Democrats divided over party platform - fight over abortion brewing at DNC?

Democrats for Life of America (DFLA) is trying to get the Democratic Party to change it's platform on abortion in order to have more of a "big tent" approach and appeal to more voters.DFLA is pushing a petition calling for a big tent for Democrats and seeking ?neutral language? in the party platform.

?The Democratic Platform currently contains language to allow taxpayer funding of abortion. National polls have consistently demonstrated that most Americans do not support the government paying for abortion. The Democratic Platform language should be inclusive and endorse the views of all Democrats,? the group says on its web site in support of the petition. ?In fact, a February 2012 Quinnipiac University poll found that nearly thirty percent of Americans would not vote for a candidate with whom they disagreed on abortion but agreed on other issues. The Democratic Platform language should be inclusive and endorse the views of all Democrats.?

The petition calls for the following language in the Democratic party platform:

?We respect the conscience of each American and recognize that members of our Party have deeply held and sometimes differing positions on issues of personal conscience, like abortion and the death penalty. We recognize the diversity of views as a source of strength and we welcome into our ranks all Americans who may hold differing positions on these and other issues.

However, we can find common ground. We believe that we can reduce the number of abortions because we are united in our support for policies that assist families who find themselves in crisis or unplanned pregnancies. We believe that women deserve to have a breadth of options available as they face pregnancy: including, among others, support and resources needed to handle the challenges of pregnancy, adoption, and parenthood; access to education, healthcare, childcare; and appropriate child support. We envision a new day without financial or societal barriers to bringing a planned or unplanned pregnancy to term.?

The Current Language in the Democratic Party platform is the language drawn up in 2008 which states: "The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman?s right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right". This platform has been criticized for eliminating the Clinton era language that said abortion should be "safe, legal, and rare" (the current platform only mentions legal, not safe or rare) and for seeming to advocate taxpayer funding for abortion (i.e. the phrase "regardless of ability to pay").

DFLA contends that the Democratic Party's failure to moderate its position on abortion is costing it votes, pointing to polls that say most Americans oppose government funding for abortion.

Former President Jimmy Carter is the most prominent Democrat calling on the Democratic Party to change its abortion stance. Carter says that he, as a Christian, is against most abortions, and that he started the federal program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) in order to help women take care of their children and make them feel like they do not need an abortion.

Carter says the Democratic platform should reflect his position on abortion, which is that the government should push anti-poverty measures to reduce the demand for abortion and that abortion should only be allowed when to save the mothers life or when the pregnancy was caused by rape or incest. Carter says that adopting this position, rather than the current position supporting abortion for any reason at all, would help draw more support to the Democratic party, including "Republicans who abandoned the Democrats because of abortion" (probably talking about "Reagan Democrats", i.e. Democrats who started voting Republican when Reagan got elected because they disliked the pro-abortion stance of the Democrats).

Interesting. According the interview between Carter and Laura Ingraham, Jimmy Carter won every Southern State when he was elected President in 1976, and no Democratic President has even come close to doing so since.

Carter says that he, as a Christian, is against most abortions

JoeRatz16

One would think a president would need to be pretty well versed in the US Constitution. But then it's not exactly like Carter was any good.

I wonder what whipassmt has to say about thisJML897

[QUOTE="JoeRatz16"]

Carter says that he, as a Christian, is against most abortions

Dark_Knight6

One would think a president would need to be pretty well versed in the US Constitution. But then it's not exactly like Carter was any good.

Hey, hey, hey, let's not gang up on the guy's whole career because of one issue. Still, I think Carter is dead wrong and I think that changing the party platform to try to be more inclusive (dubious that changing their stance on this one issue would swing all that many voters anyways) is about the scummiest thing I have ever heard proposed, especially seeing as how the Dems are the only ones giving the pro-Choice side any traction at all on this issue. Also, last I checked the Republican stances on women's issues were one of the things holding them back this election cycle so changing stances right now would be royally stupid.

Oh look... it's THIS thread again... inb4 a bunch of teenage boys telling women what they can and cannot do with their bodies.Zeviander

Teenaged boys here, old men in Congress. Sad but true.

[QUOTE="Zeviander"]Oh look... it's THIS thread again... inb4 a bunch of teenage boys telling women what they can and cannot do with their bodies.jimkabrhel

Teenaged boys here, old men in Congress. Sad but true.

Well, also women like Michelle Bachmann who will let their husbands make major life decisions for them without question.

