What if the Democrats moderated on abortion?

[100% pro-life no matter what]

Something like supporting heartbeat bills (~6 weeks gestation) and defunding Planned Parenthood, but not a total ban?  Or, even a total ban with exceptions?  This might be the only way they can win back large swaths of voters.

[Hindsight was 2020]

Defunding PP is not "moderate" it's a stupid idea that research shows does more harm then stoping abortion

[100% pro-life no matter what]

Defunding PP is not "moderate" it's a stupid idea that research shows does more harm then stoping abortion

The idea that the government should be funding private business in the first place is extreme.

[Gass3268]

Something like supporting heartbeat bills (~6 weeks gestation) and defunding Planned Parenthood, but not a total ban?  Or, even a total ban with exceptions?  This might be the only way they can win back large swaths of voters.

Nothing proposed here is moderate.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     Moving to the right on abortion isn't going to do much for the Dems. The kind of people who are enthusiastic pro-lifers that would respond favorably to this typically disagree with them on everything else anyway.

[NeverAgain]

The Green Party would gain a couple of million voters, if they took up your proposals...

[Person Man]

I could see something like
D:43 G:5 L:5 R:47
http://www.270towin.com/maps/OpDBA

It could help if Roe was overturned and Democrats could run on keeping it legal at will until 12 weeks and for cause (unexpected complications with pregnancy) until 22 weeks.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

What if the Republicans moderated on the economy and supported nationalising banks/ industry and wealth confiscation?

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

     Moving to the right on abortion isn't going to do much for the Dems. The kind of people who are enthusiastic pro-lifers that would respond favorably to this typically disagree with them on everything else anyway.

I don't think it's a great idea electorally either (although deemphasizing the issue might be), realizing which is part of why I don't have a red avatar any more, but this is simply not true--there are a number of single-issue pro-life voters who still would likely not vote for a Democratic Party that was moderate or ideologically diverse on abortion but might stop turning out like clockwork for the Republicans, and a (probably smaller these days, but in the past it was not so and it may not always continue to be so) number of voters who are pro-life but lean left on some or even many other issues--practicing Millennial non-hipster Christians very commonly fall into that category.

The sooner views on abortion can be decoupled from partisan politics entirely the better for American public life as a whole, and I've always thought so regardless of my own views on abortion.

Of course, ExtremeRepublican's idea of "moderating" on abortion isn't in fact moderate and would cost the Democrats a boatload of socially liberal votes. A moderate position on abortion these days is something like a viability ban with medical necessity exceptions and setting better support for pregnant and nursing women as a goal in other policy areas. The fact that Planned Parenthood as an organization, Planned Parenthood specifically, has become a shibboleth and sacred cow in the way it has is pretty horrible, but defunding it is probably not a "moderate" position either.

[Fusionmunster]

Did you read your post before posting ExtremeRepublican?

[RINO Tom]

I'm going to ignore the asinine OP and simply discuss this matter.  I think if Democrats took a more culturally inclusive attitude on the issue and moderated on seemingly common sense things that most Americans support (like banning partial-birth abortion), they'd be just fine staying pro-choice.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

All Democrats need to do is a) not foreground the issue, because most people don't really care either way, b) not make it a huge litmus test for (non-national) candidates and c) try to not come across as happy that abortions happen, by reviving that whole "I want it safe, legal and rare" spiel. No policy change required.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Really, they just need to go back to "safe, legal, and rare".

[Illiniwek]

I would say, "yaaaaaaaaaaaay!"

It ain't gonna happen tho.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

What the OP proposed is not the "centrist" view on abortion. Heck, a 6 week ban was what the OHIO GOP wanted Kasich to sign a few weeks back (he vetoed it). A "centrist" position on abortion would be banning it at 24 weeks, probably with the classic "3 exceptions" after that point. There are a lot of questions about what Planned Parenthood does, and I do believe they prefer abortions over completed pregnancies, but I'm not sure I'd call defunding them centrist.

