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It is easy to understand why so many top Republicans are working to get Rep. Todd Akin to drop out of the Missouri Senate race. Not only could he cost them a seat and potentially control of the Senate, but his problem is already starting to metastasize to other Republican candidates.
Normally the exact nuances of a vice presidential candidate’s position on abortion are not a big topic in elections, but because of Akin’s controversy, Paul Ryan has started to be asked very pointed questions about the similarity to his own views. Recently he was asked about it by KDKA in Pittsburgh.
Delano: “Should abortions to be available to women who are raped?”
Ryan: “Well, look, I’m proud of my pro-life record. And I stand by my pro-life record in Congress. It’s something I’m proud of. But Mitt Romney is the top of the ticket and Mitt Romney will be president and he will set the policy of the Romney administration.”
Despite Ryan’s views, Romney says he will allow exceptions for rape and incest. Ryan also seemed to back away from earlier views on types of rape.
The Akin controversy is forcing Ryan to dance awkwardly around the fact that even though he doesn’t share Akin’s original statement that “legitimate rape” won’t result in pregnancy, he does share Akin’s opinion that there should be no exemption for rape. Akin was trying to argue rape doesn’t result in pregnancy, so there is no need for a rape exemption. Ryan apparently accepts the scientific fact that rape can result in pregnancy, but he still thinks a women who is raped should be forced to carry their rapist’s child to term.
That is a position far outside the mainstream. According to Gallup only about 20 percent of American think abortion should be illegal under all circumstances.
Clearly both the Obama campaign and the Romney campaign agree that every day they are talking about Ryan’s extreme position on abortion instead of the economy is a very bad day for Romney.
30 Comments
If the Democrats were smart and weren’t just looking to make political hay over the issue of rape they’d address the issue of rapists having parental rights.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/22/opinion/prewitt-rapist-visitation-rights/index.html
When a woman is vicitmized she shouldn’t be vicitmized twice. We should allow her to decide how to proceed and if she decides to carry to term we should ensure that she isn’t held hostage by the person who forced themself on her to begin with.
Republicans are the US version of the Taliban. Ironic and amazing.
Maybe we could talk about the Republican position on:
Jobs & Infrastructure (The Economy)
Foreclosures (The Economy)
Romney’s tax returns
Medicare & ACA (The Economy)
Marijuana Legalization (The Economy)
Education reform (when we know the best answer is to reduce class size)
Outsourcing (The Economy)
China Trade (The Economy)
Oil Subsidies (The Economy)
Fraud on Wall St (The Economy)
Equitable taxation (The Economy & Federal Budget)
Help! I’m having trouble with a subject the RR team could address without trouble…
You beat me to it. I can’t imagine an election campaign more suited to the 1% than one dominated by abortion, LGBT issues, etc. Keeps the sheeple distracted from the real issue – their rape by the 1%. For Obama it’s a gift as it obscures the fact that on economic issues he’s Romney’s doppleganger.
20% of Amerikans think abortion should be illegal with no exceptions! That’s a huge voting block maybe 20-40 million people and you can bet they vote.
If the Democrats were smart
They’re not. Next question?
Maybe we should start talking about the Ryan-Akin bill a lot (the one that got something like 64 co-sponsors in the House), so that people slowly start to realize that Ryan holds the same views.
Uh that means 80% don’t believe in forcing a woman to give birth.
You do understand what a majority is and how it functions in Democracy right?
It wasn’t a question, just a statement.
I’m aware that female rights are something both parties make political hay with.
I just feel that in a just world we should be discussing how to protect victims from the people who commit crimes and ensuring they don’t get to capitalize on those crimes.
I agree with you. I’m boiling with anger over the Democrats’ approach toward the War on Women. The Republicans are wrong, both politically and morally, and the Democrats are still listening to strategists who advise them not to rock the boat on women’s issues because it might offend swing voters. Haven’t they learned yet that voters prefer candidates who are “wrong but strong” to those who stand for nothing?
IMO, the Dems are just colluding with the Reps. The Dems don’t give a shit about women’s rights, reproductive or otherwise, and it has little to do with appeasing so-called “swing” or “independent” voters.
For some conservatives, all it takes if for ONE conservative to WANT something, and that = a majority.
” Functioning Democracy” what planet are you posting from?
This one, and 20% is not a plurality here or on any planet. Although, I’d be more than happy for the whiny Chreeeeeestians to assert their 20% on Uranus.
