Excerpted from Laura Bassett’s article at huffingtonpost.com:
Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez became the first head of the party to demand ideological purity on abortion rights, promising Friday to support only Democratic candidates who back a woman’s right to choose.
“Every Democrat, like every American, should support a woman’s right to make her own choices about her body and her health,” Perez said in a statement. “That is not negotiable and should not change city by city or state by state.”
“At a time when women’s rights are under assault from the White House, the Republican Congress, and in states across the country,” he added, “we must speak up for this principle as loudly as ever and with one voice.”
Thanks, Tom.
Now, here are the results of a poll taken by (Democrat-friendly) CBS News, just three months ago:
“Which of these comes closest to your view? Abortion should be generally available to those who want it. Abortion should be available, but under stricter limits than it is now. OR, Abortion should not be permitted.”
Generally available: Total – 37%, Republicans – 19%, Democrats – 53%, Independents – 35%.
Stricter Limits: Total – 35%, Republicans – 42%, Democrats – 30%, Independents – 35%
Not Permitted: Total – 25%, Republicans – 37%, Democrats – 15%, Independents – 27%
Let’s forget about Republicans this time around, and look exclusively at Democrats and independents:
-Among Democrats, 45% say abortion should be further restricted or made illegal.
-Among independents, 62% feel the same way.
Note to Chairperon Perez: it is one thing to advocate for a particular position on a given issue – and to assure members of your party that while their views may differ from the overall party they are at least respected.
It is another when you tell 45% of your Party members that the DNC will not support any Democrat who holds views on a major issue which you either partially or completely, disagree with. And that is what the DNC under Tom Perez apparently is doing.
Will Democrats who are hardline abortion advocates be unhappy with this? Nope. I assume it will make most of them very happy.
Will Democrats among that 45% plurality who partially or completely disagree on abortion be unhappy with this? Yep. I assume it will make most of them very unhappy.
A quick refresher in Beginning Politics I: when you please your hardline base – the folks you already own politically – but upset party members who not hardline, what happens is that you gain nothing from your hardline base, but some percentage of the rest are incented to either leave the party, or stay in name only while having no problem voting for the other guys.
Republicans have been taught this lesson over and over on social issues…and are finally on the learning curve. I wonder how long…or, more exactly, how many more disastrous political elections like last year’s…it will take for Democrats to do the same.
Ben Shapiro Destroys The Abortion Argument
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDmwPGrZkYs