by Tina Grazier
Bill Clinton stood on the convention floor in 1992 and smugly proclaimed, Frankly, I am fed up with politicians in Washington lecturing the rest of us about family values. The convention floor broke out in gales of laughter, woofs, and hoots and ol Bill plastered that open-mouthed hillbilly grin on his face and relished the direct hit on the opposing parties perceived old fashioned ways. The Democrat party in 1992 was a party that ridiculed old fashioned ways. Family values, values of any kind, and religion were to be snickered at and derided.
Weve come a long way since 1992.
Democrats are featuring religion this years election in the person of the presumtive candidate, Barack Obama, an avowed Christian and member in standing (at the time) of a large church in Chicago. John Edwards will apparently not be on stage at this years convention. His public image no longer fits the new values image the party wishes to portray. But an even bigger shift is waiting in the wings:
Are Democrats Now Pro-Life? by Rachel Martin, John Parkinson and Emily Yacus ABC News
The Democratic Party is engaged in a political high-wire act — trying to bring in pro-life supporters without offending its pro-choice base. *** This is a tight rope Democrats have been walking since 1992, when the party took a risky step by barring popular Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Robert P. Casey Sr. from speaking at its convention because of his stance on the abortion issue. *** During the 1992 convention Casey, along with over 30 other prominent figures in politics, commerce, academics and religion, endorsed a full-page advertisement in The New York Times which set forth their desire for “communities and policies that help women to deal with crisis pregnancies by eliminating the crisis, not the child.” *** Today that position still doesn’t wash with dyed-in-the-wool pro-choice Democrats. But in a close election year, the party and its presumptive nominee, Barack Obama, are rethinking how they talk about the issue.
Hmmmrethinking how to talk about the issue? This should be interesting. A candidate should believe in the platform he presents to the world. Obama has already weighed in on this issue in the form of his punish my daughter with a baby remark. He will have to choose his words very carefullyfrom my perspective the dye is castanything he comes up with is likely to sound phony.