DiscussMormonism.com

In the aftermath of Tuesday's elections, I heard several GOP talking heads claim that the GOP needs to do a better job of messaging on abortion. I think it's hilarious that's their takeaway. Implicit in that statement is that there's a way they haven't figured out yet to sell people on the government controlling women's medical decisions and forcing them into motherhood.

What's even dumber is that very few pro-birthers also support universal pre-k or parental leave, so they want to force women to have a baby and them leave them to fend for themselves, no matter what their financial or emotional situation is. They want communist style reproduction and capitalist style economics.

The other thing they refuse to account for is that Americans are becoming less religious. Fewer and fewer people give a crap about other people's outrageous gods. When you can't make a scientific argument for restricting women's rights and all you can do is cite religious whackery, the only people you can convince are other religious whack-jobs.

Here's winning messaging for the GOP: tell everyone you were wrong on this issue, then enshrine women's rights in the US constitution. Anything short of that is a political mistake.

Perhaps if they talk even louder about how they’ll want to eventually move America to a ‘not legal and no exceptions’ abortion reality, then folks will decide to vote for that.

After months of not bringing up politics, my right-wing friend rolled the dice this morning and brought up last night's debate. Of course I didn't watch it. He said it was terrible. Why was it terrible? He had to think about that one. He said it was terrible because all the reporters asking questions were liberals and asking bad questions.

I told him that this really testified to the deep state's power; if the Republican's were forced to have liberal reporters asking rigged questions in their own debate. He agreed, not picking up that I was making fun of him.

I asked him what questions the reporters should have been asking. He said they should have been asking questions about Biden and how bad he is doing. I asked him if it was not possible to turn the questions around, and make the issue about how bad Biden is doing? From what I've seen, the Republicans haven't had difficulties thus far making the issue about Biden. He didn't have an answer.

So I asked him to give me an example of a bad question that was asked. He said they asked about abortion. He said Nikki Haley hit it out of the park, responding that states can decide. He then said we've got to do something about abortion because California allows abortions up to the day before delivery. I pointed out that if California is allowing such a thing, then it sounds like the reporter was asking an important question, so what was he complaining about?

At that point his incoherency began reaching Ajax levels and my gate was up next anyway, so that ended that.

While not a fan of abortion, to me this is an issue of the right of body autonomy.

Can the federal government force an healthy individual to donate say a kidney to a person who will otherwise die if they do not receive a kidney transplant?

No. And for those same reasons they can not force a women to carry a fetus to term.

I don't see how the GOP can brand this in a way that is going to resonate with youth who have only known accessible abortion for the last 2 generations.

The GOP needs to get the message that most people do not like their abortion position and will vote against them.

¥akaSteelhead wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 09, 2023 4:42 pm

While not a fan of abortion, to me this is an issue of the right of body autonomy.

I don't think abortion (a medical procedure) has many "fans." Body autonomy, otherwise known as a specific freedom, does have a very large fan base. Tell males you're going to outlaw masturbation and see how that goes.

I'm not someone who's going around encouraging abortions like it's a form of birth control, but I am going to advocate for people having the ability to make the best decisions for themselves. It's funny how "personal responsibility" for the GOP doesn't seem to extend to making you own healthcare choices.

¥akaSteelhead wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 09, 2023 4:42 pm

While not a fan of abortion, to me this is an issue of the right of body autonomy.

Can the federal government force an healthy individual to donate say a kidney to a person who will otherwise die if they do not receive a kidney transplant?

No. And for those same reasons they can not force a women to carry a fetus to term.

I don't see how the GOP can brand this in a way that is going to resonate with youth who have only known accessible abortion for the last 2 generations.

Agreed. And then there’s the ‘no exceptions’ problem; voters don’t trust Republican legislators to not keep pushing until they reach that goal. Ads like the one below illustrate the problem with this.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oHSXrtv_1RI

Gadianton wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 09, 2023 4:32 pm

He said Nikki Haley hit it out of the park, responding that states can decide.

Haley said we need to find a compromise. Hilarious.

What is the compromise between restricted rights and freedom?

Some Schmo wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 09, 2023 5:34 pm

Gadianton wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 09, 2023 4:32 pm

He said Nikki Haley hit it out of the park, responding that states can decide.

Haley said we need to find a compromise. Hilarious.

What is the compromise between restricted rights and freedom?

Republicans could always approach the issue like they do with school shootings.

Just send thoughts and prayers.

Done!

canpakes wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 09, 2023 5:39 pm

Republicans could always approach the issue like they do with school shootings.

Just send thoughts and prayers.

Done!

Agreed. I keep saying, the GOP doesn't think abortion is the way to handle unwanted pregnancies. They want the home invaders shot in self-defense like everyone else.