Oh look... it's THIS thread again... inb4 a bunch of teenage boys telling women what they can and cannot do with their bodies.Zeviander

Aka if you disagree with me shut up. How convenient that some people whom oppose your views are not allowed to speak. This is easily the most laughable argument I have heard from either side in this debate. Do you only discuses this issue with women? From gallup:

Over the past three decades, men and women have consistently held similar views about the extent to which abortion should be legal. Typically, majorities of both sexes have said abortion should be "legal only under certain circumstances." Smaller percentages have believed it should be either legal under any circumstances or illegal in all circumstances -- with those in favor of legality consistently the larger group. Support for legal abortion "under any circumstances" reached its peak among both sexes in the early 1990s but has since receded some.

..

men and women have consistently held similar views about the extent to which abortion should be legal

..

men and women have consistently held similar views

..

men and women

..

But whatever, men don't have opinions because you said so. Awesome.

limpbizkit818

[QUOTE="limpbizkit818"]Zeviander

Yes, men are allowed to have an opinion on just about anything.

You act like we're talking about getting a tatoo:|

Whetheryou like it or not abortion is a societalissue and everyone is going to air their opinionson how our government should deal with it. More importantlyeveryone is justifiedin doing so.

As I just proved, men and women hold similar views on the issue. The sad fact is that if I was a women you would listen to my opinion yet because I have a penis you couldn't care less. So. Ridiculous. I would laugh if you weren't serious.

Good, we need need more internal issues in the Dem Party.

Interesting. According the interview between Carter and Laura Ingraham, Jimmy Carter won every Southern State when he was elected President in 1976, and no Democratic President has even come close to doing so since.

JoeRatz16

That's extremely surprising. Carter doesn't seem like a guy the South would support at all to me.

It's not our platform that needs to change but the message.

Legalizing aborting have mainly been argued from the position of rights - freedom of choice and fundamental classification of a human being. But What isn't said is that liberals don't want abortion either. We just believe that legalizing and regulating is more realistic approach to reducing abortions than criminalizing.

So the message needs to be "we want to stop abortion and this is how we'll do it: Through sexual education, contraception, Health care and counseling"

I believe Hilary Clinton said it best: "Keep abortion safe, legal and rare"

As I just proved [...]limpbizkit818

[QUOTE="limpbizkit818"]Zeviander

I find this logic that men should have absolutely no opinion on abortion illogical on multiple levels.

Hell, being half the equation is enough to a reason to justify an opinion

Hell, being half the equation is enough to a reason to justify an opiniondercoo

[QUOTE="dercoo"]Hell, being half the equation is enough to a reason to justify an opinionZeviander

Becuse its his child too.

Should he have equal say, no. But for God sake he deserves some say in the process.

[QUOTE="Zeviander"][QUOTE="dercoo"]Hell, being half the equation is enough to a reason to justify an opiniondercoo

Becuse its his child too.

Should he have equal say, no. But for God sake he deserves some say in the process.

[QUOTE="dercoo"]

[QUOTE="Zeviander"] Why? A woman contributes 50% of the genetic material AND has the sole responsibility to carry and support the child at least until birth.-Sun_Tzu-

Becuse its his child too.

Should he have equal say, no. But for God sake he deserves some say in the process.

My issue is Zeviander suggesting men have no right to an opinion on the issue, which is utter bull *****

It's not our platform that needs to change but the message.

Legalizing aborting have mainly been argued from the position of rights - freedom of choice and fundamental classification of a human being. But What isn't said is that liberals don't want abortion either. We just believe that legalizing and regulating is more realistic approach to reducing abortions than criminalizing.

So the message needs to be "we want to stop abortion and this is how we'll do it: Through sexual education, contraception, Health care and counseling"

I believe Hilary Clinton said it best: "Keep abortion safe, legal and rare"

Blue-Sky

Of course this is not entirely a partisan issue. The Kermit Gosnell scandal was partly the result of a decision by Pennsylvania's pro-choice Republican governor Tom Ridge (who had succeeded the well-known Pro-Life Democrat Bob Casey) to stop the health department from inspecting abortion clinics to ensure compliance with safety regulations because he didn't want the inspections to put up a "barrier" to woman seeking abortions. Also the National Abortion Federation inspected Gosnell's "clinic" and (in the words of a grand jury investigation) " the evaluator from NAF readily noted that records were not properly kept, that risks were not explained, that patients were not monitored, that equipment was not available, that anesthesia was misused. It was the worst abortion clinic she had ever inspected. Of course, she rejected Gosnell's application. She just never told anyone in authority about all the horrible, dangerous things she had seen"

Good, we need need more internal issues in the Dem Party.

kingkong0124

Indeed. Makes election year even more hilarious.

Also the guy on the right of your sig looks like he isn't wearing any kevlar :P

[QUOTE="limpbizkit818"]As I just proved [...]Zeviander

Oh look... it's THIS thread again... inb4 a bunch of teenage boys telling women what they can and cannot do with their bodies.Zeviander

OT arguing over abortion...