Federal Judge strikes down Arkansas 12 week abortion ban

[NewYorkExpress]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/15/arkansas-abortion-ban_n_4970764.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

A major hold of serve for Democrats and Women's groups for the most part as District Court Judge Susan Webber Wright ruled that only a doctor could determine viability and not the state. Wright did however leave in place a portion of the law which requires doctors to check for a fetal heartbeat and and notify the pregnant woman if one is present.

The State Attorney General's office said it was planning it's next move, while the bills sponsor Justin Rapert (R-Conway), was encouraged that the fetal heartbeat section wasn't struck down as well.

[Hifly]

A major hold of serve for Democrats and Women's groups for the most part as District Court Judge Susan Webber Wright ruled that only a doctor could determine viability and not the state.

Are you insane? How is this a win for the Arkansas State Democratic Party, or Mark Pryor? Half of House Democrats originally voted for this when it came up so I'm pretty sure this ruling neither represents a win for them, nor their constituents.

You have to stop posting threads.

[Bojack Horseman]

Hurray!

[I Will Not Be Wrong]

Why would they pass a 12 week abortion ban instead of a 20 week ban? Were they really expecting this to not be rules out?

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

A major hold of serve for Democrats and Women's groups for the most part as District Court Judge Susan Webber Wright ruled that only a doctor could determine viability and not the state.

Are you insane? How is this a win for the Arkansas State Democratic Party, or Mark Pryor? Half of House Democrats originally voted for this when it came up so I'm pretty sure this ruling neither represents a win for them, nor their constituents.

You have to stop posting threads.

It represents a win for working women who compose the backbone of the Democratic coalition in Arkansas.

[Hifly]

A major hold of serve for Democrats and Women's groups for the most part as District Court Judge Susan Webber Wright ruled that only a doctor could determine viability and not the state.

Are you insane? How is this a win for the Arkansas State Democratic Party, or Mark Pryor? Half of House Democrats originally voted for this when it came up so I'm pretty sure this ruling neither represents a win for them, nor their constituents.

You have to stop posting threads.

It represents a win for working women who compose the backbone of the Democratic coalition in Arkansas.

Seriously? Come off it.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

A major hold of serve for Democrats and Women's groups for the most part as District Court Judge Susan Webber Wright ruled that only a doctor could determine viability and not the state.

Are you insane? How is this a win for the Arkansas State Democratic Party, or Mark Pryor? Half of House Democrats originally voted for this when it came up so I'm pretty sure this ruling neither represents a win for them, nor their constituents.

You have to stop posting threads.

It represents a win for working women who compose the backbone of the Democratic coalition in Arkansas.

Seriously? Come off it.

Do you ever post anything that goes beyond advocacy for obnoxious social paternalism? This routine is getting old. There is nothing substantive behind your claims, you've consistently demonstrated that you understand nothing about American politics etc.

[Hifly]

A major hold of serve for Democrats and Women's groups for the most part as District Court Judge Susan Webber Wright ruled that only a doctor could determine viability and not the state.

Are you insane? How is this a win for the Arkansas State Democratic Party, or Mark Pryor? Half of House Democrats originally voted for this when it came up so I'm pretty sure this ruling neither represents a win for them, nor their constituents.

You have to stop posting threads.

It represents a win for working women who compose the backbone of the Democratic coalition in Arkansas.

Seriously? Come off it.

Do you ever post anything that goes beyond advocacy for obnoxious social paternalism? This routine is getting old. There is nothing substantive behind your claims, you've consistently demonstrated that you understand nothing about American politics etc.

I'm the one who doesn't understand American politics?!? The social views you are promoting help explain why one party wins virtually all Statewide elections in the South and the other party loses virtually all Statewide elections in the South.
Where is the substance behind your claim that "working women" in Arkansas (what does this even mean anyway?) are militantly pro-choice?
Can you explain articulately how promoting pro-choice policies would help Democrats win Statewide and local elections in Arkansas?

[Adam Griffin]

A major hold of serve for Democrats and Women's groups for the most part as District Court Judge Susan Webber Wright ruled that only a doctor could determine viability and not the state.

Are you insane? How is this a win for the Arkansas State Democratic Party, or Mark Pryor? Half of House Democrats originally voted for this when it came up so I'm pretty sure this ruling neither represents a win for them, nor their constituents.

You have to stop posting threads.

It represents a win for working women who compose the backbone of the Democratic coalition in Arkansas.

Seriously? Come off it.

Do you ever post anything that goes beyond advocacy for obnoxious social paternalism? This routine is getting old. There is nothing substantive behind your claims, you've consistently demonstrated that you understand nothing about American politics etc.

