There is nothing quite like watching the Wall Street Journal editorial page tell the anti-choice base of the Republican Party to shut the fuck up.
As for the politics of 2008, the last thing the GOP needs is another intramural abortion brawl. As a resurgent Democratic Party advances all manner of misguided proposals for the economy, taxes, national security, health care, energy and the environment, voters need Republicans to revive their own reform agenda. An abortion fight will make the party seem irrelevant to the main voter concerns, or captive to its litmus test interests.
Mr. Giuliani has his strengths and weaknesses, but he shouldn’t be disqualified for the nomination because of his views on a single issue that a President can’t do much to change other than through the courts. The only victor in a drawn-out GOP abortion donnybrook will be the Democrat who winds up in the White House.
The anti-choicers form the backbone of the Wall Street governing majority, but they never meant shit to Yankee Republican investment bankers, except as a means to an end. Cry me a river. The bankers have a wingnut problem. Boo hoo.
I actually think we are on the verge of something bigger. Choice/anti-choice might not be a central issue if the economy collapses.
in the name of “Pro life” sounds like so much dog food!
Hey, they can’t even do dog food right anymore!
Giuliani shouldn’t be disqualified on one issue? Hey, the Catholic Church insisted that voters that didn’t vote on one single issue would be excommunicated! And just this last week, the Bishop of St. Louis reaffirmed that position. It’s a pleasure to see the GOP fighting its own issue.
I’m smelling a realignment.
The way the WSJ is framing it, neither the business interests nor the cryptochristians can switch sides, since they’re committed to litmus tests we reject. This would work more as a wedge issue splitting off peripheral members of both groups.
No. Not really. Investment bankers and other hard-core economic Republicans will not vote for a Democrat. What they don’t want is to be left alone vying for votes without Falwell and Dobson pulling their share. They’re telling the crazies to STFU in this go around. Tamp down all that abortion talk and get on the fear of terrorism. Otherwise…
How about Hillary?
I’ve heard a couple of “pundits” who say she may be marginally acceptable as a caretaker for Wall Street.
the old old man’s club of the catholic church?
Yeah…the old man’s club that has Donohue as their press agent…you got it!
Realignment is the polite word for what is happening with the anti-science, forced child-bearing shard of the ‘publicans.
I prefer the term “fracturing”.
Take that, Lee-Fucking-Big-Tent-Atwater.
As for the Yankee Republican investment banker clique,
here is Ezra’s Op/Ed in the LA Times (OMG they printed something from a DFH):
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-op-klein13may13,0,3813755.story?coll=la-opinion-center
Not all investment bankers are Republicans!…
Got up very early to watch Faux play this one: “Does Wall Street fear that Chuck Schumer wants to dismantle Homeland Security?” The new emphasis seemed to be that the Dems would take your retirement funds! (Never mind Social Security.) I may actually have to watch it later today to find out where they are going.
Hah! Wall Street knows what the fundementalists won’t admit — that even for Americans who don’t like the idea of abortion much, the majority would prefer it remain legal for the times it really is the best option.
What they’re not saying is that it’s not the Democrats who are making big business default on pension plans, or trying to get pension plans changed from definite promises to long-time employees to “opportunities to invest for your future…” (ie, “make those investment choices wisely, they’re the only hope you have” plans.)
If Giuliani is the Republican nominee, that takes those social wedge issues off the table… leaving Iraq and the economy and healthcare, which are strong issues for all the Dems. And I’m not so sure that those are good issues for Giuliani – especially compared to Edwards, Obama or Clinton.
I am glad to see Giuliani standing up against the dogma of the religious fundies, though. About time someone on that side of the aisle did.