MennoNet.com

Donald Trump Tests Pro-Life America

On Sunday, Donald Trump sent shock waves through the Republican primary when an interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press” aired in which he said that Ron DeSantis did a “terrible thing” and made a “terrible mistake” when he signed Florida’s six-week abortion ban. It’s the kind of statement that could end virtually any other Republican presidential campaign. Opposition to abortion rights, after all, is every bit as fundamental to Republican identity as support for abortion rights is to Democratic identity. Breaking with the party on that issue is the kind of heresy that no national politician can survive.

Or is it? When it comes to Republican identity, is support for Trump, the person, now more central than any other issue, including abortion?

Bootstrap wrote: ↑Fri Sep 22, 2023 9:32 am Donald Trump Tests Pro-Life America

On Sunday, Donald Trump sent shock waves through the Republican primary when an interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press” aired in which he said that Ron DeSantis did a “terrible thing” and made a “terrible mistake” when he signed Florida’s six-week abortion ban. It’s the kind of statement that could end virtually any other Republican presidential campaign. Opposition to abortion rights, after all, is every bit as fundamental to Republican identity as support for abortion rights is to Democratic identity. Breaking with the party on that issue is the kind of heresy that no national politician can survive.

Or is it? When it comes to Republican identity, is support for Trump, the person, now more central than any other issue, including abortion?

Trump is a purely political animal. He doesn't seem to have any core values one way or the other.

Which strangely doesn't ever seem to bother his base.

Ken wrote: ↑Fri Sep 22, 2023 1:48 pm Trump is a purely political animal. He doesn't seem to have any core values one way or the other.

Which strangely doesn't ever seem to bother his base.

Trump's relationship with certain segments of his base, particularly Evangelicals, has always been transactional. It shouldn't be surprising when he abandons that relationship in order to enter into a transactional relationship with another group if he thinks they can offer him more votes or whatever else he wants.

I think he wants to win and a hard line on abortion is not a winning strategy. I don't imagine it will shake his base, transgender ideology is has replaced abortion as the salient culture war issue.

ohio jones wrote: ↑Fri Sep 22, 2023 2:16 pm

Ken wrote: ↑Fri Sep 22, 2023 1:48 pm Trump is a purely political animal. He doesn't seem to have any core values one way or the other.

Which strangely doesn't ever seem to bother his base.

Trump's relationship with certain segments of his base, particularly Evangelicals, has always been transactional. It shouldn't be surprising when he abandons that relationship in order to enter into a transactional relationship with another group if he thinks they can offer him more votes or whatever else he wants.

On abortion, he criticized the current Republican pro-life position on abortion but refused to say what HIS position is.

Whether that hurts him or not who can say. He is basically dropping out of the Republican primary campaigning process, not showing up to any debates, so I doubt anyone is really going to press him on the question of 'WHAT HIS POSITION ON ABORTION ACTUALLY IS' If the GOP primary isn't really competitively fought I don't see where this ever comes up.

I doubt it will affect him in the general election. It's not like Democrats are going go outflank him on the right on this issue no matter what position he takes.

barnhart wrote: ↑Fri Sep 22, 2023 2:24 pm I think he wants to win and a hard line on abortion is not a winning strategy. I don't imagine it will shake his base, transgender ideology is has replaced abortion as the salient culture war issue.

Much as the previous culture war issues of birth control, divorce, and fornication / cohabitation were long ago abandoned.

Josh wrote: ↑Fri Sep 22, 2023 3:16 pm

barnhart wrote: ↑Fri Sep 22, 2023 2:24 pm I think he wants to win and a hard line on abortion is not a winning strategy. I don't imagine it will shake his base, transgender ideology is has replaced abortion as the salient culture war issue.

Much as the previous culture war issues of birth control, divorce, and fornication / cohabitation were long ago abandoned.

Don't forget segregation, miscegenation, prohibition, women's suffrage, nativism, jazz and rock music, etc.

We have been culture war-ing for a very long time.

Ken wrote: ↑Fri Sep 22, 2023 4:07 pm

Josh wrote: ↑Fri Sep 22, 2023 3:16 pm

barnhart wrote: ↑Fri Sep 22, 2023 2:24 pm I think he wants to win and a hard line on abortion is not a winning strategy. I don't imagine it will shake his base, transgender ideology is has replaced abortion as the salient culture war issue.

Much as the previous culture war issues of birth control, divorce, and fornication / cohabitation were long ago abandoned.

Don't forget segregation, miscegenation, prohibition, women's suffrage, nativism, jazz and rock music, etc.

We have been culture war-ing for a very long time.

Do you think widespread divorce, cohabitation, and children growing up with unmarried parents (which basically means raised by a single mom with dad not really around) is a good thing?

Ken wrote: ↑Fri Sep 22, 2023 2:37 pm

ohio jones wrote: ↑Fri Sep 22, 2023 2:16 pm

Ken wrote: ↑Fri Sep 22, 2023 1:48 pm Trump is a purely political animal. He doesn't seem to have any core values one way or the other.

Which strangely doesn't ever seem to bother his base.

Trump's relationship with certain segments of his base, particularly Evangelicals, has always been transactional. It shouldn't be surprising when he abandons that relationship in order to enter into a transactional relationship with another group if he thinks they can offer him more votes or whatever else he wants.

On abortion, he criticized the current Republican pro-life position on abortion but refused to say what HIS position is.

Whether that hurts him or not who can say. He is basically dropping out of the Republican primary campaigning process, not showing up to any debates, so I doubt anyone is really going to press him on the question of 'WHAT HIS POSITION ON ABORTION ACTUALLY IS' If the GOP primary isn't really competitively fought I don't see where this ever comes up.

I doubt it will affect him in the general election. It's not like Democrats are going go outflank him on the right on this issue no matter what position he takes.

I've listened to 2 of his speeches recently. He stated he was pro-life, and said that he only agrees with abortion in the case of rape; incest, and the life of the mother being at risk. He said that is how "he" feels about it, and is peo-life. This is what he said in recent speeches. He said he realized not all agree with those 3 exceptions, but that we need to end this horrible attack on babies.
That's what he said.
It's probably a good idea to actually listen to his speeches in entirety rather than depend on some things he says taken out of context without knowing what c all he said.

Because of him & his appointment of 2 conservative judges; finally a 50 year wrong was made right. It was a step in the right direction away from the position being advocated by Dems for abortion through the 9 month & even after birth.

By the way, I personally know Trump supporters who are pro choice and not Christians, they like him for other reasons, and they de g initely hope Biden is norvre-elected- however the ways Biden hopes to help those who crossed the border illegally, would include making it easy for them to vote. If that happens; we'll who didn't see that coming.