On this issue of abortion, I actually think if the Democrats had nominated a pro-life candidate they'd have a much better shot at winning this election. But Jones is not only pro-choice, he's very outspokenly pro-choice and on this issue is out of touch with how most Alabama voters feel on this issue (and they feel very strongly). There's also been quite a bit of debate lately as to how open the Democratic party really is now to pro-life candidates.
Yeah, the thing is, I think there are areas where pro-choice and pro-life people can already find some common ground. Pro-choice people may agree that a woman has a right to have an abortion, but they also understand that it's not an easy thing to go through and that the circumstances that tend to lead women to have to make that choice in the first place are often horrible and worth dealing with. Meanwhile, many pro-life people are willing to accept that a woman should be allowed to have an abortion in the case of incest, rape, or a life-threatening health issue.
I think both sides tend to generally agree that it'd be nice to make it so there's less unwanted babies in the world, and less women being saddled with pregnancies they can't afford to take on, be it financially, medically, or emotionally, or don't want to take on. The main issue seems to come in regards to HOW to reduce and deal with those issues.
I'm pro-choice, and I think, in order to tackle the issue of abortion and unwanted pregnancies, we need to allow more access to contraception, better sex education in schools, and support funding of centers/organizations/etc. that help women who are struggling financially, or who've been raped, and fix any issues with the adoption system for those who might want to consider that option, be it to give up their baby or wanting to adopt, as well. We also need to do more to show that places like Planned Parenthood are not the abortion mills some tend to believe they are, and show the ways in which they and other places like them provide beneficial help for women.
And that's just a few ideas off the top of my head. I'd like to think that most pro-lifers could find some level of agreement with me on at least some of those suggestions.
Thanks for the really solid response Moonlit Angel! I appreciate & agreed with a good deal of it. And I'm glad you realised I wasn't trying to defend Moore...he's obviously despicable and I hope he loses. I actually think Moore was unqualified even before all this. The guy has no respect for the rule of law and is clearly on the fringe of most issues, even among Republicans. As far as I can tell he'd be the most extremist member of the Senate. I think the best chance for a Jones win is that Republicans just stay home. Which is what I meant when I mentioned Kimmel being a partial motivator for them to get out and vote.
You're welcome
. Yeah, no, I certainly didn't feel you were trying to defend Moore-you were just speaking to the sad realities of how messy and complicated politics can be. What should seem blatantly obvious to some people isn't going to be that way to all, and I do think we need to remember that fact.
And that's a very fair point re: Kimmel's effect on voters. I can definitely see that inspiring them. I hate that people think on that level of spite when voting, but sadly, again, it is a reality.
But yeah, having his voters not show up would certainly help matters. And unfortunately, since there's still some time left before the election itself, that just gives more opportunity to stoke the flames. I wish we could just get the damn thing over with already.
But it isn't as if it's doom and gloom forever. You have to remember that Obama came on the national stage 4 years before being elected President. He was a nobody basically. You can build up infrastructure and excitement and a platform fairly quickly (hello, look at Trump) even as an outsider. So it isn't as if they have 20 years of rebuilding in front of them...
Exactly. I think a good plan for the Democrats next year would be to have all their party's politicians who are running for seats in the midterms making the media rounds on a steady, regular basis, locally, statewide, and nationally. Let them all get their names out there, let them all talk about their platforms wherever possible, let's see footage of them meeting with constituents in their states, etc. Not only would that be a good way to try and entice people to vote Democrat in the midterms, but it would also allow any younger Democrats who are new to the party some much needed media attention, and help them build up a base so that come 2020, or beyond, some of them might have a legitimate shot at winning the presidency.
And they need to expand their profile as far as possible, too. Obviously they should go on programs that get a lot of liberal-leaning viewers, but if more independent or conservative-leaning programs invite them on, they should go there, too. Let those voters see the positive aspects of their platform and the Democratic party's stances as much as possible, so that they can gain some independent voters, as well as any remaining Trump supporters out there who are increasingly fed up with him and regretting their vote, or any other conservatives who weren't on the "Never Trump" train initially, but may start leaning that way now.
Trump's base is diehard, yes, but his overall approval ratings are in the toilet. There's far more people in this country who are sick of him than there are who support him. The Democrats have a perfect opportunity to sway that large group to support them going forward, and they need to take advantage of that opportunity.