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In reply to the discussion: Sanders stumps for Mello in Omaha, stirs national debate about definition of a progressive [View all]JCanete
(5,272 posts)when it comes to women's rights, even if the one about the ultra-sound is apparently(and I can't personally vouch for it) not forced ultrasound legislation prior to abortion, but forced presentation assuming an ultrasound had to be or was elected to be done, other votes and bill SPONSORSHIPS? seem to be a big problem.
What I don't want to claim is that I have all the information, because clearly I don't. One big question is why is the state's planned parenthood endorsing Mello? Why is the DNC?
Granted, Sanders has supposedly set a different standard for his endorsements, and if Mello is as bad as some of this reporting has suggested on women's reproductive rights, I would like an explanation from Sanders as to why he thinks this is an issue that is compromise-worthy. If he thinks we can't overcome pro-life silliness with a strong economic class message, then yes, while I understand that people may be particularly rigid when a candidate's beliefs contradict their own faith, this move doesn't instill me with confidence that we can reach people without further dividing our own. And this isn't simply putting the matter of women's rights off, held in hiatus, this may be a candidate who is regressive on this matter. That takes us backwards. It does the kind of pandering I've said we HAVE to get away from. It muddies our own idealism, rather than to build our coalitions on our ideals in these states where people have precious few beacons.
Even if I think money is the root of all, that if we win on that we can more easily win on every other front, I can't see how making message sacrifices of this magnitude is going to help get the Democratic party on the same page. It isn't just conservative rural white Americans who don't understand that we need to fight back in a waging class war. And we can't win on that issue if we can't galvanize behind it. If Sanders is fairly or unfairly, the face of economic justice, then a move like this could harm efforts for economic justice. And I say that as a Sanders fan.