What Women Want!

Maybe I’m just naïve. Are the Democrats really serious about a GOP war on women? I have a friend who continually makes the point, “I can't imagine any woman voting GOP”.  Is the point that my wife and many other (millions) women must be stupid?  Seriously, do women only care about abortion and contraception?  Conservative pundit Ann Coulter has often said that abortion is a sacrament to those on the Left. I’m starting to believe it.  

The latest salvo in this fictitious war was triggered by senatorial candidate Todd Akin when asked about his stance on the abortion issue when it’s connected to rape. Of course by now you know he bungled his answer stating erroneously that “women's bodies have a way of shutting down from the trauma of "legitimate rape" and rarely become pregnant”.

Yikes!  From what textbook did he learn that concept? Shame on him for believing such dogma. But did we really need the bizarre rhetoric coming from the liberal quarters about how Mr. Akin spoke for the majority of the conservative pro-life cause.  Baloney! Every conservative pol and pundit alike, including Mitt Romney himself criticized the remark and distanced themselves from supporting Akin in his bid. He has defiantly decided to continue his campaign probably to the detriment of the party. 

Having said that, the pro-life stance has always believed human life in (and out of) the womb is sacred, whether conceived in love or otherwise – that being rape or incest.  The only exception is when the mother’s life is in jeopardy.

Somehow this has become an extreme position… and I’ll admit it is a hard teaching. The thought of carrying a baby conceived from an assault is difficult to grasp.  New York Times columnist Ross Douhat describes that “Even the most rigorous abortion foe recognizes the unique agony—and perhaps, the political impossibility— of asking a woman to bear her rapists child”.

But let’s be honest, this practice constitutes less than 1% of all abortion performed in the US where the number of legal abortions in any given year is in the 1 million range.  Most abortions are simply for convenience, which may also include sex selective abortion. But to the Left, that is not considered extreme. Nor is the practice of second and third trimester abortions and the heinous practice of partial birth abortions.  That is what the Democrats stand on. That is their platform.  

Democrats also have a tendency to forget that the public doesn’t necessarily agree with them. Large majorities support bans on second and third trimester abortion, sex selective and partial birth abortions.  In Barack Obama, they have a nominee who occupies this leftward pole of the abortion debate; he’s pro-choice with almost no limitations or exceptions.

But what else are the democrats going to speak about?  The economy is in the tank, unemployment still hovers above 8% after 4 years with no signs of improvement. The national debt sits at 16 trillion.  Let’s hearken back to the good old days of yesteryear and the 1992 election campaign where Bill Clinton ran on the slogan, “It’s the economy, stupid” That is where we are today, in spite of the Democrats turning it into a battle over these divisive social issues. 

Even their upcoming  convention platform includes a rogues gallery of speakers straight out of the abortion rights movement – the presidents of both Planned Parenthood and NARAL will take the stage along with Sandra Fluke, their torch bearer for free contraception. Honestly, is this all that matters?

When Ann Romney took the stage at the Republican National Convention last week, she spoke from the heart and played to everyone’s heart about the rich life of a woman.  “I love you, women,” she shouted, and proceeded to praise America’s women for their love of country, their marriages, their families and children.  In this day and age, women are concerned about the economy, jobs, education, health care and the future of their children and grandchildren. 

She succinctly described the plight of women in America not in terms of the abortion debate but in the daily grind that all of us struggle to get our arms around.  Here is an excerpt:

It's the women and moms of this nation -- single, married, widowed -- who really hold this country together. We're the mothers, we're the wives, we're the grandmothers, we're the big sisters, we're the little sisters, we're the daughters. You are the best of America. You are the hope of America. There would not be an America without you. Tonight, we salute you and sing your praises”

Who can argue with that? She, like most of us and despite her financial blessings, has experienced life’s slings and arrows of outrageous fortune as well as pain and agony.  Keep in mind that she suffers from MS (as my wife also does) and has had breast cancer.  She is the daughter of a coal miner from Wales… sound familiar?  The American dream has been real for her as it has for millions of Americans who came to these shores as immigrants. 

Ah, yes, just remembering the promise of the American  dream for everyone  becomes the defining moment of our time… not some concocted smokescreen that pigeon-holes our women into thinking a political party (GOP) is out to get them.