Rudy Is Keynoting the Convention [Kathryn Jean Lopez]
which at least, I assume, eliminates one bad scenario: Arnold keynoting, Rudy as veep .... me staying home, and not alone in that ....
Let me see if I have this straight:
1) If McCain picked a “pro-choice” candidate for VP, many conservatives would stay home in November.
2) This would, I believe, substantially help the Democrat nominee if for no other reason than because the Dem base is more energized, and thus more likely to turn out, for their candidate.
3) Should Obama win, there would then be NO chance…zero…of the Chief Executive promoting anything that approaches a pro-life policy. Couple this with Democrat control of Congress and we will have the singularly most infanticide-prone legislative/executive alliance in our history.
4) If Ms. Lopez and those like her who are (understandably) vehemently opposed to abortion instead go to the polls, McCain’s chances improve considerably, giving the country a president who is consistent and demonstrably supportive of the rights of the child to live. He may pick a pro-choicer (although I seriously doubt it) but that’s a 50-50 chance of a GOP POTUS-endorsed pro-choice policy at worst. With Obama, methinks it’ll be about a 110%, “she-shouldn’t-be-punished-with-a-baby” all-out assault on unwanted human beings. Let me be the first to admit that last sentence was hyperbolic but I wrote it to highlight what I see as a considerable contrast in both policies and possible outcomes between the two competing presumptive nominees.
So, given the choice between staying home in a snit because you don't like Mac's Veep choice and almost guaranteeing even more babies are going to die (even those who somehow survived a doctor’s attempt to kill them), and pitching in to try to prevent it, some committed pro-lifers will consciously choose the former.
I don’t get that.
Moreover, if you tacitly support what you consider evil by your act of omission, is your stance that moral? I dunno…might be a good question to put to Bishop Chaput in confession.
Let's first assume that the pregnancy resulted from personal choice, i.e., rape/incest wasn't involved.
Behavior has consequences. If you don't want to get pregnant, don't have sex. If a woman does have sex and gets pregnant, I think she enters into territory that involves thinking for two, not just one.
Now there is a human third party whose future hinges on the actions of another human. Moreover, he or she is incapable of representing him- or herself. My gut tells me that third party must have a spokesman (defender?).
That said, I have always believed the abortion debate hinged on one thing: the definition of human life. What is "human?" On purely biological grounds, a human begins to exist--in potential form at the very least--at conception. At least I think it does. On theological grounds, what sets us apart? A soul? When does the soul enter the body? At conception? At birth? Just before birth? The moment the fetus is capable of survival outside the womb? Is destroying and disposing of a fetus morally neutral if the soul has not yet entered it?
The biological answer is easy: a fetus is either human, or it isn't--women can't conceive anything but humans.
But no one can be certain about the spiritual question...so I err to caution.
Given a choice between killing and not killing, in my heart, I choose "b." If I were the baby's father, I would feel compelled to take responsibility for its existence...and its future.
Besides, I think if we really put some effort into it, we could probably figure out a way to find these kids parents who want them. I think that's a better way to expend the emotional energy now reserved for NOW marches and pro-choice demonstrations. I know that's not gonna happen but I think you get my point. If you don't have to kill, don't kill, especially if you're not 100% sure it's not killing.
It's an agonizing issue for millions of Americans. I've been on both sides of the fence. I'm not an especially vocal pro-lifer or one-issue voter but, personally, for now I'd put down the forceps and suction pump.
And can someone please explain to me how the pro-abortion crowd can so completely overlap with the anti-capitol punishment crowd? How is it possible to think killing an innocent baby is fine, while killing a convicted murderer is not? Why do they keep trying to kill the wrong people???
(rant off)
To get back to Dusty's main point - I have seen this stay-home mentality expressed several times, and it makes no sense at all. We had the chance to pick the best from each party in the Presidential primary. Now we have to pick from among those choices. I agree that it would be really nice to have someone like Romney to fill the ticket. But I am voting for McCain because he is light years ahead of anyone the Dems would put up. There is no other choice for me, and his selection of Veep isn't going to change that, or make me stay home.
One of the side effects that I worry about is places where the *other* races are going to be impacted by the stay home mentality. We can't afford to let local/state/congressional races languish because of a snit over veep!
Here's what I don't get - how much impact do you honestly think the Veep has on the abortion issue? I think the Veep's feelings on abortion are completely irrelevent. Right now, the only factor should be picking the guy who can help McCain beat Obama.
I will tell you that my own personal worst case scenario is that McCain picks that community-theater-production-of-Deliverence-extra, Suckabee (I am leaving out the movie link John). But if McCain does stab me in the heart and name him as a running mate, I will go to the polls. I will probably have to be driven by my son because I will be blinded by a torrent of hot stinging tears. I will have to be led inside - wailing - gnashing my teeth. But I will get a ballot and bubble the circle for McCain before I collapse in utter desolation. But I will get through it.
You could chop off my arms and legs and I would still put the marker in my mouth to bubble that circle. So the prolifers need to STOP ALREADY with "send a message" crap.
Giuliani was the only Republican candidate who had ever actually, you know, achieved anything conservative. (Well, except bomb commies, I guess!)
I'll make it easy - at conception. The moment a person is conceived, that person has a soul.
I take heart that on some random blogs the Other Side is panicked to the point they intimate "trouble in the streets" if Barry is "cheated". I'm not so sure he makes it past the floor vote. He would never have made it through Platoon Leader's Course. You never leave a dangerous enemy free to operate in your rear. And he then he gave her half the convention AND another election he has to win. He may hope and be audacious, but he's got the strategic skills of a brick paver.
I will tell you this, though: I know exactly what a rank and file Whig felt like in 1856.