It saddens me that Republicans will not take the opportunity afforded by the last 3 years to announce a policy shift on abortion. Even if that is not what played a major role in the last elections (as opposed to shenanigans). Nobody has to agree it is moral or OK. The Democrats and, unfortunately a lot of Republicans, pushed for the experimental shots to get funded, then pushed onto people, along with the taking of businesses and property through eviction moratoriums and nonsensical shut-downs. Something is going to break, and it would be nice if Republicans can look less guilty for it.
This is the best time if there ever was one to say "fine, let the baby have their bottle." "Choose your own adventure." We have to pay for all the danger and dependency of kids whose parents didn't want to have them. It isn't hard to protect insurers and employers and taxpayers from having to pay for abortions. It also isn't hard to take a firm stance against trying to coerce people into participation in unpaid drug trials.
The Libertarian party went from worthless to dangerous when Gary Johnson said having a border was racist. That fringe still hasn't defected to voting Republican. AOC isn't wrong when she says there is a lot of untapped value in the 1/2 of eligible voters who don't vote. Sadly that value is mostly for Democrats. But Republicans currently - even under Trump - don't do much to mine that 1/2 for the prospects who would vote Republican. Many of them would, if Republicans would plainly disavow major past errors like Iraq and Afghanistan, the Patriot Act, bail-outs, ZIRP, lipservice to "diversity", protecting "the markets", COVID hysteria, minimal immigration control, foreign aid including especially billions to Ukraine and Israel, and maligning people and subjects as "anti semitic".
Those potential voters are out there. They won't vote Democrat thankfully, because they already sense everything you are writing about in all these columns. But nothing will get better until they ALSO get out and vote Republican. For that to happen "Republican" needs to change. "Conservative" doesn't convey anything to persuade them. In some ways Republicans need to co-opt what are considered Democrat positions (on abortion and drugs), and in other ways renouncing previous adoption of what were considered Democrat positions (diversity as a strength, limitless "legal" immigration, printing money, foolish reliance on press releases from the CDC and drug-makers, etc.).
The "conservative" protestant anti-abortion pro-Israel voter base that I depend on to keep the Commies at bay is fading away fast. The millions of eligible voters who aren't in that contingent, but also aren't enslaved by peer pressure, are almost willing to vote Republican if they could just get a little "clarity" on the party steering towards the things that actually matter to them.
It saddens me that Republicans will not take the opportunity afforded by the last 3 years to announce a policy shift on abortion. Even if that is not what played a major role in the last elections (as opposed to shenanigans). Nobody has to agree it is moral or OK. The Democrats and, unfortunately a lot of Republicans, pushed for the experimental shots to get funded, then pushed onto people, along with the taking of businesses and property through eviction moratoriums and nonsensical shut-downs. Something is going to break, and it would be nice if Republicans can look less guilty for it.
This is the best time if there ever was one to say "fine, let the baby have their bottle." "Choose your own adventure." We have to pay for all the danger and dependency of kids whose parents didn't want to have them. It isn't hard to protect insurers and employers and taxpayers from having to pay for abortions. It also isn't hard to take a firm stance against trying to coerce people into participation in unpaid drug trials.
The Libertarian party went from worthless to dangerous when Gary Johnson said having a border was racist. That fringe still hasn't defected to voting Republican. AOC isn't wrong when she says there is a lot of untapped value in the 1/2 of eligible voters who don't vote. Sadly that value is mostly for Democrats. But Republicans currently - even under Trump - don't do much to mine that 1/2 for the prospects who would vote Republican. Many of them would, if Republicans would plainly disavow major past errors like Iraq and Afghanistan, the Patriot Act, bail-outs, ZIRP, lipservice to "diversity", protecting "the markets", COVID hysteria, minimal immigration control, foreign aid including especially billions to Ukraine and Israel, and maligning people and subjects as "anti semitic".
Those potential voters are out there. They won't vote Democrat thankfully, because they already sense everything you are writing about in all these columns. But nothing will get better until they ALSO get out and vote Republican. For that to happen "Republican" needs to change. "Conservative" doesn't convey anything to persuade them. In some ways Republicans need to co-opt what are considered Democrat positions (on abortion and drugs), and in other ways renouncing previous adoption of what were considered Democrat positions (diversity as a strength, limitless "legal" immigration, printing money, foolish reliance on press releases from the CDC and drug-makers, etc.).
The "conservative" protestant anti-abortion pro-Israel voter base that I depend on to keep the Commies at bay is fading away fast. The millions of eligible voters who aren't in that contingent, but also aren't enslaved by peer pressure, are almost willing to vote Republican if they could just get a little "clarity" on the party steering towards the things that actually matter to them.