I'm the one who doesn't understand American politics?!? The social views you are promoting help explain why one party wins virtually all Statewide elections in the South and the other party loses virtually all Statewide elections in the South.
Where is the substance behind your claim that "working women" in Arkansas (what does this even mean anyway?) are militantly pro-choice?
Also, how in God's name would promoting pro-choice policies help Democrats win Statewide and local elections in Arkansas?

The reason Arkansans still vote Democratic is because they trust Democrats with their tax dollars - period. The reason most of the rest of the South doesn't is because they don't. I can assure you that there were plenty of rubes and hicks clinging on for dear life in other states, spewing the same dogma, only to be thrown from the halls of power all the same. It has nothing to do with social issues.

[7,052,770]

A major hold of serve for Democrats and Women's groups for the most part as District Court Judge Susan Webber Wright ruled that only a doctor could determine viability and not the state.

Are you insane? How is this a win for the Arkansas State Democratic Party, or Mark Pryor? Half of House Democrats originally voted for this when it came up so I'm pretty sure this ruling neither represents a win for them, nor their constituents.

You have to stop posting threads.

Pryor's going to lose anyway.  At least this is in the best interest of the people of Arkansas.

[Hifly]

That's absolute nonsense. If it had nothing to do with social issues then Republicans wouldn't be so successful at using social issues to convince Southerners to vote GOP.
And Arkansas is now quickly completing the transition to becoming a GOP state at a state level.

Can any of you explain how promoting pro-choice policies will help the Arkansas State Democratic Party win Statewide elections in Arkansas?

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

The decline of the Democratic Party in the South is a result of the tremendous demographic changes that have taken place over the past fifty years, not voters deciding to buck a century of tradition due to two or three social issues. Notice that Democrats were still successfully dominating many Southern states long after the social cleavages engendered by 60s social movements became salient.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

That's absolute nonsense. If it had nothing to do with social issues then Republicans wouldn't be so successful at using social issues to convince Southerners to vote GOP.
And Arkansas is now quickly completing the transition to becoming a GOP state at a state level.

Can any of you explain how promoting pro-choice policies will help the Arkansas State Democratic Party win Statewide elections in Arkansas?

The Democratic base in Arkansas is overwhelmingly pro-choice. When we discuss what is good for Democrats, we are dicussing what is good for these voters according to their policy preferences rather than some autistic concern about percentages and margins of victory.

[Adam Griffin]

That's absolute nonsense. If it had nothing to do with social issues then Republicans wouldn't be so successful at using social issues to convince Southerners to vote GOP.
And Arkansas is now quickly completing the transition to becoming a GOP state at a state level.

We're talking about Arkansas here, not the bloc at-large. A state that opposes abortion (55-45) and gay marriage (72-25) by large margins has continued to elect the party of such decades after civil rights, Roe v. Wade, forced busing, affirmative action and all of the other nonsense that the GOP has tried to use to destroy the Democratic Party's power and associate the national brand with the state party.

It worked almost everywhere else: why didn't it work in Arkansas? Because Arkansans still trust Democrats with their tax dollars - period. It isn't an accomplishment to wear down a party after 40 years of hammering them on social issues: that's just the New Deal coalition dying. Arguably the most socially conservative Southern state will be the last one to go, but please, continue to tell me how it all relates to social issues.

[Hifly]

That's absolute nonsense. If it had nothing to do with social issues then Republicans wouldn't be so successful at using social issues to convince Southerners to vote GOP.
And Arkansas is now quickly completing the transition to becoming a GOP state at a state level.

We're talking about Arkansas here, not the bloc at-large. A state that opposes abortion (55-45) and gay marriage (72-25) by large margins has continued to elect the party of such decades after civil rights, Roe v. Wade, forced busing, affirmative action and all of the other nonsense that the GOP has tried to use to destroy the Democratic Party's power and associate the national brand with the state party.

It worked almost everywhere else: why didn't it work in Arkansas? Because Arkansans still trust Democrats with their tax dollars - period. It isn't an accomplishment to wear down a party after 40 years of hammering them on social issues: that's just the New Deal coalition dying. Arguably the most socially conservative Southern state will be the last one to go, but please, continue to tell me how it all relates to social issues.

Notice that Democrats were still successfully dominating many Southern states long after the social cleavages engendered by 60s social movements became salient.

You're completely forgetting that in Arkansas, the GOP never even bothered to contest enough winnable state legislature seats until 2012, which meant that it was actually impossible for them to gain the legislature.

