Contra Matt O.’s coverage of the latest alleged flip-flop by John McCain on abortion, there really is no doubt about where McCain stands on abortion. Scott Lemieux makes the case very clearly:
Given the news that John McCain has forcefully denounced Roe v. Wade, the understandable liberal reaction is to point out the inconsistency of this legendary Straight Talker (TM). And I agree, in general, that the media myths about McCain’s increasingly risible claims to independence need debunking. Given the unpopularity of his position, though, when it comes to forced pregnancy it should be pointed out that his record is in fact fundamentally consistent: he’s for it. He has a 0% NARAL rating. He’s never met a federal abortion regulation he doesn’t like. He voted for Robert Bork, which would have meant Roe being overturned 15 years ago. He favors a constitutional amendment banning abortion. It’s true that he has said that he wouldn’t want his daughter forced by the state to carry a pregnancy to term, but basically all American social conservatism comes with an implicit self-exemption for rich white people, and John McCain’s daughter won’t have a problem obtaining a safe abortion if Roe is overturned.
Sister Toldjah also rightly took The Right’s Field to task for casting doubt on McCain’s anti-abortion credentials by using McCain’s 1999 quotes to the San Francisco Chronicle as evidence of any real pro-choice positioning.
The larger point, though, is that now that McCain is campaigning furiously for the support of the Republican Party’s base he is running against his well-cultivated media image of a moderate and a maverick. Jonathan Singer notes today that 49% of Americans do not think McCain is a conservative (only 28% think he is conservative, the rest are undecided or don’t know enough). McCain will have to get a lot more people to see him as a conservative if he is going to have a chance of winning the Republican primary. Of course, he’ll then have to resuscitate his maverick image in time for a general election by running away from his true conservative nature. That’s when accusations of flip-flopping will have their place, when they are used to hide who John McCain really is from the American public.
3 Responses to “McCain’s Abortion Position Is Not A Question”
Indeed.
Something to say?
The point is that McCain will say and do anything to be president. Whether he believes the B.S. coming out of his mouth is irrelevant.
Left by Matt Ortega
February 19, 2007 at 4:34pm