I’ve spent most of my adult life (unlike many of my generation, I could both drink and vote at age 18) being wary of single-issue politics. However, as the parties have become increasingly indistinguishable from one another once they get into power, making a decision based on a single issue may not be as much of a cop-out as I used to think.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) has been portrayed as opportunistic in his political views, but his recent comments in Iowa on abortion go beyond campaign hyperbole.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry confirmed to a pastor on Tuesday that he no longer supports abortion in any cases, including rape… Until now Perry had supported abortion in certain situations…
In addition, Perry parroted Newt Gingrich (R-GA) Tuesday night when he said he would ignore a Supreme Court ruling in the hypothetical scenario that the Court found unconstitutional a move to “extend constitutional rights to the unborn,” a.k.a. the “personhood” movement.
Asked what he would do if the Supreme Court overturned so-called “personhood” legislation under a Perry administration, the Texas governor responded that “obviously, you would enforce the right to life” rather than the court’s decision.
As for Gingrich, the former House Speaker said the solution would be to “write the bill so it is not appealable.”
“I think you could write an exclusionary” clause, he said.
Joining the no abortion what-so-ever chorus: Michele Bachmann, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum.
First, no abortion to save the life of the mother? No abortion if a woman is raped and becomes pregnant? That’s the path to women as chattel, to a world envisioned in The Handmaid’s Tale.
Second, this extreme position may make Perry the darling of the social conservative wing of the Republican party, but mainstream it’s not.
- “A woman should have the right to decide to terminate a pregnancy in the first few months of her pregnancy.”
Strongly agree 45%; Somewhat agree 19%. (Time Poll conducted by Abt SRBI. June 20-21, 2011. Margin of error ± 3%) - “Do you think abortion should be legal in all cases, legal in most cases, illegal in most cases, or illegal in all cases?”
Legal in all or most cases: 54%, illegal in all or most cases, 45% (ABC News/Washington Post Poll. July 14-17, 2011. N=1,001 adults nationwide. Margin of error ± 3.5%) - “Do you think abortion should be legal under any circumstances, legal only under certain circumstances or illegal in all circumstances?”
Legal in all, 26%; legal in some, 51%; illegal in all, 20%. (Gallup, July 15-17, 2011.)
Third, the President of the United States swears to uphold the law of the land. Perry seems to believe he gets to choose which laws to uphold whereas Newt thinks the legislative and executive branches can collude in such as way as to shut out the role of the courts, you know, a role that is outlined In The U.S. Constitution.
It’s only in recent memory that Iowa has played an outsized role in the presidential election. Back in 1976, a little-known southern Governor came in second in the Democratic caucus (“uncommitted” came in first) and then went on to unseat the incumbent Republican, Gerald Ford. That was the exception, not the rule:
- 1980: Ronald Reagan came in second to George H.W. Bush. That wasn’t the way they entered the White House.
- 1988: Bob Dole won and Bush finished third, but Dole didn’t get the nomination.
- 1992, Bill Clinton finished third but won the election.
- 1996: Bob Dole won in Iowa and took the GOP nomination but Clinton retained the White House.
- 2000: Another southern governor (although one with a higher profile), George W. Bush, won Iowa.
- 2008: Barack Obama, a relatively unknown Senator, won Iowa and the election.
Known for gnawing at complex questions like a terrier with a bone. Digital evangelist, writer, teacher. Transplanted Southerner; teach newbies to ride motorcycles. @kegill (Twitter and Mastodon.social); wiredpen.com