[Adam Griffin]

That's absolute nonsense. If it had nothing to do with social issues then Republicans wouldn't be so successful at using social issues to convince Southerners to vote GOP.
And Arkansas is now quickly completing the transition to becoming a GOP state at a state level.

We're talking about Arkansas here, not the bloc at-large. A state that opposes abortion (55-45) and gay marriage (72-25) by large margins has continued to elect the party of such decades after civil rights, Roe v. Wade, forced busing, affirmative action and all of the other nonsense that the GOP has tried to use to destroy the Democratic Party's power and associate the national brand with the state party.

It worked almost everywhere else: why didn't it work in Arkansas? Because Arkansans still trust Democrats with their tax dollars - period. It isn't an accomplishment to wear down a party after 40 years of hammering them on social issues: that's just the New Deal coalition dying. Arguably the most socially conservative Southern state will be the last one to go, but please, continue to tell me how it all relates to social issues.

Notice that Democrats were still successfully dominating many Southern states long after the social cleavages engendered by 60s social movements became salient.

You're completely forgetting that in Arkansas, the GOP never even bothered to contest enough winnable state legislature seats until 2012, which meant that it was actually impossible for them to gain the legislature.

And? That's like saying Hawaii or Rhode Island would be Republican-controlled right now if they had just ran enough candidates.

Surely the GOP could relate to the people of Arkansas! After all, your interpretation of Southern culture suggests that we would only care about how many gay marriages we could stop and how many babies we could save. Pray tell: why couldn't the GOP tap into that deep vein of social conservatism in Arkansas and overtake the legislature? Ain't no gerrymander strong enough to overcome that variable, yet the GOP never bothered running enough candidates because they knew it was pointless.

The people of Arkansas didn't care as much about their social wedge issues as they did about their own pocketbooks, and frankly, still don't when it comes down to it. Do you think Blanche Lincoln lost in 2010 because of gay marriage? The people of Arkansas vote Democratic because they trust Democrats with their tax dollars - period.

[Hifly]

That's absolute nonsense. If it had nothing to do with social issues then Republicans wouldn't be so successful at using social issues to convince Southerners to vote GOP.
And Arkansas is now quickly completing the transition to becoming a GOP state at a state level.

We're talking about Arkansas here, not the bloc at-large. A state that opposes abortion (55-45) and gay marriage (72-25) by large margins has continued to elect the party of such decades after civil rights, Roe v. Wade, forced busing, affirmative action and all of the other nonsense that the GOP has tried to use to destroy the Democratic Party's power and associate the national brand with the state party.

It worked almost everywhere else: why didn't it work in Arkansas? Because Arkansans still trust Democrats with their tax dollars - period. It isn't an accomplishment to wear down a party after 40 years of hammering them on social issues: that's just the New Deal coalition dying. Arguably the most socially conservative Southern state will be the last one to go, but please, continue to tell me how it all relates to social issues.

Notice that Democrats were still successfully dominating many Southern states long after the social cleavages engendered by 60s social movements became salient.

You're completely forgetting that in Arkansas, the GOP never even bothered to contest enough winnable state legislature seats until 2012, which meant that it was actually impossible for them to gain the legislature.

And? That's like saying Hawaii or Rhode Island would be Republican-controlled right now if they had just ran enough candidates.

Please engage brain. Common sense highlight to you that this isn't the same at all. Hawaii and Rhode Island are the bluest of blue states and Arkansas is a red state.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

No, they didn't run candidates because their local party infrastructure was, and still is a disaster. Republicans have not recruited candidates for very many winnable seats this year either.
We can even take a look at the State Senate District 21 special election 2 months ago to highlight how poor local GOP infrastructure is; Democratic ground operations and funding absolutely trounced the Republicans' (who had an inept teabagger disgrace of a candidate) in this historically deep blue seat which the GOP had never contested before.
Ultimately, the GOP still managed to win this seat in a landslide (and this was a race that was ferociously fought on fiscal issues and unfortunately voters didn't trust the Democrat with their tax dollars).
Party infrastructure failures cannot be ignored.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I know who I'd trust with discussions on political demographics in the South.

[Hifly]

I know who I'd trust with discussions on political demographics in the South.

Instead of making snarky comments, why don't you offer anything substantive to this argument.

Would you maybe care to explain how you think promoting pro-choice policies will help Democrats get elected in Arkansas?

[bullmoose88]

Why would they pass a 12 week abortion ban instead of a 20 week ban? Were they really expecting this to not be rules out?

Raptors testing the fence, hombre.  There's a long term SCOTUS-jurisprudence game being played here, how successful it will be...who knows.