Posted on 01/04/2003 7:28:58 AM PST by No Dems 2004
I'm not particularly good with Rhode Island politics, largely because I haven't been all that interested in one of the nation's most Democratic states. After all, Bush lost Rhode Island to Gore by 61%-32%, his widest loss in any state. Bob Dole hobbled away with about 27% of the state's vote in 1996. In light of margins like these, it's easy to assume that this state is no different from San Francisco.
But, what's very interesting is that the state has quite a strong pro-life presence.
Don Carcieri, a strongly pro-life Republican (endorsed by pro-life groups) was elected in Rhode Island's open gubernatorial race by a margin of 55%-45% in 2002. Carcieri also vowed to veto any attempt to legalise homosexual marriage. I had mistakenly thought that he was a RINO (Republican In Name Only).
But, even more interesting than this, is the fact that there are quite a few pro-life Democrats in the state. Rhode Island's second congressional district is occupied by Jim Langevin, a pro-life Democrat. His predecessor, Robert Weygand, was also pro-life and was nominated to run against RINO Senator Lincoln Chafee in 2000. Chafee won, but Weygand still received 41% of the vote, not bad considering the strength of the Chafee family name.
I'll conclude my discourse with the following quote from a publication I found:
"The National Democratic Party’s unwavering pro-choice position could alienate a vital core of the party’s supporters, two pro-life Democrats said in a Monday night lecture.
The discussion featured U.S. Reps. David Carlin, D-R.I., and Catherine Graziano, D-R.I., both members of Democrats for Life of America, an organization of pro-life Democrats.
Carlin said the purpose of the talk was not to make an argument for the pro-life position. He focused instead on the political consequences that the NDP could face if it continues to “alienate democratic voters by their intolerance of pro-life opinions.”
He said the NDP is “insulting” the opinions of many of its pro-life constituents, including Catholics, by silencing pro-life Democrats. The Republican Party, in comparison, despite its close ties to the pro-life movement, is more tolerant of dissenting pro-choice views, Carlin and Graziano said.
They expressed concern that such intolerance would undermine the NDP’s strength, making it the United States’ “secondary political party” in the future.
Carlin attributed the growing Republican base in the United States to the NDP’s rigidity on the pro-choice issue. He said if this trend continues, eventually the Democratic Party will lose the core of its voting constituency.
As a remedy, the NDP needs to allow different viewpoints within the party, Carlin said.
Dana DeBoeuf, a lobbyist for Rhode Island Right to Life, said Rhode Island is an unusual state in terms of the high number of Democrats supporting the pro-life stance.
Graziano added that in the Rhode Island Legislature, which is largely Democratic, bills such as the “Safe Haven Bill” garnered sufficient support to be passed. The bill made abandoning a baby a felony, and gave new parents the opportunity to bring their baby to a safe house, which includes hospitals, clinics and fire departments, without fear of facing charges.
Graziano cited this legislation as one success that Democrats for Life enjoys in Rhode Island.
Several audience members questioned the pragmatism of Democrats adopting a pro-life stance when more than 50 percent of the U.S. population support a pro-choice agenda.
Carlin maintained the issue was salient enough that it could affect election outcomes, and is something the Democrats need to acknowledge.
The issue of abortion may have caused the Republican wins during the last presidential election, Graziano said."
I've heard that Rhode Island is the most Catholic state in the US, which I presume plays a large role.
Does anybody have anything to add on this?
Correct, at least quite recently.
Scroll down for "Top 10 U.S. States with Most Catholics, 1990."
Now, get these people to vote Bush in '04 and maybe we can get him a mandate to appoint pro-life judges and reverse Roe V. Wade, then supposedly pro-life states like RI can outlaw abortion.
Believe me, I know that no pro-life governor anywhere can overturn Roe vs Wade. I do hope you didn't count me for being that ignorant.
Actually, this is untrue. All Supreme Court decisions purporting to make abortion "legal" are null, because it is impossible to make murder legal anywhere, anytime. What a governor cannot do is stop abortion in his state without precipitating a crisis. That's entirely different from being unable to stop abortion.
Interesting, though: VJ Day* is still a state holiday!
*Victory over Japan for those of you in Rio Linda.
How much of an issue did he make of abortion in his election? I suspect he never even mentioned it, certainly did not make a major issue of it. If it was a referendum on abortion he would have lost. This is still the Northeast, after all.
Of course, I'm just guessing. The only thing I know about Rhode Island is that it is small and has that big blue bug in Providence.
Regarding Weygard, the Chafee opponent, in their debates he wasn't entirely pro-life, I don't think, but did support some limits, and highlighted his opposition to partial birth abortion, which Chafee defended!
Conservatives should stick to their guns and run folks who are real, blue-collar people and small businessmen, for office, instead of elitist twits like that pro-abortion Snowe aide who lost to blue collar pro-life Mike Michaud in ME-2.
Regarding Weygard, the Chafee opponent, in their debates he wasn't entirely pro-life, I don't think, but did support some limits, and highlighted his opposition to partial birth abortion, which Chafee defended!
Conservatives should stick to their guns and run folks who are real, blue-collar people and small businessmen, for office, instead of elitist twits like that pro-abortion Snowe aide who lost to blue collar pro-life Mike Michaud in ME-2.
You mean a social CONSERVATIVE actually WON statewide in Rhode Island?!
This is news! I wonder how the heck that happened in socialist New England (note the that "Republican" Senator from RI only won by running to the LEFT of his 'RAT opponent). One wonders if an awakening is occuring in New England and they are reverting back to the Coolidge Conservativism that they abandoned decades ago.
If we can rebuild the New-England/Mid-west Republican co-alition of the early 20th century, we can thwart the efforts of the 'RATs to win future Presidential elections by running folksy southern governors in the Carter/Clinton mold...
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