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General Category => Editorial/Opinion/Blogs => Topic started by: corbe on April 11, 2024, 01:58:18 pm

Title: On Abortion, Donald Trump Goes The Way Of Stephen A. Douglas
Post by: corbe on April 11, 2024, 01:58:18 pm
On Abortion, Donald Trump Goes The Way Of Stephen A. Douglas

BY: JOHN DANIEL DAVIDSON
APRIL 11, 2024


(https://thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Lincoln-Douglas.jpg)
Lincoln and Douglas
IMAGE CREDITPUBLIC DOMAIN


Abortion, like slavery, cannot simply be ‘left to the states,’ as if it’s an ordinary political issue. The republic itself is at stake.

Former President Donald Trump declared this week that abortion should be left to the states, that there should be no federal abortion legislation because “this is all about the will of the people,” and “whatever they decide must be the law of the land.” He released a video stating his position on Monday and reiterated it later in the week.

By taking this stand, that abortion should not be a federal issue, Trump has not just betrayed his pro-life supporters but taken the side of Stephen A. Douglas over Abraham Lincoln. He has insisted that popular sovereignty, not moral principle, should decide the abortion question, just as Douglas insisted popular sovereignty in the new federal territories must decide the slavery question.

In practice, that means a patchwork of abortion laws across the country, at least for now, ranging from near-complete bans in some red states to unrestricted abortion until birth in some blue states. But it will not stay this way.

As Lincoln understood about slavery back in the 1850s, the eventual political consequences of tolerating abortion in some states will be the acceptance of it in all the states. (We’ve already seen this with the abortion referendums in Kansas and Ohio, with more referendums on the way.) Moral neutrality on abortion — Trump’s “popular sovereignty” approach — will weaken the foundation for legal prohibition and open the way to tolerance and eventually political acceptance.

<..snip..>

https://thefederalist.com/2024/04/11/on-abortion-donald-trump-goes-the-way-of-stephen-a-douglas/ (https://thefederalist.com/2024/04/11/on-abortion-donald-trump-goes-the-way-of-stephen-a-douglas/)
Title: Re: On Abortion, Donald Trump Goes The Way Of Stephen A. Douglas
Post by: LMAO on April 11, 2024, 02:02:19 pm
The problem is Donald Trump has had multiple positions on abortion over the years

This latest position he may or may not settle on. But you can be rest assured that the Democrats will broadcast his multiple positions over the years
Title: Re: On Abortion, Donald Trump Goes The Way Of Stephen A. Douglas
Post by: DefiantMassRINO on April 11, 2024, 02:50:01 pm
Trump's second concern, behind himself, is winning.  He'll say what he needs to say to whomever at that moment to secure electoral victory.

This is where the interests of principled pro-lifers and Trump diverge.  Trump wants to win.  Pro-lifers want bans, elections and popular opinion be damned.
Title: Re: On Abortion, Donald Trump Goes The Way Of Stephen A. Douglas
Post by: LMAO on April 11, 2024, 03:13:18 pm
Trump's second concern, behind himself, is winning.  He'll say what he needs to say to whomever at that moment to secure electoral victory.

This is where the interests of principled pro-lifers and Trump diverge.  Trump wants to win.  Pro-lifers want bans, elections and popular opinion be damned.


Abortion can become for Trump what Israel has become for the Democrats. I can see, should Trump win,  Trump trying to appeal more to NPR listeners and New York Times readers versus the people who attended his rallies. Those that show up to his rallies are not the kind of people he wants to associate with and hang around with  once his political aspirations are done

He’ll want to show the media and the left that he’s really not the bad guy that they think he is. His latest position of many on abortion is to condemn restrictive abortion measures in states and boast  about how he appointed Judges that overturned Roe versus Wade. Then, in the next breath, he says it should be left up to the states

The problem with this is his evangelical supporters wants more abortion restrictions and the Democrats want abortions up to the day of birth. So he’s trying to have it both ways
Title: Re: On Abortion, Donald Trump Goes The Way Of Stephen A. Douglas
Post by: Fishrrman on April 11, 2024, 10:31:05 pm
LMAO:
"His latest position of many on abortion is to condemn restrictive abortion measures in states and boast  about how he appointed Judges that overturned Roe versus Wade. Then, in the next breath, he says it should be left up to the states"

Again, I'll reproduce this:
==================
Mr. Trump's reply on abortion should be basic and simple, to wit:

"To those who demanded that Roe be repealed, I nominated 3 conservative justices to the Supreme Court who did just that. Roe is history, and the issue is now returned to the states and to the voters of those states. I kept my promise regarding the Supreme Court. I've returned the issue to YOU, the voters..."
==================
Original post:
https://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,528814.msg2998634.html#msg2998634
Title: Re: On Abortion, Donald Trump Goes The Way Of Stephen A. Douglas
Post by: Right_in_Virginia on April 12, 2024, 01:32:32 pm
The problem is Donald Trump has had multiple positions on abortion over the years

So the bleep what.  Most adults have, including the most esteemed politician of your dreams:  Ronald Reagan.




Title: Re: On Abortion, Donald Trump Goes The Way Of Stephen A. Douglas
Post by: LMAO on April 12, 2024, 05:05:40 pm
So the bleep what.  Most adults have, including the most esteemed politician of your dreams:  Ronald Reagan.

 Reagan’s position on abortion did not change 14 or 15 times over a 20 year period nor have most  adults. 

 Trump went all the way from not being opposed to partial birth abortion to, in 2016,  believing women should be punished for having abortions to bragging about overturning Roe vs  Wade to saying it should be left up to the states, but yet attacking states and governors for making their state decisions on abortion that he said he supports them making.
Whew!!!


His multiple positions on abortion are well documented.

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/04/09/politics/trump-abortion-stances-timeline
Title: Re: On Abortion, Donald Trump Goes The Way Of Stephen A. Douglas
Post by: LMAO on April 12, 2024, 07:12:25 pm
Donald Trump’s position on abortion isn’t just a result of some kind of evolving on the issue. You don’t take that many positions on it in a short amount of time unless you’re trying to make some kind of political calculation

During the 2004 campaign, the flip flop charge was applied to Kerry and  it stuck because it was true


How’d that work out for him?
Title: Re: On Abortion, Donald Trump Goes The Way Of Stephen A. Douglas
Post by: Hoodat on April 12, 2024, 07:16:49 pm
I'm less interested in what Trump has to say about abortion and more interested in what he did, which is give $2 billion in taxpayer money to Planned Parenthood during his four years in office.
Title: Re: On Abortion, Donald Trump Goes The Way Of Stephen A. Douglas
Post by: libertybele on April 12, 2024, 07:23:40 pm
One thing about Trump you can count on him to backpedal on an issue depending on which way the wind is blowing and abortion is one of them.
Title: Re: On Abortion, Donald Trump Goes The Way Of Stephen A. Douglas
Post by: LMAO on April 13, 2024, 01:38:44 pm
One thing about Trump you can count on him to backpedal on an issue depending on which way the wind is blowing

Or if the campaign contributions are substantial enough