti-tax, against big spending, free trade, strong defense running mate.

    But I don’t think you are right in believing the base will abandon him if his running mate falls short of what ought to be on any of those issues. Conservatives are smart, and they understand that staying home is half a vote for Obama.

    Obama, if elected, will appoint Supreme Court justices committed not only to preserving Roe v. Wade but making sure that abortion on demand by anyone of any age is not limited in any way. McCain will, in consultation with the base, appoint justices like Alito and Roberts.

    Do conservatives really want to empower the Democrats that much? With the dems holding the Senate and the House, do they want to hand over the White House to just make a point that they were disappointed in not getting all they wanted?

    Besides all that, most conservatives I know can’t just not vote. They understand that people have fought, and died, to preserve their right to vote, and they respect and appreciate that too much to not exercise that right and responsibility.

    I could be wrong. I thought in 1992 that people would recognize George HW was better than Clinton and turn out, and I was wrong. I could be wrong again, but I think the liberal/conservative gap is so much more extreme this time that it won’t play the same way.

    • Justin_Case

      If McCain chooses someone pro-choice as VP, he will also be demonstrating the capability to choose someone less to the liking of conservatives to sit on the US Supreme Court.

      Also, if this same VP were to succeed McCain, it’s very doubtful he or she would choose pro life judges.

      • olderthangandalf

        But I am pretty confident that conservatives would like McCain’s court picks more than Obama’s. I even feel pretty confident that conservatives would like Tom Ridge’s court picks more than Obama’s.

        OTOH, if McCain picks Lieberman, I apologize in advance for saying anything.

        • streetwise

          That’s titillations and assininities for the impurely-minded. Just like the informal poll on RS suggests, the MSM is trying to stir things up because McCain is doing so well lately. OTOH, McCain could be in Machiavellian Mode, floating the notion of a pro-choice candidate to make the right roots heave a sigh of relief when he picks his pro-life VP.

          That being said, the mere selection of a pro-choice VP would not be a deal-breaker for most Republicans. A pro-choice zealot would be.

          I still think it’s Mitt- which is fine with me.

          • kyle8

            As long as Conservatives vote for the Republicans no matter what they do, we will continue to get absolute garbage like the recent Republican Senate majority and the last six years of the Bush administration.

            As long as you demonstrate that you will take anything form them, the more they will continue to treat you like trash.

            It is amazing to me that so many on this site seem to forget that the Republicans have lost big time in nearly every election since 2004 and have manged to disaffect all of the following groups: Conservatives, Immigration reformers, right leaning moderates, right leaning libertarians, values voters, and economic conservatives.

            The only people who have been kept happy are the neocon war hawks.

            So if Obama does get elected I am sure I will hear all the same bitching and griping about how we silly republicans did not do enough and how it’s all our fault, But it won’t be out fault, it will be the fault of those who did their best to trash the party when they had power.

            Personally no amount of scare tactics about the big bad Oboogyman is going to move me to vote. I voted against my better judgment for papa Bush, and for GW twice, that is three times in all, and all three times I was horribly disappointed.

          • khelek

            Makes me sick to my stomach. I am a three-prong Conservative – fiscal, nat’l security, and social, and for me, I don’t want compromise in any one of those areas. However, the one place that I absolutely, positively cannot stomach compromise is the issue of the right-to-life of the unborn, with life beginning at conception. That’s one of the reasons I was puzzled at the excitement some had over a McCain/Rice ticket….

            I would say that if he went through with a pro-abortion VP pick, I’d be sitting this election out. The problem is, while that would be bad, an Obama presidency would be far worse, and I can’t, in good conscience, stand by and let Obama become president.

            I’m really hoping it’s Mitt.

            Brian

          • reb7771

            Ladies and Gentlemen,
            As many of you are aware, Mr. Obama is very quietly opening small campaign offices in traditionally Republican stronghold counties and states. One of the latest openings is in Barrow County Georgia, in the city of Winder,GA. We have been a solid base for Republican candidates in this county for many years. After attending the local Republican kick-off meeting and seeing the excellent McCain video that was presented, I am now even more determined to do everything I can to see that John McCain is elected President of the United States of America!
            It is clear, that in head to head competition with John McCain, Mr. Obama has come to a heavyweight fight, with feather-weight boxing gloves. His flip-flopping on major issues, has now revealed the REAL OBAMA! His left-wing Hollywood, and national media(Fox News) supported smoke screen is starting to blow away, revealing the REAL OBAMA to America. Even the hard working left wing Madison Avenue types are now finding it difficult to try to figure a way to patch up his deteriorating national image on a day to day basis. It is clear that Mr. Obama is now starting to visibly sweat.
            While this is great news for McCain, we have a bigger problem to deal with. Voter disinterest in the process. Unless we as supporters, do everything possible to get the vote out for McCain, I am afraid we are in for a tough battle. Low turnout in a national election, would clearly favor Mr. Obama. That is really what he is counting on, despite spending millions on negative campaign ads.
            We have to change our focus to commit to a grass roots, door to door campaign that will produce a record Republican turnout and ensure victory for John McCain.
            While I understand the sub-issues of VP selection, etc., we are jumping the gun. First we have to get John McCain in the White House, then address the agenda issues. Unless you want your next President to be named Obama, I respectfully suggest that we all concentrate on getting John McCain elected as President of the United States of America. Further, I challenge the Republican National Committee,and its leadership, to strive to get out the vote as a high priority item, and to communicate that to all National, state and local leadership partners, to ensure victory in November, for John McCain. If we don’t the alternative will not be very pleasant. God Bless America!
            DuWayne R. Anderson

