Democrats sailing too close to the wind?
Published in the Boulder Daily Camera, April 1. 2012
When I was learning how to sail, one thing was clear – it’s a lot easier to sail with a tailwind but, when the wind shifts and you have to change course, be careful. When you sail too close to the wind, you can get hurt.
Democrats have had favorable winds with respect to women’s reproductive rights for almost three decades now. These tailwinds have been powered by a Republican Party that ignored their commitment to limiting government in favor of a segment of the Party that sought to limit a woman’s right to choose. The foundations of modern Republicanism are built on individual freedom and less government, so letting a woman make a choice always seemed like a no-brainer to me. But, many Republicans made it a banner issue and, in so doing, lost a lot of votes from reasonable women who did not like the Government telling them what they could do with their bodies.
The Democrats rode these tailwinds to a significant edge with women voters by doing little more than reminding people of well-documented Republican positions. In the Presidential elections between 1980 and 2008, women consistently voted more than men for the Democratic candidate and, without this gender gap, Republicans would have won every one of these Presidential elections with the exception of President Clinton’s second term. Democrats needed this tailwind with women and it seemed like they could always count on Republicans to help out.
But, as every sailor knows, the winds change. After the 2008 election, Republicans were forced to soul search. In the end, a strong gust from the libertarian wing of the Republican Party pushed them toward limiting government intrusion into our personal lives and dropping their obsession with birth control. I have witnessed these debates and I have no doubt that, to the extent that any political party ever speaks with one voice, the Republican Party recognizes that America supports a woman’s right to decide for herself on reproductive issues.
For skeptics, I offer two items. First, when the CNN debate monitor kept pressing the issue of birth control at a recent Presidential debate, the audience booed loudly. The CNN commentator wanted this discussion but neither the candidates nor the Republican audience did.
Second, check out the Romney, Santorum, and Paul web sites and look for where they tell you they want to outlaw abortion or any other form of birth control. You won’t find it.
To be sure, there are still a few embarrassments out there, like the Virginia and Texas laws on abortion and the occasional bigmouths with their own agenda. We will continue to debate who pays for what and under what circumstances, but the days when the Republican Party supports constitutional amendments banning abortion are behind us. The wind has shifted.
Since Democrats have come to count on the tailwind of reproductive rights to give women a reason to vote against Republicans, it was time for the Democrats to trim the sails and head into this new wind.
To start this new tack, the President, against the advice of his closest advisors, issued an edict forcing institutions like Catholic Charities to give employees free birth control. Predictably, a bunch of religious leaders pitched a fit. Republicans suggested that this was a First Amendment issue but proposed no limitations on access to birth control, only who might pay for it. Aside from some poor public relations moves and the occasional loudmouth, that about sums up everything Republicans did.
In response, Democrats started lining up at the podium with a litany of accusations about how the Republicans were taking away women’s freedoms. It only took a few days before Senate Democrats let America know that the Republicans had declared a War on Women.
Like I said, when you head too close into the wind, you sometimes not only lose speed but find yourself losing control of the boat. It’s starting to look like the Democrat’s new course may have resulted in the sailor’s dread – an unintentional tack. Between February and March, a New York Times poll found that support for the President among women had dropped by 12% compared to a decline for men of only 4%.
Given the recent history, supporters of reproductive rights should stay vigilant on this issue. However, coming closer to a national consensus on women’s reproductive rights would be a great time to stop fighting headwinds and move the national conversation to the other critical issues we face today.[email protected]
When I was learning how to sail, one thing was clear – it’s a lot easier to sail with a tailwind but, when the wind shifts and you have to change course, be careful. When you sail too close to the wind, you can get hurt.
Democrats have had favorable winds with respect to women’s reproductive rights for almost three decades now. These tailwinds have been powered by a Republican Party that ignored their commitment to limiting government in favor of a segment of the Party that sought to limit a woman’s right to choose. The foundations of modern Republicanism are built on individual freedom and less government, so letting a woman make a choice always seemed like a no-brainer to me. But, many Republicans made it a banner issue and, in so doing, lost a lot of votes from reasonable women who did not like the Government telling them what they could do with their bodies.
The Democrats rode these tailwinds to a significant edge with women voters by doing little more than reminding people of well-documented Republican positions. In the Presidential elections between 1980 and 2008, women consistently voted more than men for the Democratic candidate and, without this gender gap, Republicans would have won every one of these Presidential elections with the exception of President Clinton’s second term. Democrats needed this tailwind with women and it seemed like they could always count on Republicans to help out.
But, as every sailor knows, the winds change. After the 2008 election, Republicans were forced to soul search. In the end, a strong gust from the libertarian wing of the Republican Party pushed them toward limiting government intrusion into our personal lives and dropping their obsession with birth control. I have witnessed these debates and I have no doubt that, to the extent that any political party ever speaks with one voice, the Republican Party recognizes that America supports a woman’s right to decide for herself on reproductive issues.
For skeptics, I offer two items. First, when the CNN debate monitor kept pressing the issue of birth control at a recent Presidential debate, the audience booed loudly. The CNN commentator wanted this discussion but neither the candidates nor the Republican audience did.
Second, check out the Romney, Santorum, and Paul web sites and look for where they tell you they want to outlaw abortion or any other form of birth control. You won’t find it.
To be sure, there are still a few embarrassments out there, like the Virginia and Texas laws on abortion and the occasional bigmouths with their own agenda. We will continue to debate who pays for what and under what circumstances, but the days when the Republican Party supports constitutional amendments banning abortion are behind us. The wind has shifted.
Since Democrats have come to count on the tailwind of reproductive rights to give women a reason to vote against Republicans, it was time for the Democrats to trim the sails and head into this new wind.
To start this new tack, the President, against the advice of his closest advisors, issued an edict forcing institutions like Catholic Charities to give employees free birth control. Predictably, a bunch of religious leaders pitched a fit. Republicans suggested that this was a First Amendment issue but proposed no limitations on access to birth control, only who might pay for it. Aside from some poor public relations moves and the occasional loudmouth, that about sums up everything Republicans did.
In response, Democrats started lining up at the podium with a litany of accusations about how the Republicans were taking away women’s freedoms. It only took a few days before Senate Democrats let America know that the Republicans had declared a War on Women.
Like I said, when you head too close into the wind, you sometimes not only lose speed but find yourself losing control of the boat. It’s starting to look like the Democrat’s new course may have resulted in the sailor’s dread – an unintentional tack. Between February and March, a New York Times poll found that support for the President among women had dropped by 12% compared to a decline for men of only 4%.
Given the recent history, supporters of reproductive rights should stay vigilant on this issue. However, coming closer to a national consensus on women’s reproductive rights would be a great time to stop fighting headwinds and move the national conversation to the other critical issues we face today.[email protected]