Mike the Mad Biologist

Abortion and the Swing Vote That Shall Not Be Named

Posted by Mike on September 19, 2008
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If you ever needed evidence for the idea that voters are not rational but rationalizing, this NY Times story about the role abortion might play in Pennsylvania is a clear example (italics mine):

One parishioner ruled out voting for Mr. Obama explicitly because he is black. “Are they going to make it the Black House?” Ray McCormick asked, to embarrassed hushing from a half dozen others gathered around the rectory kitchen. (Five of the six, all lifelong Democrats who supported Mrs. Clinton in the primary, said they now lean toward Mr. McCain.)

Mr. Madonna, the political scientist, said of the Catholic vote in white, working-class Scranton, “This is a tough area for Obama and some of it is race.”

Senator Clinton is as every bit pro-choice as Obama–more so, actually. Nonetheless, Clinton’s stand on abortion wasn’t troubling whereas Obama’s very similar–and arguably, more conservative–is a problem.

I wonder why that is.

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Comments

  1. #1 DrugMonkey
    September 19, 2008

    Some? HAHAHAHAAH! There are ZERO issues of importance in which the Clinton stance is more similar to the McCain stance than to the Obama position. Except if your issue is skin reflectance, of course.

  2. #2 Scott Conger
    September 19, 2008

    Lets not forget that large percentage (last heard 10%?) that still insist Obama is a Muslim. This is in spite of a large scandal about his Christian minister and McCain condemning such attacks.

    I have to give credit to the recent Republican presidential campaign efforts in having a firm understanding of what lies people want to believe. They provide great fodder for people in denial, or people who want to be in denial but aren’t quite there yet.

  3. #3 QrazyQat
    September 19, 2008

    Rick Perlstein points out that the premise of the NYT article is nonsnese:

    In 2004 voters were queried, “Would you support or oppose the Catholic Church denying communion to Catholic politicians who are in favor of legal abortion?” Among the general public—Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Hindus, Zoarastrians, Wiccans, heathens like me, et al—68 percent were opposed to the idea of the Church denying communion over abortion. What were the numbers among Catholic respondents? 72 percent and 22 percent. Catholics are more likely to be offended by the Catholic hierarchy inserting itself into this political issue than the general public as a whole.

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