Wall Street Journal Examines Abortion-Rights Issue At Democratic Convention

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 29 Aug 2008 - 6:00 PST

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The Wall Street Journal on Thursday examined the issue of abortion rights at the Democratic National Convention in Denver this week, as well as the Democratic Party's platform on the issue. According to the Journal, the party "has been taking small but notable steps to the right," which has some members of women's groups concerned that the Democrats are "retreating" to win evangelical and Catholic voters who supported President Bush in the 2004 election.

The Journal reports that the "steps to the right" include language in the platform that "vigorously" supports women's right to abortion but also backs family planning and other educational services that would "reduce the need for abortions." The steps began several years ago and are part of the emphasis the party will place during the rest of the campaign on courting religious voters, many of whom have been unwilling to vote for a Democrat in the past because of the party's support of abortion rights, according to the Journal.

Kristen Day, executive director of Democrats for Life of America, said, "In 2004, we couldn't get a word in. This time, they reached out to us. The big tent is opening up."

Michael Yaki, the national platform director for the Democratic National Committee, said, "This platform, for the first time, acknowledges and supports a decision to exercise choice in a different direction, to carry a child to term," adding, "The core value, a woman's right to choose, has not been compromised at all."

The Journal reports that this shift was a result of the 2004 election, when Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry (Mass.), who supports abortion rights, lost votes among every major religious group identified in exit polls, especially white and black evangelicals and Hispanic Catholics. However, despite Bush's opposition to abortion rights, antiabortion advocates have said they "felt burned" by Bush, who, despite having a former Republican majority in Congress, was not able to pass legislation that would have severely restricted access to the procedure (Sataline, Wall Street Journal, 8/28).

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