As far as what democrats should do to gain votes, going back to saying "Safe, Legal, and Rare", instead of just "Safe and Legal", and also dropping their proposed repeal of the Hyde amendment, would definitely gain them votes, even if only a few, without losing anybody.

Making some or all abortion illegal after a certain point in pregnancy might help or hurt, and it's hard to know which. While there are certainly some voters out there who are "leftist" enough elsewhere but can't rationalize voting for a late-term abortion supporter, there are also plenty of people in the democratic base who really do support elective abortion throughout the entire pregnancy, even seconds or minutes before normal delivery would occur, that might flee to the greens if the democratic party openly supports a late-term ban in its platform. It would have to be a very careful calculation, and I don't pretend to know if it would work out for them or not.

[(Still) muted by Kalwejt until March 31]

Really, they just need to go back to "safe, legal, and rare".

-This is correct.

Extreme Republican is being an extreme Republican. Obviously Democrats aren't going to follow his suggestions, as they would be primaried.

[Devout Centrist]

I'd always vote Libertarian or pro-choice Republican.

[Shadows]

Why should they take this extremist stand? Nationally Dems have more support, much more support for their pro-choice positions that GOP has. And with more people coming in, this will be a dead issue in 10-15 years as will gay marriage will be, marijuana will be legal - The GOP after 20 years will struggle to win a Presidency unless they come over to the right side.

Having said that people don't vote for you solely because of abortion or gay rights, you have to have a strong economic message.

But there is no way they would go backwards & take this disaster of a stand.

[ProgressiveCanadian]

Democrats are moderate enough that's why they suck so much.

[Cashew]

Why should they take this extremist stand? Nationally Dems have more support, much more support for their pro-choice positions that GOP has. And with more people coming in, this will be a dead issue in 10-15 years as will gay marriage will be, marijuana will be legal - The GOP after 20 years will struggle to win a Presidency unless they come over to the right side.

Having said that people don't vote for you solely because of abortion or gay rights, you have to have a strong economic message.

But there is no way they would go backwards & take this disaster of a stand.

Hilarious. Abortion is among the few issues that have remained absolutely stagnant, Even as social liberals win on most other issues.

[Shadows]

Why should they take this extremist stand? Nationally Dems have more support, much more support for their pro-choice positions that GOP has. And with more people coming in, this will be a dead issue in 10-15 years as will gay marriage will be, marijuana will be legal - The GOP after 20 years will struggle to win a Presidency unless they come over to the right side.

Having said that people don't vote for you solely because of abortion or gay rights, you have to have a strong economic message.

But there is no way they would go backwards & take this disaster of a stand.

Hilarious. Abortion is among the few issues that have remained absolutely stagnant, Even as social liberals win on most other issues.

It will change as the % of religious nutjobs fall - Give another 20 years & then we'll talk - This will be a dead issue like in most European countries!

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Why should they take this extremist stand? Nationally Dems have more support, much more support for their pro-choice positions that GOP has. And with more people coming in, this will be a dead issue in 10-15 years as will gay marriage will be, marijuana will be legal - The GOP after 20 years will struggle to win a Presidency unless they come over to the right side.

Having said that people don't vote for you solely because of abortion or gay rights, you have to have a strong economic message.

But there is no way they would go backwards & take this disaster of a stand.

Hilarious. Abortion is among the few issues that have remained absolutely stagnant, Even as social liberals win on most other issues.

It will change as the % of religious nutjobs fall - Give another 20 years & then we'll talk - This will be a dead issue like in most European countries!

Charming.

[Lothal1]

What if the Republicans moderated on the economy and supported nationalising banks/ industry and wealth confiscation?

Because we have a constitution that disallows the federal govt from interfering in intrastate commerce?

[Cashew]

What if the Republicans moderated on the economy and supported nationalising banks/ industry and wealth confiscation?

Because we have a constitution that disallows the federal govt from interfering in intrastate commerce?

Hiding behind the status quo is not an argument.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

If the Democrats moderated on abortion, I'd seriously consider changing parties.