Senator Boxer, and the Abortion Hole-Card

Over at National Review Online, Kathryn Jean Lopez has a piece on the California Senatorial race between Senator Barbara (Don’t Call me Ma’am) Boxer and Carly Fiorina, in which she discusses the wisdom of Senator Boxer’s new campaign ads regarding her opponent’s stance on abortion.

Mrs. Lopez, I think, is missing the point and making a common mistake among conservatives. Euphemisms are not the issue. Using the word “choice” may soften the blow for some, but most voters are not fooled, and know exactly which side of this issue they come down on. And unfortunately, Senator Boxer’s abortion ads may not be such a bad move politically. Here in Michigan we had a recent example of this when Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Virg Bernero used a similar tactic to come from behind and secure his party’s nomination for Governor. Many conservative pundits here were dumbfounded by Bernero’s foray’s into this subject, as unemployment and a staggering economy were the driving issues, but in the end it may have proven an effective move. In a state like Michigan (or California) where there is a strong Democratic base, raising the abortion issue will almost always be a winner, as it is one of the defining platforms of the party.

Regardless of it’s relevance to the current situation, or the practical impossibility of making it illegal, conservatives and particularly conservative politicians dismiss the abortion issue at their own peril. I think we have to accept that we will always be the losers when liberals bring it up. The left has been successful, as they so often are, at depicting our stance on abortion as extreme and anti-woman.

There are compromises to be made on this issue, but there is little chance that they will be made. Allowing minors to receive abortions without parental consent, and legalizing partial-birth abortions, are extreme positions, but the left has done a fair job of making their views seem mainstream. Our positions, therefore, are easily viewed as being beyond the pale. We should not abandon our principles, but we must accept that when it comes to abortion we will always be cast as the villains, and for Democrats the abortion hole-card will almost always be an ace.

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