When the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in June of 2022, it received an expected wide range of reactions across the country. However, one of the most accurate evaluations of that decision and its aftermath was an analogy I believe proved to be very telling. “For the Republican Party, this was like the dog that finally caught the car.”
The reversal of Roe v. Wade awakened the political energy and passions of the left as well as the right. With “the bit in their teeth”, red and blue politicians wrote and ratified legislation in states that pleased and/or angered the edges of both parties, but never struck a true resonant chord with the majority of voters. As a result, voters end up forced to react at the polls to an explosive issue that all too often is presented in “winner-take-all” inflexible parameters.
I don’t like abortion. But the fact is, no one actually likes it. Even the most hard-core abortion rights advocates realize there is a “potential person” in the discussion. Even the most hard-care prolife advocates realize there are hundreds of situations every day in America where “I am pregnant” is not welcome news.
Here then, is where common sense political sanity is kicked out of the room and the ideologues take over. No matter how sincerely and completely you believe in the sanctity of life, or the reproductive rights of women, - not everyone in the voting booth agrees with you. Considering a continuum/scale of 1 to 100, across our country, the vast majority of people are somewhere between 25 and 75 on this issue – publicly and privately.
· What about rape?
· What about after 15 weeks or six months?
· What about incest?
· What about the rights of the unborn?
· What about a mother’s economic situation?
· What about the health risks of the mother?
· What about the conviction that life begins at conception?
· What about the pregnancy of a twelve year old girl?
· What about “my rights as a man and potential father?”
· What about “my rights as a woman regarding my own body?”
· What about places where there are more abortions than live births?
· And – there are many more pertinent questions.
Before the Roe v. Wade reversal, Republicans felt they had to be on the offensive. However, after the decision, an enormous wave of rage and political intensity began to roll toward Election Day 2022. What had been seen since 1973 as a settled constitutional right had now come to be perceived as an affront and partisan insult to millions of men and women in the Democratic Party. That fervor made abortion the #1 issue for the majority of voting Democrats. Their zeal, anger and political passion spilled over and affected outcomes in hundreds of other races and issues across the country and proved disastrous for those who had predicted the “Red Wave.” And this is still a big factor in major upcoming elections. Voting results on critical national issues like border security, urban crime, climate change, energy policy, education, etc. could be skewed by voters whose passions are foundationally driven by this one issue and the associated ideology. Not an attractive prospect for principles based, values driven, campaigning on the issues. Principles, evidence and statistics are not very important to single-issue activists and ideological voters.
I believe the conservative “Big Picture” perspective was diminished and the spear was blunted by political gluttony on this one issue. Real progress that lasts and truly benefits the majority of Americans is not made in one day. That is what progress means – gradual improvement towards a goal. Demanding 100 from our opposition, we often end up with zero. Asking for 85, we might get 75. Is that capitulation? Is that surrender? Is that abandoning our convictions? No! In the real world where political leadership must live, that is called genuine diplomacy. This is how we make lasting progress in educational priorities, immigration reform, climate change policies, crime and law enforcement and balanced budget legislation.
When voters see and experience the incremental benefits of improvement, they are willing to support, in the future, the political responsibilities of community growth and lasting gains. Plus, it would be inspiring and refreshing for voters to see legislators who are actually trying to be responsible leaders rather than deaf and blind ideologues primarily concerned about getting re-elected.
Politicians and pundits that demand speedy solutions realize exactly what they are doing. To insist on a quick-fix in a complex multi-faceted social and political issue is to deliberately sow instability and intransigence in the process. Real progress will never be made in congress, state houses or at the polls, when opponents are so far apart and stubbornly have no intention of dialogue or negotiation. (That really impresses party leaders but does not promote a better community for constituents.) Lasting change comes through stages of progress, not winner take all political carnage.
I expect our elected officials to display wisdom and patience in their leadership roles. I hope to see decisions and policies today that plant the seeds for success and progress tomorrow. I encourage them to engage in conversations with opponents across the aisle, to search for common ground and focus on shared principles rather than personalities, polls and ideologies.
That is what winning looks like.
PRINCIPLES –
· America is a Democratic Republic
· Politicians are actually supposed to be public servants
· Negotiation and compromise are good things in leadership
· Uninformed, apathetic Americans get the elected leaders they deserve
· Long-term development is a process, not a quick-fix or a political win
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