Like many liberals I've been disgusted with the current conversation regarding contraception. I thought Griswold was settled like 50 years ago. But the all-out war on women's health and contraception has been going on since after the mid-terms. Given the failed personhood amendment in Mississippi, and the defacto outlaw of abortion by regulation in Kansas, a flare up or two of reproductive rights issues before the 2012 election was inevitable. The likelihood of another before November is practically guaranteed.
But I believe the Obamas dodged a bullet simply because the Republicans were so stupid as to overreach on an issue that's settled. Despite rolling out their new republican Barbie Kelly Ayotte, the GOP simply couldn't get the contraception issue framed as to one of religious freedom.
The Obamas wonât be as lucky next time.
Even though the Republicans know they are losing at the moment, the issue is certain to be near center stage with items such as the Blunt amendment percolating along. So the Democrats need and should have ready a more forceful response, and there is political gold to be had by having a stronger message and going on offense instead of simply trying to beat back these attacks.
The window of opportunity is open to use contraception to shift the nature of the reproductive rights debate and maybe even change politics. The message is so simple:
CONTRACEPTION PREVENTS ABORTION
I watch all the Sunday shows, and the political funny men, and while there may be others, the
only person I saw make this argument last weekend was Bill Maher at the very end of his show. It's a simple message but one that is very powerful. And it can put republicans in a box.
This message is for anyone interested in protecting Planned Parenthood. It solidifies the argument that HHS and the President are committed to womenâs health, and one of those ways is helping women avoid unneeded medical services. Contraception is a smart way of reducing the need for abortion. That's why all you heard were crickets from the insurance companies. It's good for women and women's health and itâs good for society. And Women's health and safety is dems #1 priority.
In terms of politics, the anti-abortion crowd is active and working hard, and the politics of abortion and reproductive rights has been pay dirt for the GOP for the last 30 years. With a weak Presidential field and 10% congressional approval rating, they donât have much else going for them this election season. They need something to motivate voters get off their asses and go to the polls, and this is about as convenient as anything.
Contraception is also a great proxy for abortion, as it involves all the same issues, except that it mainly works only on certain Catholics, as we see by the polls. But it can still serve the Right as a just another example of Obama frackin' the faithful, and his supposed war on religion.
But there is a real opportunity to not only beat back a threat, but to stuff it back on the GOP, neutralize the issue for the Fall election, shape the abortion debate, and even win points with that most exalted of voting blocks, suburban women.
A sustained effort to change the nature of the contraceptive conversation as to one of preventing abortion, allows democrats to have a more pro-life position. Fox News is always quick to call Obama and the dems "pro-abortion." So showing exactly how the democrats are in-fact pro-life is a plus.
Republicans aren't really against abortion, they are against allowing abortion. Framing contraception coverage as the democrats answer to the abortion issue is a tremendous opportunity. Focus on reducing unwanted pregnancies, and you reduce abortion. According to Fox News, teen pregnancy is at the lowest level in 40 years http://www.foxnews.com/...). How about a little credit taking for that? Somone? Anyone?
PPACA is still under assault and still needs defending and it would be great to get women political surrogates out there about it how it's good for women's health issues. Democratic women should talk about what PPACA does for women, and how republicans are engaging on a war on women and womenâs health when they seek to deny them coverage.
We tend to think of social issues voters as republicans. But social issues motivate democrats and independents too. Democratic positions on social issues are common sense solutions, like providing birth control so that unwanted pregnancies donât happen in the first place.
Now the GOP is on the run, Rush Limbaugh is abandoning the issue and calling George Stepho a democrat plant for having grilled Romney on the topic during the ABC debate. It's no time to lay down, it's time to charge.
We should make hay over contraception, grab hold of it, and shift the debate, and say that the Obamas are actively seeing to reduce unwanted pregnancies, and look we have the story from Fox frackinâ News to prove it that our approach is working.
And if you really want to deliver the Killer Blow to this bullshit about contraception, you can say,
If you are against contraception, you are pro-abortion.
Because there can be no doubt that restricted access to contraception will ultimately result in increased abortions. So when a politician says they are for restricted access to contraception, they are saying they have no problem with the rise in abortions that will occur. Let that be on their conscience.
Maybe that's conservative head-exploding logic, maybe it isn't. But I advocate for this approach because it starts to neutralize some of the reproductive rights issue, and shift the debate to a focus on womenâs health. That is electoral gold, and itâs the other edge of the proverbial double-edged sword. With a real effort to frame the debate on contraception towards reducing abortions, and womenâs health overall, Republicans will suffer an even bigger gender gap come November.
The polls show Republicans are starting to pay for their folly, and if we press them hard they will pay big-time.