Shhhhhhhh, you’re giving away the next step. It’s the one where Republican lawmakers declare any woman who isn’t wearing a hibab and traveling with a male companion was totally asking for it when they got raped.
Most of them are men. They’ll never get pregnant. They’ll never have to worry about bringing a rapist’s baby to term or going down to a precinct and having every nuance of your behavior judged from your dress to your sexual history.
The, Clueless Class, better known as the democrats are helping me maintain my sanity, through laughter, with their whacky statements.
Where else but on this planet would we find a group who when they win an election think the world is their oyster and then proceed to destroy what little support they actually had a few percentage points. When the inevetable loss comes, see 2010, they scream Ralph Nader and then threaten to invade Canada.
I don’t know if i can take too much more of this, even laughter can cause a heart attack.
Heh, isn’t Akin from the TEA party(your own little fracture waiting to implode the Republican party). Perhaps you’d be better served to keep your own party from implosion.
But hey, Romney FINALLY isn’t having to talk about his tax return problem. There’s that.
Did Akin take one for team?
If so, certainly not ON PURPOSE.
But, let’s give ol’ etch-a-sketch a chance. He’ll shoot off another toe soon. Him or Ryan.
I agree with you 100%.
OTOH, perhaps we should not prematurely rule out the Canada invasion.
(See-movie Canadian Bacon starring John Candy)
Maybe not 100%. But i agree with that post.
Nope, Akin is a demonstration on why it’s ignorant to assume that it is only the Democratic Party that is headed towards implosion. Both parties have been having a race for quite a while.
Last cycle the Tea Party emerged as a result of rifts in the Republican Party. This cycle the rifts in the Democratic Party are apparent as many(tired of lip service) are heading towards thind parties.
I’m sure I’ll hear bleating about Ralph Nader ad nauseum. As if somehow the electorate is responsible instead of the LEADER for not creating a vision and a clear path on how to achieve it. If and when Obama loses it will be because he failed , not because of people failing to vote for him out of blind loyalty to a party that willingly sells it’s constituency out.
Oh and if I’m going to pick another country, don’t worry it won’t be Canada.
Now Dear i see that you are wound pretty tight over this election but i would never vote for someone like Willard. The point i was making about the 20% was that our elections are decided by a small, swing vote, since most partisans will never switch sides.
My affiliation is not the issue here although i am neither D nor R i am the much more dangerous S.
While you fear what the Right will do to women’s rights here i know that our present leader is doing to women and children in the ME he is killing them and laughing about it.
The 20% you are speaking about aren’t swing voters, they’ve been firmly in the pocket of the GOP for over a decade. THEY ARE THE PARTISANS YOU WAX POETIC ABOUT.
Me? I’m a swing voter. I didn’t even vote for Obama in 2008.
I’m a multitasker. I can worry about MY rights in this country AND be sympathetic to the plight of individuals in the Middle East.
Oh and to make this clear you aren’t going to guilt me into believing the ME is more important than MY rights. it’s pretty apparent you don’t understand a hierarchy of needs. In order to take care of others, women need to put themselves first. Dead women (who die in FORCED childbirth or from botched back alley abortions)can’t protest about what’s going on in the Middle East.
This is very sad and quite informative. Your possible loss of rights is more important than the lives of your sisters around the world. This seems to be the Liberal me first attitude that i have long despised.
I’m glad you are at least honest about what your priorities are.
Really is there an other country to pick? It’s gone beyond national bullshit to global bullshit. shopping for a new dimension myself.
I’m going to copy and paste it again since it appears you have a reading comprehension problem.
Oh and to make this clear you aren’t going to guilt me into believing the ME is more important than MY rights. it’s pretty apparent you don’t understand a hierarchy of needs. IN ORDER TO TAKE CARE OF OTHERS, WOMEN NEED TO PUT THEMSELVES FIRST. Dead women (who die in FORCED childbirth or from botched back alley abortions)can’t protest about what’s going on in the Middle East once they’ve died. Duh.
You must be one of those morons who believes you should ignore the flight attendant when she says put your O2 mask on first.
No kidding. I’m pretty sure after declaring a rape that results in pregnancy not “real rape” that next up is Sharia Law. Ladies if you travel without a male escort then you’re totally asking to be raped.
No i get you loud and clear, i see that your statement has sucked the air out of this thread. I had to take a nitro and lay down for a while to digest the depravity of your statement.
There are no women in this country who have died from backstreet abortions, that i know of, in recent times. There are women dying in the ME from the Hellfire missiles Obama is ordering aimed at them.
Do you comprehend the difference between real and imagined death?