  • bcb1

    Evangelicals sit out?really? Because for all of the posturing and griping and threatening; I don?t see it happening.

    They?ll whine and threaten, and then 90% of them will grumble and go to the polls anyway, dutifully pulling the lever for the ?R? candidate; lest Obama get elected and ?mess things up even worse than McCain would?. It?s fear?.and fear alone that send many to the polls. 99% of those fears are needless; but that?s what drives people. Think about it, if you are of the mindset that basically all politicians are the same and nothing?s going to change no matter who gets in, why bother to vote? It?s the fear factor, that dreaded ?oh, no?the world?s going to end if the other guy gets in there?, that drives the masses.

    Of course there will be protestors that sit out. They will be very loud, very vocal. But they won?t be the majority.

    • birdmojo

      Names were given for people who said “if so and so gets nominated, I’m just going to stay home!”

      Indeed, a subset of the folks opposed to a handful of positions held by this frontrunner or that one were mocked quite vigorously (RON PAUL!!! RON PAUL!!!).

      Is the general consensus that people who think that FISA has 5th Amendment implications are people who don’t fully understand how important the War on Terror actually is (keep in mind: there are people out there who want to kill your spouse… There are people out there who want to kill your child) while the people out there who would be opposed to a Lieberman to the point where they’d be willing to stay home have made a principled stance and that’s something that, dead spouse/child or not, you’ve just gotta respect?

      • SteveLA

        I think the term you are looking for is, “What have you done for me….lately”.

        • Jaded

          an Obama to bring us together but here we are….interesting…..they say politics makes strange bedfellows and seems that it quite true.

          • bs

            That’s the way primaries work. When I mean “up to now,” I mean “since the primaries ended and it was obvious that he’s the candidate.” You even have guys like the mostly-irrelevant James Dobson saying they’ll probably support him…right now. That’ll dry up quickly if a pro-choice VP winds up on the ticket.

            If you recall, there were few hard-core conservatives of any ilk supporting McCain during the primaries. He’s just now catching on with all of the x-cons. The last thing he needs to do is upset the apple cart and change course.

          • Slightly_Askew

            I wondered the same thing, but figured it would raise the hackles of the majority if I mentioned it.

            Apparently the derogatory names only apply to protest voters who are protesting against policies about which The Directors don’t feel strongly.

            I would challenge those who told me a vote for Ron Paul is a vote for Obama to explain how a vote for nobody is not a vote for Obama as well. Is the argument “McCain may not be everything you want, but he’s better than Obama” no longer valid?

          • bs

            and you’ll note how even Karl Rove believes that the lack of enthusiasm by the evangelical block almost lost the election for GWB that year. As I’ve stated repeatedly, with the razor-thin margins that are likely to be at play again this election, neither McCain nor The One can afford to screw with their base.

  • Marcus_Traianus

    Given my proclivities and love of country, I would be the last to preach that sitting home in this election is a sagacious decision. There is much at stake and the issues our Republic faces are importunate.

    With that in mind, it should duly portend the imminent danger a mercurial Democratic candidate characterized by sciolism and a dubious background poses.

    But I will not accept an epigone as Mr. McCain?s VP. That action would just move restoration of perspicacity vis-?-vis conservative values to a point well beyond contemporary times. That is not acceptable as it poses a significant threat to the balancing influences provided by the values and mores we represent. It also leads one to consider the ill effects of tackling the demon now as opposed to fighting an invigorated attack in the future. Frankly, I believe the latter is poses more risks.

    As a footnote to Mr. McCain I would say this; conservatism is not something which can be plotted on a demographics matrix or gleaned from advisors. It is a philosophy which starts with emotions and feelings flowing naturally from your heart. This very basic premise; that nascent life is precious and should be given the ultimate protection is just a reflection of that compassion.

    Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness was not a marketing theme or political considerations. They were and remain a reflection of those who foresaw that magnificence could be achieved in a society that acknowledged the resolutely meaningful influence of God as central to their own longevity.

  • ZootSuit

    For some reason, Ridge just does not “seem” like the typical pro-choice Republican. He projects a certain strength and moral authority that I personally, a strong pro-lifer, just don’t find as off-putting as the typical pro-choicer. Including Rudy Guiliani.

