A few thoughts on the ginned up birth control controversy. First, Obama cannot win votes by caving, he can only lose them.
From what I understand, the pundits are convinced that this is a big deal, believing as they always do that the great unwashed are too stupid and unsophisticated to do anything but side with the Bishops, never mind that the Bishops have been covering up child abuse for years and aren’t among the most popular guys around, even among Catholics. And besides, people like birth control, even Catholics.
This reminds me most of the Terry Schiavo incident, when Republicans really thought they had a winner, and a number of Democrats, including one Joe Lieberman (he was a nominal Democrat then), immediately went into a defensive crouch, with many ready to sign up with the Republicans on the issue. Then lo and behold the people of the United States did rise up and stun the beltway pundits and the Republicans by overwhelmingly siding with the forces of reason. It was the beginning of the end of Bush’s power as president, and one of the factors leading to Democratic victories in 2006 and 2008. No one in the beltway saw it coming, (though some from the hinterland, including yours truly, did) and a number of Democrats were shaking in their boots until the public made its feelings known.
In this case the polls already show that his people are with him, and so is almost everybody else. Let’s hope that for once, Obama sticks to his guns. He may have no choice, as the Catholics have now defined the only acceptable compromise as total surrender.
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