When will the Democrats start pandering to prolifers again?
As the Deomocatic presidential pandering tour continues, the candidates held a forum last night for the party's gay and lesbian lobby (following a debate earlier in the week for leftwing bloggers). At least some of the party's homosexual supporters are, like many prolifers in the Republican Party, feeling used and taken for granted. According to coverage in today's Chicago Tribune:
Perhaps the most personal question of the evening was posed to Sen. Hillary Clinton by [lesbian rock singer Melissa] Etheridge, who told Clinton that she had felt personally hurt and abandoned by the Clintons after President Bill Clinton's inauguration."I remember when your husband was elected," Etheridge said, calling it a "hopeful time" for gays and lesbians. But "in the years that followed, our hearts were broken. We were pushed aside. All those great promises that were made to us were broken."
"What," she asked, "are you going to do to be different than that?"
Clinton said she remembered things differently, recalling the political appointments, public remarks and "the ongoing struggle against [conservative Republican House Speaker Newt] Gingrich and the Republican majority."
"We certainly didn't get as much done as I would have liked," Clinton said, "but there was a lot of honest effort."
While I disagree strongly with Etheridge on gay marriage, I feel her pain. As they say in the big city, you're graded not on effort, but on results.
Be that as it may, since the candidates are apparently meeting with every constituent group they can think of in their mad dash for the nomination, here's a modest suggestion: Why not meet with all those pro-life evangelicals who were promised that the Democrats would take their concerns seriously if only they would look beyond party labels and give them a chance?
For some reason, I'm not holding my breath. Here's what Heath Shuler, a new Democratic representative from North Carolina (and a self-professed pro-lifer), told CT recently:
I don't think it's as much about legal measures. Our communities have to do better. Our churches have to do better. I think that's part of growing up in a community like I did. It was a small, very [tightly] knit group, and you knew people in your community and your church whom you could lean on and [who] would help you make these difficult decisions. Everyone wants to talk to us about legislation.
Those are fine sentiments, but Rep. Shuler seems to think he was elected to be a pastor and not a legislator. We don't need more sentiments and promises, but more actions. It's time for some pro-life deeds to back up the pro-life words, Democrats. You received a good number of evangelical votes in the last election, which helped you to regain control of Congress. Don't presume those votes are now yours forever.
Posted by Stan Guthrie on August 10, 2007 9:10AM
Comments
since the candidates are apparently meeting with every constituent group they can think of in their mad dash for the nomination, here's a modest suggestion: Why not meet with all those pro-life evangelicals
Well... some of them did do the Sojo/Call to Renewal debate.
But further, all of these groups organized debates and then invited the candidates (not the other way around). If you want to have a Dem debate with pro-life Evangelicals, organize one and invite the candidates and see what happens.
Posted by: dave at August 10, 2007
Good point about the Sojourners forum, Dave. While abortion was not prominent in the overall discussion of poverty, the Iraq war, and Hillary's prayer life (and Sojourners does not push this issue very hard), panelist and pastor Joel Hunter did ask Mrs. Clinton about whether she supports eliminating abortion. She said yes, so let's hold her to her word. And the rest of the Democrats seeking our votes.
As far as evangelicals organizing a forum or debate, a capital idea. I'm all for it.The problem is getting the candidates to return our calls.
Posted by: Stan Guthrie at August 10, 2007
Have you tried to call them? You imply that you have tried and they do not return the calls. But I would be surprised if someone from the candidates' campaigns would not return calls to Christianity Today.
Posted by: dave at August 10, 2007
I find the cynicism of this post breathtaking...has it ever occurred to Stan Guthrie that the Democrats might not be "pandering" to GLBT persons, but may sincerely share their concerns and actually care about their issues? If you want to see some pandering, one need look no further than the Republican race, with the gay-friendly thrice married Rudy Giuliani courting the support of religious right voters and Mitt Romney claiming to have suddenly seen the pro-life light after repeatedly running and governing as pro-choice politician.
But no. It's the Democrats who pander. Thanks for clearing that up.
Posted by: Matt at August 10, 2007
Actually, Dave, I was speaking generically when I said they hadn't returned our calls. But now that you mention it, our efforts to get the Democratic candidates to sit down with us for publication have yielded underwhelming results to this point. But we'll keep trying!
Posted by: Stan Guthrie at August 10, 2007
Sounds like the GLBT activists want Democrats to keep losing elections. Sorry, Ms. Etheridge, but we need a sane administration for a change, and there's no reason why the Democratic Party should put US foreign relations, the economy, the environment, consumer protections and separation of powers at further risk just to pander to your wish for gay marriage.
Posted by: Patrick at August 15, 2007
Pandering? Pro-life evangelicals have already been pandered to by a bevy of GOP candidates, all promising you exactly what you want to hear.
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