Democrats should change their position on choice

[cally]

How many times have we heard this or read it? Most of the strategists argue that if we just modify our position on choice then we can get back the values voters. Even Kos argues for this. So look at the recent polling and the GENDER GAP. From MyDD:

"...the whopping 30-point gender gap that the Los Angeles Times and Bloomberg found on the generic congressional ballot question, with women overwhelmingly preferring to see a Democratic Congress by a 58 percent to 30 margin while men narrowly prefer a GOP Congress by a 41 percent to 39 percent margin.

That LA Times/Bloomberg poll was not the only poll to come out this past week showing a sizeable gender gap. The Cook Political Report (.pdf) commissioned a poll this week from RT Strategies that showed the Democrats holding a 10-point generic congressional ballot lead, 46 percent to 36 percent. The gender breakdown of the Cook poll shows an 11-point gender gap, with women favoring the Democrats by 15 points while men favor the Dems by only 4.

Whether women support the Democrats by a 28 percent margin or a 15 percent margin, it seems fairly clear that women's strong preference for the Democratic Party -- which had shrunk from 12 points during the 2000 presidential election to just 3 points during the 2004 presidential contest -- has returned."

I've always argued that Kerry is not in the WH because he didn't get a large as gender gap as needed. He tried to downplay women's rights to win back the white men. I think it backfired.

So my response to whomever argues women need to tone down their message on choice is: Sure, if you want to continue to lose.

Link to MyDD blog:

http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/4/16/114721/301

(I didn't post this in GD because I won't be around much the next few days/week. I don't have time argue this one.)

[geniph]

1. The apologists and moles claim this is true for a number of issues

"If the Democrats would just change their position on (marriage equality, choice, women's rights, immigration, labor rights, Social Security, blah blah blah blah), then all those mysterious independents who don't bother to vote now would somehow miraculously be moved to do so, and for Democrats!"

It's horseshit, it's pandering, and it's insulting. Giving way on basic principles is not the way to convince unconvinced voters (who the hell is still unconvinced or undecided anymore, anyway?) that you'll stand up for what they believe in.

[NMMNG]

2. Same sh*t, different election

They want women, gays, blacks, the poor, the disabled, minority religions, atheists and every other minority/specialty group to STFU or get off the bus because they are "costing the Dems votes" in the elections. Instead they want to polish up their platform to make it look nicer for the undecided/centrist voters in hopes of luring them over.

Well :wtf: about us? Do they think that we are just going to hang around while they ignore our needs in favor of pandering to a base they may not even get? I can safely say that if they keep up this garbage I'll look for a party that won't dump on me to kiss up to others.