As everyone around here knows, the last four days have seen the Sarah Palin VP pick revealed to be an act of utter cynicism and hypocrisy on the part of John McCain and the Republican party. Even before the revelations about Bristol, the AIP, the Bridge to Nowhere, most voters saw right through the Palin choice and it was not helping McCain at all. The Labor Day Massacre of damaging revelations will likely turn the Palin choice into a disaster even worse than Dan Quayle.
Republicans are no doubt privately considering whether to dump her from the ticket, but almost surely they will not. Why? Because the Christian fundamentalist base loves her.
This is a huge opening for us. Palin was a transparent attempt -- openly admitted in Republican circles -- to appeal to undecided women voters. But Palin's stand on one issue in particular is almost guaranteed to turn off any such voters (indeed any reasonably moderate voters of either gender) -- and we must make sure that this issue is pounded into the public consciousness. What is this issue?
Abortion.
Sarah Palin has described herself as being "as 'pro-life' as any candidate can be." Does this mean she is a pacificist, opposed to all wars and the death penalty? Apparently not. Sarah Palin is a member of "Feminists for Life", which proudly proclaims her membership -- and nomination for the Vice Presidency -- on its home page.
It's a little hard to find the position of "Feminists for Life" on abortion in cases of rape, but it is there -- and unmistakable. Even in cases of rape, abortion should be illegal. The website doesn't say precisely what the punishment should be, but the message to doctors is certainly clear "We believe that we should hold responsible those who profit from women’s pain—-especially the abortion industry."
Now abortion is certainly a tricky issue in national politics, and many many independents are uncomfortable with abortion. But Palin's position is about as unpopular as you can get on an issue of public policy. For example, a Time Poll this summer found that only 10% of the public supports the equivalent of Palin's position -- that abortion should be illegal even in cases of rape (or incest). A Faux News Poll from last October found 70% oppose Palin's position of making abortion illegal in cases of rape and incest, and only 21% support it.
Many people may not realize this, but Palin's position is actually the same as the 2008 Republican party platform. But Palin's position on the ticket as a cynical attempt to lure Hillary Clinton voters (despite Hillary's lifetime of supporting and working for abortion rights) means we must pound her on this abortion issue. We must say to women (and men) who might support this allegedly "groundbreaking" candidate:
"Sarah Palin believes that if your wife, mother, daughter, friend were brutally assaulted and raped they must be forced to carry the pregnancy to term or face jail -- and that a doctor who helped them abort that pregnancy after being brutally raped should be prosecuted as a murderer."
This message should go out in mailers, web videos, etc. Does anyone really believe that any genuine Hillary Clinton supporters would really vote for McCain-Palin after being educated on this issue?