    Bottom line, and I know I am speaking only for myself, if McCain chooses any pro-choicer except Tom Ridge, I will be in a big funk, to say the least. If he choice a pro-choicer, how do I know he would select constitutionalists for the judiciary?

    But strangely, if he choose Tom Ridge, for some odd reason I would still think McCain (and, again strangely, Tom Ridge if he succeeded McCain) would still choose judges and Justices who based their judicial philosophy on the text and history of the Constitution and not on their personal political philosophy.

    So for me, Ridge is an acceptable VP (although still far from my first choice) but other pro-choicers, including Rudy Guiliani, are not.

  • Tim_Schieferecke

    Otherwise, it would be like tackling yourself at the one yard line, fumbling, and running the ball ninety nine yards across the field for an Obama touchdown. That does not compute. McCain could take the transformational mantel away from The One by putting Sara Palin on as Veep. There are lots of angry women out there that would appreciate that and she’s highly qualified for the job.

  • JHancock

    if McCain goes pro-abortion/pro-death with his VP. But I will give my vote, volunteer time, and money to a conservative third party in hopes that it can one day supplant the pro-choice liberal leaning Rep party and give us SoCons another choice besides killing lots of babies (Moderate Rep) and killing “act of God” holocost like numbers of babies (Libral Dem).

    • speciallist

      n/p

      • JHancock

        the lives of the 1/4 children who are aborted matter more than National safety/security concerns. Even with nuclear weapons it is unlikely terrorists could or would kill 25% of our population. Abortionists are a greater evil and greater threat

        • birdmojo

          Does it mean that you’d let Obama get elected?

          • Neil_Stevens

            Idon’t like Kennedy or Souter more than I like Ginsburg or Breyer.

            Wrong is wrong.

          • ZootSuit

            I don’t want judges that are pro-life; I want judges that adhere to the constitution regardless of their personal and moral preferences.

            By the way, is “Justin Case” your real name or is it just a cool sign-on?

          • JHancock

            Then yes. One abortionist is as bad as another. The only way the practice will stop is for the Republican party to step up and BE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. This won’t happen if we just mindlessly push the R button in the voting booth. The best way to force the party to stand against abortion is to let pro-abortion Republicans lose and lose BIG until it is apparent that a socially liberal republican can not possibly win for the party-then the moderate Republicans who are steering the party currently will have to put up Social Conservatives if they want the party to stay alive.

          • birdmojo

            Or is their stance somewhat less principled because they care about filthy lucre and spending and other cares of this world?

  • Pentagon16

    I had always been told by the Directors that this was a Republican website.

    Now it is not a Republican website, but a revanchist pro-life website.

    I am pro-life, but I am also a Republican- and there are hundreds of issues at stake in this election.

    I am not sure who made the decision to change the raisson d’etre of this site- and I missed out when we took a vote on that.

    I am also not aware of the profundity in threatening the GOP Nominee, especially when he has not done anything yet other than keep all his options open.

  • brightideas

    If McCain chooses a pro-choice running mate, he will finally be sending the very astute message that religion belongs in only three places in a secular society: One’s heart, one’s home and one’s house of worship. It’s about time!!

    • Justin_Case

      correctly he would have the viewpoint that an unborn child has constitutional rights.

      Justin Case is my nom de plume.

      • JHancock

        A good candidate will encompass all three arms of the party. Fiscial, Military, and Social. If I had to choose just one I’d vote Social Con, but in reality we need all three to win, I’m just not willing to sacrifice Social Conservatism for the sake of fiscial conservatism any more than a fiscial wants to do the opposite. The answer–elect a socially minded fiscial sucess with a military background!

  • machapman

    The conservatives are the people having a hard time with him. The last couple of weeks with him coming out for drilling and his performance at Saddle
    Back, I was actually starting to get a little excited about voting for him (Fred was my guy). However; if he picks anything less than a conservative running mate I won’t vote for president. I will only vote down the ticket. That will be the last needle in my eye, the straw that broke the camels back. Surely he knows that it his conservative stances lately that have moved him up in the polls.

  • bs

    Any tangible indication that he would compromise the pro-life position for the sake of “crossing the aisle” will cause SoCons to stay home en masse. This happened with GWB in the 2000 election, and it almost cost him the presidency…the SoCons were skeptical of his creds, and they didn’t vote for him (or the Goracle, for that matter).

    This is one place where Mr. McCain needs to resist being a rebel. The margins he’ll have are paper-thin as it is, and the loss of a block of that size will cost him the election.

    (queue up the RS anti-SoCon crowd now…)

  • Jaded

    NO they supported Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney splitting the vote….McCain is not the nominee because of SoCons….and now these same SoCons are TELLING the man they did not vote for in the primaries he HAD better listen to them….that is to rich!